The sad history of International Mother Tongue Day

[desioptimist]

I am not sure whether most people in the world know that today is "International Mother Language Day". I myself got to know some month ago from a bangladeshi. Seeing from their history I wont be surprised if they are they only people celebrating it.

Anyway, happy mother language day.

 

[LaBong]

I am not sure whether most people in the world know that today is "International Mother Language Day". I myself got to know some month ago from a bangladeshi. Seeing from their history I wont be surprised if they are they only people celebrating it.

Anyway, happy mother language day.

It has been celebrated many places in India; Calcutta, Ranchi etc. Although mainly Bengalis celebrate it all over the world.

 

[REHAN NIAZI FALCON]

well well well...
reality is URDUE was basically derived from four languages......
ARABIC + PERSIAN + HINDI + PASHTO .......
its basic purpose was to find a common language for army , that was poly ethnic and mostly composed of these four origins, and that,s why its called, LASHKERI ZABAN, mean it was derived to make soldiers easy to interact with each other....

 

[Al-zakir]

Urdu wasn't the mother language of majority west Pakistani that some East Pakistani went bizarre against this articulate and classy language. Urdu was right and appropriated language for united Pakistan because it was the most neutral and Islam friendly language unlike provincial language like Bangla, Punjabi, Sindhi, etc. No other ethnic group in Pakistan complained against Urdu beside East Pakistani. It was wrong and confined mindset against unification.

So what if Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh now. Nothing really changed beside fake pride. We are still divided, confused and good at blame on third person to cover our own failure. Rich and elite, secretariat, supreme and high court prefer English over Bangla language. Employer prefer candidate with skill in English language over plain Bangla. Bangla is homeless in Bangladesh. So what is the fuss about?????

I know I will be targeted by some. So be it. Truth shall be told.

 

[desioptimist]

Urdu wasn't the mother language of majority west Pakistani that some East Pakistani went bizarre against this articulate and classy language. Urdu was right and appropriated language for united Pakistan because it was the most neutral and Islam friendly language unlike provincial language like Bangla, Punjabi, Sindhi, etc. No other ethnic group in Pakistan complained against Urdu beside East Pakistani. It was wrong and confined mindset against unification.

So what if Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh now. Nothing really changed beside fake pride. We are still divided, confused and good at blame on third person to cover our own failure. Rich and elite, secretariat, supreme and high court prefer English over Bangla language. Employer prefer candidate with skill in English language over plain Bangla. Bangla is homeless in Bangladesh. So what is the fuss about?????

I know I will be targeted by some. So be it. Truth shall be told.

Urdu is Islam friendly language? Care to explain?
Also, bengali language issue added to the feeling of marginalization by east pakistanis, it was certainly not THE issue. The reason for frustration, what I understand, was more economic and political. Language issue could have worked as rallying point.

 

[Majnun]

english were the rulling class language but did we make it the main official language ??? no...same also goes to india... pakian could make both urdu and bengali as the official language as bengali was spoken by more then 50% of the people of pakisn... so there were no reason to show disrespact to them... or their culture.... n this urdu will be the only official language was proposed by liakot ali khan as his mother language was urdu...

Today Pakistan doesn't make Punjabi the official language even though it it spoken by most of the people of Pakistan. Punjabis don't complain. They know that it isn't disrespectful, there are other reasons. And stop this nonsense that Liaquat Ali Khan only proposed to make Urdu the national language because it was his mother tongue. You are trying to put and ethnic slant on it when the very purpose of making Urdu the national language was to remove ethnic bias from the official language of the state.

 

[Omar1984]

If Urdu was not the national language of Pakistan then I dont know how I, being a Punjabi Pakistani, would have communicated with a Sindhi Pakistani or a Pukhtun Pakistani. We needed a common language to communicate with each other as communication is very important to hold a country together. And most Pakistanis can understand Urdu even if they cant speak it correctly. Even if you go to my ancestral village in Northern Punjab and talk to our elders in Urdu they will fully comprehend and respond in Punjabi, I think its the same in other provinces of Pakistan. Even if they cant speak the Urdu language they can comprehend.

By the way, I think Pakistanis whose native language is not Urdu sound better speaking Urdu than the native Urdu speakers (who sound just like indians of bollywood when speaking this language).

