Bengali “Language Movement” for Dummies

[khair_ctg]

Bengali “Language Movement” for Dummies

Myth vs Reality (not exhaustive)

Myth 1: The “Language Movement” wanted the eradication of Urdu

Reality: the political activists participating in the “Language Movement” wanted Bengali to be side-by-side with Urdu as national languages of United Pakistan. In their official demands, they did NOT call for the eradication of Urdu from East Bengal.


Myth 2: West Pakistani leaders wanted to force Urdu language on East Pakistani Bengalis

Reality: Not just West Pakistan-based non-Bengali leaders, but also popularly elected East Pakistani Bengali leaders wanted to have Urdu as the sole national language of United Pakistan**. Moreover, each province would have their official provincial language(s), such as, Punjabi for Punjab, Bengali for Bengal, Pushto-Baloch for Pathan-Baloch areas, and so on.

Two important Pakistani politicians in power at that time most associated with dealing with the “Language Movement” were both Bengalis: Iskandar Mirza and Khwaja Nazimuddin.

So neither were only non-Bengali West Pakistanis supporting Urdu as sole national language, nor was any language forced on anyone from the government.

**some Bengali politicians, including Ghulam Azam and others were in favour of Bengali as another national language, besides Urdu, based on Bengalis being the largest ethnic group of Pakistanis. JeI later withdraw participation in the movement sensing larger agenda of leftists (but still favoured Bengali national language)


Myth 3: East Pakistani Bengalis fought a war against West Pakistani non-Bengalis to “save” Bengali language

Reality: in 21 Feb 1952, certain political activists demonstrated and called for Bengali to be a national language of United Pakistan (as if Bengali as official provincial language was not enough). This was the official political demand. But the unofficial political rhetoric was that this was a “struggle to save the eradication of Bengali”, which was a complete lie. However the lie lives on in the minds of many Bangladeshis even today, owing to our culture of ignorance and a tendency to surrender to the fascist leftists.


Myth 4: the 1971 India-Pakistan war was a war between East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (Pakistan) based on language

Reality: United Pakistan already adopted Bengali as one of two national languages of United Pakistan back in 1956. The other national language was Urdu.

Bengali was made national language of United Pakistan, even though it was unfair. It’s because Bengali was a provincial language (its use is limited to Bengal). whereas Urdu was a pan-South Asian language; Urdu has been used throughout South Asian subcontinent.


Myth 5: Muhammad Ali Jinnah was against Bengali people and hurt the sentiments of Bengali people

Reality: M.A. Jinnah’s party’s most important electorate province was Bengal and some his closest colleagues were Bengali. M.A. Jinnah was a leader of a party that itself was founded in Bengal. And neither was Quaid-e-Azam against Bengalis nor did he hurt Bengalis’ sentiments, except the “sentiments” of a few politically charged radicals, by declaring Urdu to be the ONLY national language of United Pakistan. M.A. Jinnah arguably was aware of Bengal’s culture and the importance of Urdu in Bengal.


Myth 6: Urdu was a West Pakistani language

Reality: Urdu is the mother tongue of only 10% of the people of today’s Pakistan (former W. Pakistan), and most of that 10% have background in India, Bangladesh and even Burma. The most spoken first language of former West Pakistan is Punjabi.

Urdu has been present in Bengal roughly in its current form since around 1600s, as it did throughout other parts of North India and up to Punjab and beyond. Since Urdu developed from much before in forms like Khariboli, its presence in Bengal is much older. Bengal’s people and culture influenced the formal Urdu language itself, and also created informal variants such as the Urdu dialect associated with Old Dhaka and a Laknawi offshoot associated with Calcutta.


Myth 7: 21st February marks a day when brave but ordinary students expressed their love for mother tongue

Reality: 21st February marks a day when certain political activists or political cadres expressed their hate for a mother tongue and a literary language of Bengal and Bengalis, i.e. Urdu.

The 21st February agitation was a political operation that was aimed at arousing hatred for a Muslim heritage of Bengalis. This was done by certain radical quarters who aroused anti-West Pakistan and anti-Bengali-Muslim sentiments at the same time. They hoped to take advantage of the high illiteracy of Bengali Muslims, to distance Bengali Muslims from their roots and to destroy any Muslim identity in Bengal. they hoped to distance the Urdu-speaking Bengalis from the non-Urdu-speaking ones, to distance Bengalis from non-Bengalis.

