Lokmat Times: every country of the world has celebrated International Mothertongue Day or Matribhasha Diwas. What is so special about this day? UNESCO has recognized this day in 1999. 21st February is considered as Matribhasha Diwas because on this day in 1952 Youngmen from Eastern Pakistan (now Bangladesh) martyred for their mothertongue Bengali. Pakistan forced them to adopt Urdu as their language but they insisted for Bangla. Originally Urdu is not Pakistan’s main Language but the language of the very influential refugees who settled in Pakistan from India. Pakistan’s languages are – Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balooch, among others. In reality this campaign of mother tongue has given birth to Bangladesh as separate nation in 1971. Now along with Bangladesh 21st February is celebrated universally as Matribhasha Diwas. But what is the actual scenario of Mothertongue globally? Except five great powers, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and European nations, most of the countries are coping with linguistic slavery. In Africa, Asia and Latin America colonial languages like English, French and Spanish are dominating. Countries that were slaved earlier are still caged. The law, higher studies, justice and administration are still carried out in the language of rulers. The status of native languages is that of a maid servant (Naukrani) and the erstwhile ruler’s languages is that of a queen (Maharani). This slavery was
challenged by Maharshi Dyanand, Mahatma Gandhi and Ram Manohar Lohia. Learning foreign language is always an asset but ignoring our own is a disasters culturally and intellectually. What do we say to our innocent leaders? How will they protect our mothertongues where National Language in India is languishing. There are about 7000 mother tongues globally. If these languages will not be protected then no wonder their hory culture, tradition, principles, practices and thinking processes associated with them will also be vanished.
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