International Mother Language Day: Bangladesh’s tryst with destiny

73 years ago the Bengali people in the Eastern wing of Pakistan rose up in peaceful demonstrations to protect their cultural identity and preserve thousands of years old language. Mohammed Ali Jinnah soon after the inception of Pakistan declared that Urdu would only become the national language of both East and West Pakistan. It was it was a deliberate ploy to undermine all ethnic diversities as individual identities in the whole of Pakistan and to unify them under one language, one unit which apparently resembled not only Islam but also was perceived to be the King’s language. Interestingly the population of the east was more than 54% to that of total Pakistan and when it came to landmass area Baluchistan had a lion’s share of the entire western wing. Urdu was predominantly spoken by the migrants from northern and central territories of India who immigrated mostly towards Karachi and by a handful of elites in the Punjab region.Languages are essential not only to education but also for sustainable development as it serve the primary methods by which knowledge is transferred from generations and the cultural identities are protected insulated and propagated. It is estimated by the United Nations that approximately 8324 languages exist today on our planet and out of which there are plenty that are at risk of disappearing due to globalization and Socio-political changes.

Sharply defying this neo colonialist approach by the West Pakistani administrators and their collaborators in the eastern wing students of Dhaka University started agitation to ensure that Bengali was recognised as one of the national languages. The people of Bangladesh represent a beautiful bouquet comprising various religious beliefs but united under a singular language and a cultural representation. On 21 February 1952, police opened fire on rallies. Abdus Salam, Abul Barkat, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar , and Shafiur Rahman died, with hundreds of others injured. This was a rare incident in history, where people sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue. On 17 November 1999, the 30th General Assembly of UNESCO unanimously resolved that ‘21st February be proclaimed International Mother Language Day throughout the world to commemorate the martyrs who sacrificed their lives on this very day in 1952’.

Bangladesh today stands at a very crucial juncture in its history and perhaps is on the verge of turning the clock back as religious and fundamentalist forces are deliberately not only trying to disrupt the vibrant fabric of its society but also to impose a similar Arabic imposition in the name of revolution. It is vital to remember that the language movement was not associated with any political party or belief but it was the right to speak one’s mother tongue. Increasingly hate of that ideology has been tremendously on the rise, directed mostly towards minorities, and other liberal sections of the society including members of the third gender who are being isolated and targeted. The Bengali way of life has perhaps to give one more test of purification to preserve this glorious history culture and language.

Members of proscribed groups such as HUJI and Hizb ul Tahrir are being released prior to the execution of their convicted sentences who pose a real threat and challenge to the society. The Bengali people have always revered their cultural and linguistic identity far above their religious beliefs and this is the only underpinning, uniting, undercurrent which will definitely prevail.

There have been also multiple reports of due process of law not being extended to minorities and a witch hunt has begun in Bangladesh for members of political opponents who are being targeted indiscriminately under the umbrella of state security. 21st February will most certainly remain a day engraved in the cultural core of the people not only in Bangladesh but also globally wherever Bengalis reside irrespective of their religious belief cost creed or identity.The Bengali consciousness is not naive to forget the penultimate sacrifices of February. No matter how desperate the fundamentalists try, the spirit of Amar Ekush (Immortal 21st February) cannot be erased. On the contrary, today the spirit of Ekush is being further expanded, acknowledged, and reciprocated throughout the world. As International Mother Language Day, the spirit of Amar Ekush inspires everyone to establish and preserve the right to their mother tongue. No one has the power to attack or tamper with that intrepid resilience. The people of Bengal, regardless of their caste and religion, joined the movement, spontaneously.Although some fundamentalist forces like Jamaat E Islami who were loyal to West Pakistani administration and eventually the evil forces were defeated by the non-communal spirit of the Bengalis. However, history has proven that the consciousness of the people cannot be destroyed by demolishing the martyr altar, like what happened recently in 32 Dhanmondi. In exchange for the sacrifice of 3 million martyrs, the freedom fighters fought against the West Pakistani invaders supported by China, America snatched victory and came into being the Nation with the red-green flag.

Ekush February is the name of a non-communal, collective, consciousness. The language movement is not an isolated event, its beginning was several decades in the precipitation before the independence movement began and the secular nationalism of Bengali people stood steadfast behind it. Therefore, no matter how much the fundamentalists, anti-progressive culture, and extremists celebrate today, Amar Ekush (21st Feb) consciousness will once again guide Bengalis on the right path as a beacon bati ghar (Light House).

UK-Based Priyajit Debsarkar is the author of a recent book on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.