The 21st February agitation led to mass hatred and violence on a language and people. The UN International Mother Language day which is on the same day still does not acknowledge the mass crimes committed, and a culture of intolerance and ignorance developed around the Bengali “Language Movement” on which the date of the UN day is based on. Ironically, the intolerance and ignorance is towards other languages of Bangladeshis.

"(Re)Constitution of Muslim Selves in Colonial Bengal" by Samantha Arnold in Identity and Global Politics (2004) - Identity and Global Politics: Theoretical and Empirical Elaborations - Google Books
http://storyofbangladesh.com/ebooks/wastes-of-time/132-chapter-eightteen.pdf
http://storyofbangladesh.com/ebooks/wastes-of-time/121-chapter-seven.pdf

Musalmani Bangla and its transformation | Page 10

@Md Akmal @Al-zakir, @monitor, @kobiraaz, @Saiful Islam, @asad71, @Armstrong, @bongbang, @M_Saint, @T-Rex, @Tameem, @genmirajborgza786

 

[idune]

thanks Khir, this should put some education through awami terror (chetona) brigade

 

[asad71]

There have been reports that out of the three killed one was a Police informer. One student was an Indian national. Another is said to have been a rickshaw-puller.

 

[Musalman]

So then what was the problem?

 

[Bengal.Tiger]

So then what was the problem?

Shooting at students. That was the problem. However present Governments are much worse. They now take people from home and execute them calling it a cross fire.

Comparing to Present day Hasina-Khaleda - Ayub khan was a saint.

 

[Saiful Islam]

Excellent post, this is enough an argument to shut those who keep talking as if Bengali was on the verge to being extinct.

 

[khair_ctg]

There have been reports that out of the three killed one was a Police informer. One student was an Indian national. Another is said to have been a rickshaw-puller.

interesting. i did not know this.

 

[Sliver]

What is the position of the native language, native culture, origin and the classical nature of the region's indigenous language and culture? Do you see it a a pillar of your identity or do you intend to replace it with a non-indegenous language (Urdu)?

 

[bongbang]

Good riddance. Khair cheater cant be Pakistani again try whatever. Now dance

 

[Zabaniyah]

Awami League is an Urdu/English name.

 

[farhan_9909]

Awami League is an Urdu/English name.

@Bengal.Tiger Sangay ye kuni

 

[monitor]

actually language movement was intentionally or incidental a way to weakening the Pakistan state which ultimately paid off with the break up of Pakistan .it was the beginning questioning our position in Pakistan and the benefit .we started to forget why we established Pakistan.

 

[khair_ctg]

Shooting at students. That was the problem. However present Governments are much worse. They now take people from home and execute them calling it a cross fire.

Comparing to Present day Hasina-Khaleda - Ayub khan was a saint.

.. and so were Nur ul Amin, Khwaja Nazimuddin and Iskandar Mirza who were the Chief Minister, Prime Minister and E. Bengal Governor respectively who dealt with the so-called "Language Movement" and were all Bengalis. and apparently shooting at masum students was not exactly what happened

 

[Nawaba]

Awami League is an Urdu/English name.

 

[khair_ctg]

Good riddance. Khair cheater cant be Pakistani again try whatever. Now dance

do everyone a favour by disassociating yourself from the culture or heritage of Bengal, because your association with Muslimphobic Hindu Nationalism goes against it.

Sorry this was too much fact in one post for you to digest. I know your digestive system is cramped with juvenile myths that you feel comfortable with.

And I’m sure you are even more comforted by the fact that your myths get official backing in the pseudo-Hindu nationalist system that gripped us since 1971. And you are comforted by the fact that India continues to protect that Hindu nationalist system of Bangladesh even today, with the latest manifestation being the backing of the illegitimate Hasina regime and scrapping any fair election.

After all, for the Indian government, what’s better than hoping to see 160 million former Pakistanis show hatred towards the very cultures of the Muslim community.

bashing this term ‘Pakistan’ is basically about bashing the Muslim heritage of Bengalis

What is the position of the native language, native culture, origin and the classical nature of the region's indigenous language and culture? Do you see it a a pillar of your identity or do you intend to replace it with a non-indegenous language (Urdu)?

yes i personally do to answer the bold part. but why would you consider Urdu to be non-indigenous and the Brahmin Formal Bengali to be indigenous? btw very few in Bangladesh use that Brahmin bengali as a first language, but rather for certain literary purposes, like on certain formal TV programs and print media.

please spend some of your precious time getting educated on this matter from the opening post to at least know what you are commenting or what you are commenting on