By Dr. Mahender Thakur
People are generally unaware that the United Nations observes “International Mother Language Day” on February 21. Every event has now become public due to the age of social media. Mother tongue (Language) most likely does not refer to the language knowledge that a kid acquires from his or her mother, but rather to the language of the environment in which the child is raised. There is a widespread belief that the mother tongue is the language ability that a kid gets from his or her mother. This idea has a little incompleteness in my opinion. Because the mother is not solely responsible for the child’s birth and development, the father also plays a part. Aside from that, the environment also plays a part. If the mother tongue is supposed to be the same language spoken by the mother, does this mean that if the parents come from different linguistic backgrounds, the child will only speak the mother’s language?Perhaps the mother tongue refers to the prevalent language in the community. Every person’s mother tongue is a matter of pride. Learning the mother tongue does not require any formal education; instead, the child is inherently gifted by his or her parents. A child’s mother tongue is most likely the first language he/she learns after birth. For any country or community, the mother tongue is like its identity. It is the country’s or nation’s responsibility to preserve and promote its mother tongue. From an Indian perspective, the language merely changes after a short distance, and we observe the ‘Boliyaan’ (local dialects) form of the language. While Hindi is our national language, local dialects have their own unique significance.
UNESCO declared International Mother Language Day in 1999, and for the first time in 2000, the day of February 21 was observed as “International Mother Language Day.” Language and multilingualism inclusion, according to UNESCO, should be promoted. We frequently hear that a child’s basic education should be in his or her mother tongue, as this is the bedrock of language development. Furthermore, UNESCO encourages people to learn and practice other languages, as well as to keep their mother tongue alive.
To grasp the significance of mother tongue, the United Nations claims that a language disappears every two weeks around the world, destroying cultural and intellectual heritage. As a result, all languages must be preserved and promoted in order to retain a sense of knowledge, peace, authority, and diversity. Many events are held around the world to honor the mother tongue on this day. If we look back in history, we come to know that Bangladesh, our neighboring country, is credited for starting International Mother Language Day.
History of International Mother Language Day
We know that Bangladesh, whose language was Bangla, was a part of Pakistan until 1971 and was known as East Pakistan. But Pakistan had imposed the Urdu language on the then East Pakistan (Bangladesh). In 1948, in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, Urdu was declared the official language. But at that time the Bangla members of East Pakistan strongly opposed this decision but their words were ignored. As a result of this, in the year 1952, a movement erupted all over East Pakistan to maintain the existence of the mother tongue. In this movement, the students of Dhaka University and many social workers made a fierce movement. On February 21, 1952, the Pakistani army opened fire during a demonstration organized by this movement, killing five protesters.
Since then, the 21st of February has been recognized as Mother Language Day in Bangladesh in honor of these five people. After India’s efforts in 1971 resulted in the establishment of Bangladesh, the demand for Mother Language Day to be acknowledged internationally grew. Bangladesh’s government, led by Sheikh Hasina, convinced UNESCO to establish February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999. In the year 2000, International Mother Language Day was commemorated for the first time all over the world. The goal of observing this day is to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism around the world, as well as to raise awareness about various mother tongues.
On International Mother Language Day, here are some interesting facts about language
There are currently about 7000 mother tongues and regional dialects in use around the world. There are also numerous such languages or dialects that have no script, no grammar, no books, and no newspapers, among other things. Those languages or dialects, however, are still alive and well today, despite all of this. According to most studies including the 1961 census, India has 1652 different languages in use. However, the significance of all of this International Mother Language Day grows when we learn that, according to the United Nations, a language with its whole cultural and intellectual history falls extinct every two weeks. At the same time, there is a concerning figure that out of the more than 7000 languages spoken around the world, approximately 43% are in danger of extinction. Only a few hundred of these languages are used in educational systems and the public sector. Even more concerning is the fact that in the digital age, fewer than a hundred are used. Mother tongue is still not used in the education system around the world. At the same time, it is a harsh reality that the English language is the world’s only official language for communication. Which, in turn, should be viewed as a major danger to linguistic diversity and distinctiveness. There is no reason why you should not study English. However, this does not imply that other languages should be dead as a result of this. Will India be able to become a Vishwaguru or a global superpower without its mother languages?
