International Mother Language Day is observed every year on 21st of February to emphasis education, through mother tongue. There are 7000+ languages in the world of which 2,680 are in the danger of extinction. In India potentially 600 languages are similarly threatened. Ninety-seven per cent of the world’s population speaks about 4% of world’s languages. The warning is 50-90 % of all languages will be become extinct within next 100 years if not preserved. Another interesting aspect is 40% of the children do not have access to education in a language they understand according to the UNESCO and 617 million children do not achieve proficiency level in reading.
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The back ground story of celebration of International Mother Language Day goes as follows- in 1948 Pakistan declared Urdu to be the sole official language in Pakistan. This infuriated the Bangla speaking people, anger erupted in a form of a strong protect at the Decca University in erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Students and public gathered at Decca University on 21st February 1952 to protest against the imposition of Urdu, police opened fire on the gathering and as a result six students attained martyrdom and many injured. In 1998 two non-resident Bangla Deshees from Canada, Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam, wrote a letter to Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UNO requesting him to dedicate one day for glorifying mother tongues of the world on 21 February, to commemorate the killings of those 6 students at the Decca University who attained martyrdom for the cause of their mother tongue. Finally, on 17th November 1999, in the 30th general assembly of the UNESCO, unanimously resolved, “That 21st of February be proclaiming International Mother Language Day of the world, to promote the preservation, and protection of all languages used by the people of the world.” Bangla Deshees installed a Shaheed Memorial at Decca, also one such memorial in London to pay homage to the martyrs.
The year 2025 marks the Silver Jubilee celebration as it completes the 25th year of celebrations with the theme “Language Matters.” This underscores the role of languages in improving learning outcomes, quality of education, empowerments of girls and women. The day is gaining much momentum highlighting awareness of preservation of non–dominant, minority and indigenous languages of the world. Language is considered as a tool to be used to empower human race to make meaningful contributions in achieving all SDGs. Communicating ways and guidelines of SDGs to educate humane race is very crucial and it is the mother tongues through which maximum number of the village folk could be reached out, leaving no one behind. To build a more sustainable and inclusive world by 2030 primarily it depends on the extent of coverage of the world’s population in the mission in literacy and numeracy. Mother language is the fastest means of eradicating illiteracy and reducing gender gap within shortest time. Language matters, mother language instills the deepest grasping power. Well delivered quality education in mother language provides employment, better health, more salary and strong economy.
Now mother language is on the top most priority of education and its importance is felt in the learning process at one’s nursery stage, in the Pre Primary stage and also beyond. It has been proved by research that learning in one’s mother tongue enhances the learning capabilities, engagement and critical thinking. Other secondary languages can be learnt at a later stage gradually. Added advantage of teaching in a household language is that parents can supervise children at home in their learning process. When education is through a foreign language parents’ role in their children growth is very much skewed. Mother language is the language in which children converse at home, use it with playmates and with members of immediate society. If the school environment is different from that of household atmosphere the child lands on an unfamiliar platform, finds it difficult to cope with. India as a colonial country followed mono lingual approach in the past giving much emphasis on English, leading to marginalization of regional languages and mother tongues.
It is a matter of concern that 37% of children in low and middle income group countries lack this learning opportunities in mother tongue. The Multi Lingual Education is in line with the Government of India’s NEP2020; here emphasis is laid on multi lingual approach which is flexible and choosy to individual requirement. It allows a student to learn in mother language or regional language and side by side English language. Mother language enables better understanding and transfer of the structure of the language to several other new languages. First language should not be excluded from curriculum even when second language becomes the medium of instruction. Mahatma Gandhi supported the upliftment and development of all indigenous languages and said, “I must cling to my mother tongue as to my mother’s breast in spite of its short comings.” At the same time he did not ignore the importance of English language for international commerce and diplomacy.
If a language is lost it takes away its culture, history, traditional knowledge and above all, peoples’ identity. Another important finding of the UNESCO is that if children are taught in household language, more of the students attend schools and girls from rural background continue education for longer time, school dropout is reduced. School dropout is due to complexity of medium of instruction which they cannot follow. Nelson Mandela commented as,” If you talk to a man in a language he understands it goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language it goes to his heart.”
It has been seen that during last seven years a total of 8066 vernacular medium schools either merged or permanently closed down in Assam, of which the number of Lower Primary level was 6032 and Upper Primary level was 2,034. This is due to low enrolment level in government run vernacular medium schools. Free text books, uniform and mid-day meal etc. are not been able to attract the guardians to vernacular medium schools. Private English medium schools have taken a lead and attracted most because of better infrastructure and availability of modern teaching tools, of course better results. First and foremost, responsibility of the government towards vernacular medium schools is to improve upon the infrastructures and the quality of teaching. In the context of granting Classical status to Assamese language enough is to be done to improve upon the standards of vernacular medium schools.
(All views and opinions expressed are author’s own)