Mothers everywhere unite in celebrating International Mother Language Day! The day celebrates the unique role of mother tongues in the global community, and calls for an increased focus on mom's voice and skills in communication. Join us in honoring these special mothers with this special day!
UNESCO has designated February 21 as "International Mother Language Day." It is also known as the Matribhasha Diwas in India. Bangladesh initially proposed the idea of honoring mother tongues at the UNESCO General Conference in 1999. Bangladesh was working to save its native language at the time, Bangla. Since 2000, this day has been observed annually. According to UNESCO, approximately 40% of the world's population does not have access to education in their native tongue. Countries have been attempting to encourage linguistic and cultural variety globally in order to combat this global issue.
A language dies off every two weeks, bringing with it a whole cultural and intellectual legacy. The estimated 6000 languages spoken worldwide have an endangered status of at least 43%. Less than 100 languages are used in the digital sphere, and only a few hundred have been truly given a position in educational systems and the public sphere.
Languages, which sustainably transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures, are the foundation of multilingual and multicultural communities. Every year, International Mother Language Day is marked to encourage multilingualism and linguistic and cultural diversity.
Public gatherings and rallies were forbidden by the Pakistani government in order to crush the dissent. Massive marches and meetings were organised by University of Dhaka students with the assistance of the general people. On February 21, 1952, police started shooting at protests. Numerous people were hurt, including Abdus Salam, Abul Barkat, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar, and Shafiur Rahman. It was an uncommon occurrence in history for people to give their lives in defense of their mother tongue.
International Mother Language Day has now become one of Bangladeshis' sorrowful holidays. To show their profound sorrow, respect, and thanks for the martyrs, they go to the Shaheed Minar, a memorial constructed in their honor, and its replicas.
Bangladesh observes International Mother Language Day as a public holiday. Bengalis living in Vancouver, Canada, Rafiqul Islam, and Abdus Salam proposed the resolution. On January 9, 1998, they sent a letter to Kofi Annan pleading with him to establish an International Mother Language Day in an effort to save the world's languages from extinction. To remember the murders that took place in Dhaka in 1952 during the Language Movement, Rafiq suggested setting the memorial for February 21.
Every year on February 21, people all around the world observe International Mother Language Day to raise awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to encourage multilingualism. The United Nations General Assembly adopted UN resolution 56/262 in 2002, legally recognizing the initiative after it was first presented by UNESCO on November 17, 1999. Mother Language Day is a component of a larger campaign "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world," as stated in UN resolution 61/266, which was approved by the UN General Assembly on May 16, 2007. This resolution also declared 2008 as the International Year of Languages.
Bangladesh took an effort to establish International Mother Language Day. The day the people of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) campaigned for the recognition of the Bangla language is commemorated on February 21 each year. India's West Bengal province also observes it.
On February 21 (Monday), people throughout the world will celebrate International Mother Language Day to encourage linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, endorsed the concept of International Mother Language Day in 1999.
"UNESCO thinks that diverse cultures and languages are essential for building a stable society.
International Mother Language Day's 24th anniversary will center on the idea that multilingual education is essential to transforming education.
Mother-tongue-based multilingual education makes it easier for groups of people who speak indigenous languages, minority languages, and non-dominant languages to receive education and be included in it. UNESCO is hosting an event on February 21 to investigate and debate how multilingualism might change education from a lifelong learning viewpoint and in various circumstances. The following three interconnected themes will serve as the foundation for the discussions:
Improving multilingual education as a requirement to change education in multilingual situations begins with early childhood education and goes far beyond.
Supporting learning through multilingualism and education in our rapidly shifting global surroundings, as well as in emergency situations.
Endangered languages that are vanishing or in danger of going extinct.
The School of Humanities of RMIT University in Mandi Gobindgarh commemorated International Mother Language Day with tremendous pomp. As the Chief Guest, Dr. AS Chawla, Vice Chancellor of RMIT University, graced the event. Dr. AS Chawla, the function's chief guest, opened it.
On this occasion, Dr. Hukam Chand Bansal, Chancellor of RMIT University, wished the students well and congratulated them on Mother Language Day. The kids performed ethnic dances, sang songs, read ghazals, and delivered speeches in a variety of languages, including Punjabi, Hindi, Kashmiri, Bhojpuri, Nepali, Rajasthani, and others. Dr. A.S. Chawla, the chief guest, stressed the value of mother tongue proficiency when speaking on the topics of language, education, and national development.
A pupil who speaks his mother tongue well can pick up other languages quickly. France, Germany, Japan, China, Sweden, Russia, and Norway are a few of the nations whose regional tongues have replaced English as the primary language of development.
It is hard to overstate the significance of February 21 in Bangladeshi history. International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21. Students fought the then-Govt on this day in 1952 in an effort to protect the Bangla language from being taken from our lips. People get up early on this day to visit "Shaheed Minari barefoot." At the "Shaheed Millar," flowers are offered as a tribute to the martyrs. They perform the most well-known song by Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury while walking the lines below. A variety of cultural programs are organized to commemorate the day. People plan seminars or conversations for the evening. People do this to remember the valiant deeds of our country's heroes.
This day was originally a source of pride for our countrymen, but it is now respected by everyone in the world. Our noble sons are remembered by everyone in the world. The world is now aware of how courageous Bangalees are, willing to give their lives to defend the rights of their mother tongue.
The recommendations presented at the Transforming Education Summit, where a focus was also placed on Indigenous people's education and languages, are in line with the topic of the 2023 International Mother Language Day, "Multilingual education - a must to transform education."
Mother-tongue-based multilingual education makes it easier for groups of people who speak indigenous languages, minority languages, and non-dominant languages to receive education and be included in it.
Improving multilingual education is a requirement to change education in multilingual situations beginning with early childhood education and going far beyond;
Supporting learning through multilingualism and multilingual education in contexts that are rapidly changing globally as well as in emergency and crisis circumstances;
Revitalizing languages that are vanishing or are in danger of extinction.
