International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day is celebrated annually on February 21, having been officially recognized by UNESCO in 1999. This observance aims to promote the preservation and protection of all languages, especially those at risk of extinction. With over 40% of the world's 6,000 to 7,000 languages vulnerable, the day serves as a reminder of the importance of linguistic diversity as a crucial part of cultural heritage. The day was first proposed by Bangladesh, which has a historical context tied to the struggle for the recognition of the Bangla language.
The 1952 protests in East Pakistan, where demonstrators advocated for Bangla to be an official language, resulted in several fatalities, marking a significant event in the fight for language rights. In 2008, UNESCO designated this year as the International Year of Languages, promoting global awareness of linguistic diversity. Each year, different themes are selected, and various events, including competitions, performances, and educational initiatives, are held worldwide to celebrate and highlight the significance of mother languages. The observance underscores the value of language as a repository of culture, identity, and history for communities around the globe.
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International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21 of every year by the international community. First adopted by the thirtieth General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on November 17, 1999, it was soon officially honored by nearly 200 nations. With more than 40 percent of the world's six to seven thousand recognized languages at risk of dying out, UNESCO promulgated International Mother Language Day to encourage the preservation of a valuable cultural heritage. UNESCO director-general Koichiro Matsuura stated in 2001,
Each [language] in itself represents a conceptual universe, a dazzling and complex array of sounds and emotions, associations and symbols, representations of movement and time. . . . The pattern of today's linguistic map represents our motley, preciously diverse human heritage: tangible where scripts and books exist, but intangible and vulnerable where other forms are preferred.
It was the nation of Bangladesh that first proposed International Mother Language Day. When the British agreed to India's demand for independence after World War II and subsequently partitioned (divided) the land into the nations of India and Pakistan, the latter country was actually split, with half of it to the west of India and the other half to the east. It was an unworkable arrangement from the start. Not only were the two parts of the country separated by 1,000 miles of rugged terrain, but they were also inhabited by different peoples: East Pakistan was populated primarily by Bengalis, who resented the heavy-handed rule of West Pakistan. One of their demands was that Bangla, which has a Sanskrit origin, become the state language of East Pakistan, but the Pakistani government insisted on making Urdu, which uses Arabic characters, the official language for both parts of the country.
A student protest was staged on February 21, 1952, at Dhaka University, resulting in at least seven deaths when the police fired on the protesters in order to restore order. Those who were killed became martyrs for the restoration of Bangla, the Bengali mother language, to the Bengali people of East Pakistan. Bangla was declared an official language of Pakistan four years later. East Pakistan finally achieved independence in the early 1970s. Renamed Bangladesh, it sponsored International Mother Language Day in order to increase public awareness of the struggle to preserve languages all over the world.
Different themes are selected each year by UNESCO. The year 2008 was designated as the International Year of Languages, and the UN declared 2022 to 2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. It holds events related to each theme at its headquarters in France.
Bangladesh observes International Mother Language Day as Language Martyrs' Day through song and literary competition. Other countries and organizations host language-related events such as film screenings, debates, performances, and meals, and may publicize or distribute educational or literary materials in multiple languages or threatened languages.
Bibliography
Avila, Alonso. “International Mother Language Day: An Abbreviated History.” Glocal Notes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 27 Feb. 2015, publish.illinois.edu/iaslibrary/2015/02/26/international-mother-language-day-an-abbreviated-history. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.
George, Ashley. “Celebrate International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21 - Language Magazine.” Language Magazine, 20 Feb. 2020, www.languagemagazine.com/2020/02/20/celebrate-international-mother-language-day-on-feb-21/. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
“International Mother Language Day.” British Council, 6 Feb. 2020, learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine/international-mother-language-day. Accessed 9 Apr. 2020.
“International Mother Language Day, 21 February: Safeguarding Linguistic Diversity.” United Nations, www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.
Okita, Kiyokazu. “Celebrating Linguistic Diversity on International Mother Language Day.” OUPblog, Oxford UP, 21 Feb. 2015, blog.oup.com/2015/02/international-mother-language-day. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.