The blood-soaked streets of Dhaka in 1952 are still a powerful reminder of the vibrancy of our mother tongues
The blood-soaked streets of Dhaka in 1952 are still a powerful reminder of the vibrancy of our mother tongues
International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21st February in Bangladesh to honor the people who fought against the erstwhile rulers of West Pakistan to protect their mother tongue Bangla and to respect the ethno-linguistic rights of individuals across the world. He sacrificed his life.
language movement
There is a blood-stained story behind the transition from East Pakistan to Bangladesh. For the first time in world history, a mother tongue became the focal point of an independence movement. In March 1948, a few months after the birth of Pakistan, Pakistani leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah announced that the state language of Pakistan would be Urdu. From then on all official communication was to be in Urdu and the language was made compulsory in schools. Meanwhile, Bangla, which is an entirely different language, was removed as a subject in schools and from stamps and currency.
The students of Dhaka University started their protest on 21 February 1952 against the ‘Urdu only’ policy. The police started firing indiscriminately on the students, in which many students were killed. Since then, February 21 is celebrated in Bangladesh as ‘Shaheed Dibosh (Martyr’s Day)’ to pay homage to the martyrs Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Abdul Jabbar, Shafiur Rahman and many others. His passion for his mother tongue and devotion to his motherland forced the Pakistani leadership to make Bengali one of the official languages of Pakistan in 1954.
The language movement not only gave rise to the Bengali national identity in erstwhile Pakistan, but also led to the Bengali nationalist movement, the Six Point Movement, the 1962 student movement, the 1969 rebellion and the 1971 Bangladesh liberation. Warning. It is perhaps the only movement in history that began with the defense of linguistic and cultural rights and eventually led to the birth of an independent nation, Bangladesh.
Language is one of the most important features of the foundation of culture. Cesar Chavez has said, “A language is an accurate reflection of the character and development of its speakers.” Language is the most powerful tool that forms social, economic and cultural relations. Today, multilingualism and intercultural communication are a growing phenomenon. Due to globalization and interconnectedness, widely spoken languages have gained dominance and indigenous languages are increasingly localised. The rush to get better job opportunities has motivated people to learn foreign languages and as a result mother tongues have disappeared. Linguistic diversity is under constant threat. According to the United Nations, at least 43% of the estimated 6,000 languages spoken in the world are at risk. The United Nations declared the period between 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, “to draw global attention to the critical status of many indigenous languages around the world and to mobilize stakeholders and resources for their conservation, revitalization and promotion.” to collect.”
The Internet is dominated by English and a handful of other languages. Most of the people who speak indigenous languages and dialects have almost zero digital presence. People often defame their own language. Since it is not on the Internet, the legitimacy of the language is questioned, and learning or further practice of it is often discouraged. From keyboards to programming languages, incompatible hardware and software to website domains, social media and applications, the linguistic divide prevents most native speakers from being part of the rest of the online world.
Ray of Hope
International Mother Language Day 2022 was observed across the world with the theme ‘Using Technology for Multilingual Education: Challenges and Opportunities’. It highlighted the role of technology in supporting the growth of multilingual education and the development of quality teaching and learning for all. The fight for local languages to be on the web has been supported by tech giants such as Amazon and Facebook, as their products are available in few local languages. Google Translate has brought together many regional cultures. Translations are done by experts in AI and native language who have experience and a solid educational background.
Hundreds of languages are spoken, written and translated around the world. Linguistic diversity defines our socio-cultural identity, connects us to our heritage and is the cornerstone of civilizations. The blood-soaked streets of Dhaka in 1952 are still a powerful reminder of the vibrancy of our mother tongues.
Syed Munir Khasroo is the President of the International Think Tank, The Institute for Policy, Advocacy and Governance, New Delhi, India, with presence in Dhaka, Melbourne, Vienna and Dubai. Email: munir.khasru@ipag.org
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