We should take into consideration today’s situation of mother tongues. When it comes to South Asia, the question arises of which neighboring country is dominated by their mother tongue or national language apart from Bhutan and Nepal? Then one would know that most activities in Nepal and Bhutan are conducted in their mother tongues or national language. Therefore, the citizens of these countries take great pride in their language, culture, and lifestyle. I don’t believe that commemorating International Mother Language Day means that individuals should cease learning other languages. They should learn various languages, but their mother tongue and national language are especially important. In multilingual countries, the presence of a national language is a symbol of national unity and general growth. Foreign languages, on the other hand, should be learned in accordance with the requirements. On a global scale, their use is critical for business, diplomacy, and research, among other things. But it’s also worth noting what percentage of the country’s workforce is engaged in these three fields (trade, diplomacy, and research). If you figure out the answer to this question, it will be a very small number of people. This figure is unlikely to be in the few lakhs. On the other hand, if we look at India’s population data, we can see that it has surpassed 130 crore people. Is it fair to impose a foreign language like English on a population of more than 100 crore people? The goal of Macaulay’s English schools, according to him, was to prepare the workers of British rule.
Second, it is true that every year, millions of students fail their exams as a result of the mandatory use of English in India’s educational system. Isn’t this lowering their spirits? Do we not read or hear about child suicides every year when the exam results are declared? Is there a need in India for a talk English, walk English culture? The second question is where does English have the most domination in the world, aside from Britain, America, Australia, New Zealand, and half of Canada (half of Canada speaks French)? All significant work is done in their own language in countries like China, France, Germany, Japan, and even Italy. So, what’s the big deal about doing it in India? If we look at world history, we could see that no country has ever been a superpower just because of a foreign language. Only the mother tongue or national language of that country can take credit for this. India, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. The dominance of a foreign language such as English can be found everywhere. The situation is so bad that even proponents of mother tongues, such as Pratap Sarangi, who took his oath as a minister in Sanskrit, use English in his tweets.
Children are taught the words ‘Handu’ and ‘Noju’ instead of ‘Haath’ or ‘Naak.’ The main question now is whether we will be able to connect with countries like France, Germany, China, Russia, and Japan in English? Is it possible to completely utilize English in trade, diplomacy, and research with these countries? If you said yes, that’s fantastic; if you didn’t, then why is English so important? Do policymakers and governments in the country realize how much culture and uniqueness have been lost as a result of the English language? Why should India not be regarded as a British colony? Thiongo, a well-known Kenyan author, writes in his book “Decolonizing the Mind” that, “cultural bomb’ as a hegemonistic weapon used by dominant powers and intellectual groups to continue to control, manipulate and subjugate the identities and sense of selfhood of less organized or less articulate collectivities or civilizations which have fallen in a present state of disarray due to suppression by dominant colonial forces in the past.” The impact of a cultural bomb obliterates a person’s name, language, environment, struggle, tradition, unity, capacities, and, ultimately, affinity. Isn’t English a catalyst for Thiongo’s cultural bomb? Isn’t it true that the majority of Indians have become mimics as a result of this English imperative? True, the English language aids the advancement of a small population of Indians, but isn’t it also true that English cannot help India’s more than 100 crores impoverished, backward, rural, working-class, and deprived citizens? I believe that this monumental task cannot be completed without the use of a mother tongue or a national language. Let us consider today, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, whether India can become a Vishwaguru or a global superpower without its mother tongue?
(The author, Dr. Mahender Thakur, is a Himachal Based Educator, columnist and social activist. Twitter @Mahender_Chem. Email: mahenderchem44@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online.)
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