We celebrate International Mother Language Day on February 21st each year. This day in 12 was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) with the twin objectives of fostering linguistic and cultural diversity, preserving and honouring the global linguistic heritage, and increasing public awareness of the value of preserving traditional languages and cultures. All you need to know on International Mother Language Day is this:
Time of Date
Every year on February 21, we mark International Mother Language Day.
In 1952, students and activists in Bangladesh protested against the imposition of Urdu as the only official language. This movement is remembered on February 21st. The movement began when Bangladesh was still a territory of Pakistan, and its citizens battled to get their Bengali language recognised.
Bangladesh took the lead in establishing International Mother Language Day. Since 2000, people all across the world have observed it, having been given approval at the UNESCO General Conference in 1999.
A demonstration against Urdu being the only official language was staged in 1952 by activists and students in Dhaka, the capital of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). A number of people were killed when the police opened fire on the demonstrators during the otherwise peaceful event. As a symbol of the fight for linguistic and cultural rights, the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives for the language movement was adopted.
In 1999, UNESCO designated February 21 as International Mother Language Day to honour the significance of the Bengali Language Movement. This day has been observed annually to promote the use of mother tongues as a means of cultural transmission and preservation ever since.
Importance and festivity
International Mother Language Day is significant because it promotes linguistic and cultural variety, supports inclusive education and multilingualism, protects endangered languages, and so on.
As more languages disappear, the United Nations claims that risks to linguistic variety are growing. About 40% of people on the planet do not have access to education in their mother tongue at the moment. The percentage can reach 90% in some areas.
In 2024, "Multilingual education - a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning" will be the theme of International Mother Language Day. The theme promotes the preservation of regional tongues. The United Nations states that "barriers between home and school are bridged, facilitating effective learning," by beginning instruction in the learner's mother tongue and progressively adding additional languages.