Module 6: What is International Mother Language Day?

International Mother Language Day is the perhaps one of the most important yet least known observance days in human history. It was first proclaimed by the UN’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on November 17, 1999, marking February 21 to henceforth be designated as International Mother Language Day (IMLD). It was first observed the following year on February 21, 2000.

This day of observance’s history lies in the partitioning of India that first came into effect in 1947. This “partition” divided the Bengal province based on the predominant religions of the people that occupied the region, with the western part of the territory became a province of India, and the eastern part became a province of Pakistan known as East Bengal, later becoming East Pakistan. This resulted in great linguistic, cultural, and economic differences between the East and West Pakistan territories. These tensions eventually boiled over into the form of political protests among the majority Bengali-speaking population when Pakistan’s government declared Urdu the singular national language in 1948. Pakistan’s government soon thereafter outlawed these protest, but nevertheless they continued. On February 21, 1952, a handful of students from the University of Dhaka, located in Dhaka, the modern-day capital city of Bangladesh, as well as a few other activists organized a protest. All was going well until later that day when local police opened fire at the protestors, killing four students (Scott 2017). Nearly fifty years later, in 1999, UNESCO established the international day of observance known as International Mother Language Day to remember these students’ deaths in fighting for their right to speak and use their native language. The political unrest continued for a few more years as the speakers of the Bengali language continued to campaign for the right to use their language, until finally, on February 29, 1956, Bengali became an official language of the Pakistan state. Approximately fifteen years later, in 1971 after the Bangladesh Liberation War, Bangladesh became an independent country from Pakistan, and placed Bengali as its official national language (Scott 2017).

Today, International Mother Language Day is a day of global observance, except in Bangladesh where IMLD, or Shohid Dibôsh as it is known there, is regarded as a public holiday, which is not the case in any other part of the world. Another interesting aspect about this day of observance is the fact that every year International Mother Language Day is centered around a specific theme or idea. For example, this year’s theme, according to UNESCO.org, concentrated on promoting Global Citizenship education, or more specifically, “Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education.” In particular, this theme was centered around making sure everyone, no matter of their race, ethnicity, background, etc. has access to education in their mother language, as “studies report that learning to read or write in your mother language improves learning ability and professional success” (Marsh 2017).

Furthermore, every year on International Mother Language Day, it is not uncommon for governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations alike to announce policies to encourage mother language learning and support. UNESCO and other UN agencies also participate in events that promote linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as encouraging people to maintain their mother language knowledge and using more than one language in their everyday lives. In Bangladesh, however, for the national holiday known as Shohid Dibôsh in remembrance of the students that were killed in 1952, many people visit a Shaheed Minar (martyr’s monument) where they lay flowers and pay their respects (Scott 2017). Additionally, many people of Bangladesh also award prizes, host literary competitions, as well as eat festive meals and/or organize parties—a truly enlightening experience to any outsider, as it is an important celebration of Bangladesh’s national language and culture.

(Picture 1) UNESCO’s banner to promote the 2017 International Mother Language Day (en.unecso.org)

(Picture 2) A 2012 Shohid Dibôsh (IMLD) celebratory parade on the University of Dhaka campus in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (www.thedailystar.net)

References:

Khan, Anwarus Salam, M.D. International Mother Language Day. www.internationalmotherlanguageday.com. Accessed February 21, 2017. 

Marsh, Natalie. 2017. Mother Language Day promotes multilingual ed. www.thepienews.com. Accessed February 22, 2017.

Scott, John. 2017. International Mother Language Day. www.timeanddate.com. Accessed February 21, 2017.