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Urdu wasn't the mother language of majority west Pakistani that some East Pakistani went bizarre against this articulate and classy language. Urdu was right and appropriated language for united Pakistan because it was the most neutral and Islam friendly language unlike provincial language like Bangla, Punjabi, Sindhi, etc. No other ethnic group in Pakistan complained against Urdu beside East Pakistani. It was wrong and confined mindset against unification.

So what if Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh now. Nothing really changed beside fake pride. We are still divided, confused and good at blame on third person to cover our own failure. Rich and elite, secretariat, supreme and high court prefer English over Bangla language. Employer prefer candidate with skill in English language over plain Bangla. Bangla is homeless in Bangladesh. So what is the fuss about?????
I know I will be targeted by some. So be it. Truth shall be told.

If you do not like Bengali it is your problem not the Bengalis... Bengali were the majority and they had their own culture and tradition. if you had a glorious culture and tradition of your language than you would have understood that. Just go to france, German or any european country ... They would not even communicate with English even they know it as they respect their language and culture. Moreover they feel proud of it unlike some of you who are so amazed with a newly formed language by borrowing from different languages.

 

[Omar1984]

So I think its time to treat Balochis fairly this time.

What are the diff mother tongues in pakistan?

So I think its time Indians treat the people of Assam, Khalistan, and India Occupied Jammu and Kashmir fairly.

And by the way, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) had a larger population than all of West Pakistan (now Pakistan) combined in 1971. Balochistan is Pakistan's least populated province that is connected to all of the provinces of Pakistan unlike Bangladesh which was connected to arch-rival india in all four corners. Bangladesh shouldn't have been part of Pakistan in the first place, I understand that the Bengali Muslims wanted to get away from you indians badly too in 1947.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Urdu is Islam friendly language? Care to explain?
Also, bengali language issue added to the feeling of marginalization by east pakistanis, it was certainly not THE issue. The reason for frustration, what I understand, was more economic and political. Language issue could have worked as rallying point.

Would like to add that other then bengali english is also a official language. As english is a global language now so every one prefer the person who knows both fluently. Only knowing english will not gurrantee job either. Same also goes with urdu as I think in pakistan. employer also look for person with english language. Same goes also for arabic. In uae now english has been made the only official language. It does not means arabic has become homeless.
Same also the case for urdu.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Sorry the reply should be for al Zakir. Did the mistake as typeing from cell.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Mujbeeb the traitor started the the policy of divide since inception of Pakistan on the basis of language anyway thats another story.

Shaikh mujib was not in any leading position that he would have any policy to devide Pakistan from the beginning. Do not forget this is Bangladesh where the idea of creation Pakistan was formed and by a Bengali. This is some bigotic then ruler tried to undermine majority of pakistans population and their language even without consulting with them. Try to accept facts where then pakistani policy makers did mistake.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

A total 6912 languages are spoken in the world while 516 have been declared dead languages. However, 36 per cent of the languages are endangered to die soon due to globalization, the research added. - Reuters Photo


ISLAMABAD: Around 27 languages spoken in Northern Areas, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and surrounding border areas of Pakistan are facing extinction, said a Unesco report.

The report, in connection with International Mother Day observed on Monday (Feb 21), revealed that language is the source of communication, education and progress and their extinction
discontinue the transfer of social values to the coming generation and eventually the language are declared as dead languages.

In Pakistan, Punjabi has the highest number of speakers which are 48 per cent of the total population. However, Sindhi language is spoken by 12 per cent, Pashto and Urdu 8 per cent, Balochi 3 per cent, Hindko 2 per cent and Barohi 1 per cent.

The most common languages spoken across the world include: Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi, Bangali, Punjabi and Urdu.

According to a research, Punjabi is ranked 11th and Urdu at 19th position among the most popular languages in the world.

To save languages, as they are the identity of a nation, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) is giving equal importance to all languages of Pakistan and a comprehensive program has been
formulated in this regard.

Chairman PAL, Fakhar Zaman said all the languages spoken in Pakistan are the national languages of Pakistan and Urdu besides being a national language is the official and Lingua of Franca of the country.

