Mir Mahmudul Haque Chowdhury :
Mother language is an inherited language of each and every man to express his own ideas, feelings and emotions. The words ‘mother’ and ‘mother language’ are quite indispensable to each other. There actually exists an integrated relationship between the two words which can better be compared to the two flowers bloomed in the same petal on the same branch of a tree. We have to struggle and sacrifice life to get the freedom of speaking. Our brave people sacrifice their blood for the sake of Mother’s tongue on 21st February 1952.
As a Bangalee our mother tongue or mother language is Bangla. To speak in mother tongue is a birthright of a man. No one has any right snatch away this right. The attack on or any conspiracy against the mother tongue of a people is no less than an act of brutality. It can be likened to spoil the very sanctity of a mother. No people can let such heinous act go unchallenged.
We had been under the colonial domination of the British for long 190 years after the setting down of the sun on the independence of bangle in the battle of Plessey in 1957. Then it came into being an independent country name Pakistan with two wings called East Pakistan and West Pakistan. But since the dawn of Pakistan, the rulers of West Pakistan began to treat the Bengalese with the cruel attitudes of a set-mother. They were so cruel and heinous that they did not feel any hesitation to make attack on the cultural sanctity of the bangles.
Immediately after independence, a resolution was adopted by the Pakistan government to make ‘Urdu’ as their state language. But peoples of our country refuges to accept Urdu as mother languages. On March 21, 1948, the governor of Pakistan again declared Urdu as Pakistan’s only state language. Students instantly protest the declaration again. Condition of Section 144 was declared in whole Dhaka On February 20, 1952. But on February 21, 1952, the students call meeting in Amtala of Dhaka University and rallies were started by them by violating Section 144. Police shot on the rally and instantly Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiur and many others were martyred.
21st February is a day of the glory of the people of Bangladesh. It was known and observed as only “Shaheed Dibosh” in earlier. It was at the painful memorable day of the language movement of the Bengali people. Bangladesh is the only country in the world that has sacrificed their lives and run movement for mother tongue. This day teaches us to stand up, protest and fight against all sorts of oppression and wrongdoings. It is the language movement through which to a noble sense of ‘Bengali nationalism’ has come into existence.
On 17 November 1999, UNESCO, a organization of United Nations recognized our Language movement and deductions of the Martyrs. They declared that the day would observe internationally. 21st February is observed as ‘International Mother Language Day’ all over the world since 2000. The recognition by the UNESCO and the observance of the day by the international community has expanded. Our national glory and uplifted the sacrifices of our language martyrs. Through UNESCO recognition, our language day got international status.
The recognition of our language day and the proclamation of the observance of the day universally are very significant. UNESCO’s acceptance is not merely a perception of our language movement. But it recognizes that is the birthright of every nation or race to speak in their language. The proclamation also declared that this recognition would help to preserve all the languages of the world, and that diversity of languages is essential to maintain cultural identity and distinction.
The significance of the international mother language day is too much to be described in words. The mother language day is a glorious recognition of our history and our achievement. It highlights the importance of linguistic identity and diversity. The day has brought about a great change in the life of the bangles. It was actually a victory for justice over injustice – the victory of humanity over barbarism.
However, the importance of 21st February and its devotion prevail elsewhere. The seed of our Liberation War sowed on this day in 1952. The language movement teaches us that we have to rise for achieving our rights for establishing our place of honor and dignity in the world. It teaches us not to bow down to any oppression. It also inspires us to sacrifice our most treasured thing for the sake of the nation. So the importance of international Mother Language Day is very significant.
Motherland is a blossomed flower and its fragrance is the mother tongue. That is why people are tied with mother tongue and mother tongue. A nation is nurtured and developed by resorting to mother language. Nation, imagination, the passion of the soul, the craving, the love of the heart is transformed through the mother language. So the mother tongue is like a mother. And those who want to take away this mother tongue have to resist them, even in exchange for blood. It was our history that our Brave people, our glorification are not only our history; we also celebrate worldwide as “International Mother Language Day”.
We are really proud of our language martyrs. We speak in our mother language for their supreme sacrifice; moreover we get our independence for their movement. They will remain ever fresh in our innermost hearts and remind us of the undying memory of dedicating their lives to the cause of mother language. Global acceptance of this day proud us and also uplifted their sacrifice worldwide.
Every nation loves and respects his mother tongue and on this day, conscious people renew the pledge for the unity of the nation to rise against all sorts of oppression and assaults. So this day bears an immense significance in the history of the world. This day it has been our sacred duty to develop our language at all costs. Our love for our mother tongue would be proved true only when we should be able to use Bangla in every sphere of life. So, let this day be a part of our sensibilities.
(Mir Mahmudul Haque Chowdhury, Banker & Researcher; e-mail: [email protected])
