The blood-stained streets of Dhaka in 1952 are a powerful reminder of the vitality of our mother language. The transition from East Pakistan to Bangladesh has a blood-stained story behind it. For the first time in world history, a mother tongue became the focal point for an independence movement. In March 1948, just months after the birth of Pakistan, Pakistani leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah declared that the state language of Pakistan would be Urdu. All official communication from then was to be in Urdu and the language was made compulsory in schools. Meanwhile, Bangla, which is a completely different language, was removed as a subject in schools and from stamps and currency.
Students of Dhaka University began their protest on February 21, 1952 against the 'Urdu only' policy. The police began indiscriminate firing on the students, killing many of them. Since then, February 21 is observed as 'Shaheed Dibosh (Martyrs' Day)' in Bangladesh to pay tribute to Shaheed Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Abdul Jabbar, Shafiur Rahman, and many more. Their passion for their mother tongue and devotion towards their motherland forced the Pakistani leadership to make Bangla one of the official languages of Pakistan in 1954.
The language movement not only gave rise to the Bengali national identity in the then Pakistan, but also became the stepping stone for the Bengali nationalist movement, the six-point movement, the student movement in 1962, the uprising in 1969 and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. This is perhaps the only movement in history that started with protecting linguistic and cultural rights and ultimately led to the birth of an independent nation, Bangladesh.
However, it is often said that language is the key to identity. And while this may be true to some extent, it is not the whole story. Language is only one part of what makes us who we are. It is our culture, our values, and our experiences that make up our identity. That being said, language does play a role in shaping our identity. It is the way we communicate our thoughts and feelings, and it can be a strong reflection of our cultural background.
For many people, their native language is an important part of their identity. It can be a source of pride and a connection to their heritage.
Learning your mother tongue well can help us to better understand our own identity. It can also give a greater appreciation for the diversity of cultures in the world. International Mother Language Day is a day to celebrate all languages and to remind us of the importance of understanding and respecting different cultures.
Additionally, mother tongue is one of the most authoritative tools used to safeguard and convey culture and cultural ties. Children who are uninformed of their culture, their language and their history will lose confidence in themselves, the family, society and the nation to which they belong and will have no other option than seeking an alternate identity.
A child will identify himself or herself with the language and culture he/she knows best. For this reason, the attitudes and beliefs of parents are so imperative in this aspect. If they want to thwart this from happening, they should find ways to help their children uphold and improve their mother language without neglecting to give affirmative messages and keeping optimistic attitudes about other cultures. We must not also forget to teach our children to learn about other cultures and respect them as well. Hundreds of our languages are teetering on the verge of annihilation, and we may lose more than just words if we allow them to die out.
The death of a language is worse than the burning of a dictionary whose backup is not available anywhere, not even in person's mind. When a language dies it means a whole culture in its totality has died; a whole community suffers an irreversible loss as it has no option than to humbly submit to some other community, culture, tradition, norms and language. When languages fade so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity. It hurts in no way if a pupil is able to speak several languages. Actually, the more the languages one knows in the present world, the better.
There are many reasons why it is important to know your mother tongue well. February is the month of International Mother Language Day, which is a great opportunity to celebrate the importance of mother tongues.
One of the most important reasons to know our mother tongue well is for communication in the workplace. In today's globalized economy, it is more important than ever to be able to communicate with colleagues from all over the world.
Finally, knowing mother tongue can also help us connect with our heritage and roots. For many people, their native language is an important part of their identity. Learning about our mother tongue can help us better understand where we come from and feel proud of our heritage.
It is clear that there are many reasons why it is important to know mother tongue well. On International Mother Language Day, let us remember the importance of our native language and the role it plays in our lives. Let us also pledge to do our best to learn other languages so that we can bridge the communication gap and build a better world for all.
The purpose of writing this to highlight the need of saving our mother tongues if we really wish to save our cultures. Curiosity towards exploring other cultures and languages should always be there, but first the desire to understand our own family culture and language should be so deeply rooted that our children should feel proud in making conscious efforts of passing this rich heritage to their next generation.
Anika Fatima, Editorial Assistant, the Daily Observer