“All the languages of the country are Pakistani languages and we should strive to make the mother languages as part of curriculum on the primary level,” he said.

The book consisting of the selection of prose and poetry written in every language from 1947 to 2008 are being published separately by the PAL.

These languages include Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Brahvi,Seraiki, Hindko, Sheena, Balti, Khawar and Kashmiri.

He said that PAL will organize seminars and conference on National Languages in all province and Islamabad. PAL to give due promotion and status to all the languages and that the mother tongues will be given due importance and financial assistance of the institutions working in this regard will be increased.

He also proposed to the government that Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi Universities like Federal Urdu University should be established so that the message of unity, brotherhood and solidarity should be spread through the federation.

APP
Twenty-seven Pakistani languages may extinct soon:UNESCO | Entertainment |

DAWN.COM

Thanks for your info. Each and every language needs to be protected and respected.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

My Dear Bengali Brother….Again You people just want to dig…dig…dig…dig and dig the more you dig deeper the more you found yourself in a hole.

Dear weather its ‘48 agitation on Dhaka streets on coinage in Bengali or ‘52 students march, All is pure politics using raw nerves of the masses to one's own vested interests…nothing else….Believe me. Its just like in ‘60s when socialists ideas on the hype, some used religion to counter it effectively or in late 70s again its used against soviets successfully, look what Al-Qaeda doing with us now a days.... Yes…I admit there are grievances in the minds of people but there is no right for any individual or a group to capitalize on it for pure vested intrests and hijacked these issues to one’s own agenda..AL Govt from 71 to 75 is a pure example what “Banglabandhu” did finally to Bengali Nation on the pretext of Language and creed; I don’t want to go into the details but he just short to declare himself a “KING”.

Now you tell me what its look like to feel being betrayed from your own father???

Some point need to be cleared. RAW was created in 1968 if I am not wrong. at 1950 hardly India had any influence on east Pakistan. The language movement has started as majority of the people were Bengali speaker. But some punjabi person initiated some rule that Urdu should be the only language in Pakistan where Bengali people were not even consulted and their opinion were not taken in this regard. This is one of the major reason for the language movement. Other then that Bengali people had their own language and culture and heritage and which is much older then Urdu which is mostly a new foreigners language mix up of Turk, Farsi and Arabic. N regarding bharti influence obviously they did. But do not forget it always takes two to make a noise. Some punjabi rulers intention to suppress the Bengali laid the door open for the bhartis to inter fear or to exploit the disappointment of the Bangladeshi population. Shaikh mujib is a past story. Every one remember him only for his part in the liberation war but not for his rule. Like many other ruler or dictator he did many corruption, brutality and initiated bakhshal. But this has nothing to do with language movement.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Today Pakistan doesn't make Punjabi the official language even though it it spoken by most of the people of Pakistan. Punjabis don't complain. They know that it isn't disrespectful, there are other reasons. And stop this nonsense that Liaquat Ali Khan only proposed to make Urdu the national language because it was his mother tongue. You are trying to put and ethnic slant on it when the very purpose of making Urdu the national language was to remove ethnic bias from the official language of the state.

While trying to remove ethnic bias your then ruler created more ethnic tension. If the then ruler really had intention of doing such thing he should have approached to the majority of the pakistani people and they were Bengali...and should have tried to make them understand about it ... Instead just making a foreign language as the only national language. Just at India there every state has their own native official language. I personally do not think that it reduces their nationalism. Same case also goes with Canada. French and English are the official language. But did not
reduces nationalism. Nationalism comes from internal feelings not from language. Language is part of national culture and heritage. Bengali people had a old and rich culture and heritage on this. If really was the intention of Pakistani ruler is to remove ethnic bias they should have made law to make sure every one get equal opportunity instead of oppressing a particular group of people and elevating punjabi people only. Instead of handling over power by yahya khan he killed unarmed civilian on 25th march ... What he was thinking of achieving by this. Did he think by doing that sort of genocide and atrocity he would be able to suppress 70 million people. Instead of just saying raw has manipulated public opinion it would be better also to accept the fact all the mis deeds and faulty step was taken by some bigotic ruler of that time. As I said earlier it always takes two to make a noise.