World Mother Language Day: Know why 21st February is celebrated?
International Mother Language Day: The main objective behind World Mother Language Day is to respect linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
International Mother Language Day 2023: World Mother Language Day is celebrated on 21st February every year at the world level to preserve the mother tongue in countries around the world. In November 1999, UNESCO decided to celebrate Mother Language Day globally. Since 2000, Mother Language Day has been celebrated every year on 21st February. The main objective behind it is to respect linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
Why celebrate World Mother Language Day on February 21?
Dhaka University students and social activists protested the language policy of the then Pakistan government on February 21, 1952. His demonstration was to save the survival of his mother tongue. The demonstrators were demanding official status for Bengali language. Pakistani police opened fire on the protesters, but instead of stopping, the protests escalated. Because of this, the government had to give official status to Bengali language. UNESCO decided to celebrate World Mother Language Day in November, 1999 to pay tribute to the youth who lost their lives in this movement. After that February 21 is celebrated worldwide as World Mother Language Day.
What is the meaning of mother tongue?
Mother tongue is the language a child receives from his mother, the language spoken in the family. The language in which a child learns to think, feel, and express feelings and thoughts is the mother tongue.
A procession of famous books of Gujarati language on elephant’s back
A state level program will be held in Ahmedabad on World Mother Language Day. According to the spokesperson of the state government, Rishikesh Patel, a procession of famous books and texts of Gujarati language will take place on the elephant’s trunk. On this morning, a 2 km long procession of famous books and texts of Gujarati language will take place on the elephant’s trunk. Famous poets and writers will present their ideas in this program. Gujarati bhajans, songs, fatanas, urmigitas, folk songs will be presented face-to-face by the teachers’ music teams.
The minister said that the famous Gujarati song Jai Somnath will be performed with Jai Dwarkesh in costume. On the theme of World Mother Language Day, Rangoli and slogans will be presented by the children and teachers on the topic “My Language My Pride”. Which will be demonstrated at around 100 places in the state.
Challenges against Gujarati language?
Nowadays, the craze of teaching in English medium has increased. Although everyone speaks Gujarati at home, every parent insists on putting their child in English medium. Children are also sent to English medium in the hope that if they know how to write, speak and read English, their future will be bright. Children are forgetting how to read and write in Gujarati as they are getting education in English language. In any restaurant or public place, it is seen talking in Hindi instead of Gujarati. Despite knowing the mother tongue, he avoids talking. Nowadays, everyone has a ghost that if you can speak English, you are smart. But they forget that English is also a language.
