International Mother Language Day: History And Significance

Every year on February 21, people around the world celebrate International Mother Language Day to encourage linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism. It all started with Bangladesh’s effort with the overarching goal of preserving and safeguarding its native languages. According to some estimates, 2000 of the 6,700 languages spoken worldwide are spoken in India alone.

Here is what the UNESCO website says regarding International Mother Language Day: "UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. It is within its mandate for peace that it works to preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others."

Bengal was divided in 1947, the year that India and Pakistan became independent nations. While East Bengal (now Bangladesh), which has a Muslim majority, was designated a part of Pakistan, West Bengal, which has a majority of Hindus, became a part of India. Although more than half of the population of East Pakistan spoke Bangla, the Pakistani government chose to make Urdu its official language and only permitted the use of Bangla written in Arabic.

The 21st of February, also known as Ekushey (21 in Bengali) February, honours the day in 1952 when a group of students from the University of Dhaka organized a nationwide protest to oppose the use of Urdu as the country's official language and to demand Bangla instead. After years of resistance from the language movement, Pakistan's government finally bowed to pressure in 1956 and recognized Bangla as an official language. Bangladeshis have since respected this day in their memories.

Until 1999, February 21 was known as National Martyrs' Day. Thereafter, in 1999, UNESCO proclaimed it International Mother Language Day following which the UN General Assembly officially recognized International Mother Language Day (IMLD) in 2002.

The International Year of Languages was declared by the General Assembly in 2008 with the goal of fostering multilingualism and multiculturalism and promoting unity in variety, and UNESCO was designated as the leading organisation for the Year.

This initiative undoubtedly raised awareness of language-related issues and mobilized partners and resources to encourage the adoption of plans and policies for linguistic diversity and multilingualism throughout a number of regions of the world.

The theme for this year is Multilingual education: a requirement for transforming education. On a worldwide scale, 40% of the population lacks access to education in a language they can speak or understand. The UN observed that a language disappears every two weeks, taking with it a complete cultural and intellectual history.

Moreover, of the estimated 6,700 languages spoken worldwide, at least 40% are in danger of extinction. Less than 100 languages are used in the digital world, and only a few hundred have been legitimately accepted into educational systems and the general population.

Here’s what the UNESCO tweeted on the occasion of International Mother Language Day: