International Mother Language Day

Tags: Important Days

International Mother Language Day is celebrated on 21 February to spread awareness of linguistic, and cultural diversity, and to promote multilingualism.

An overview of the news

• India is home to hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects, making its linguistic and cultural diversity one of the most unique in the world.

• Language is not only a means of communication but it also represents a diverse cultural and intellectual heritage.

• The theme for 2023 International Mother Language Day is “Multilingual Education – a necessity to transform education”.

• This theme is in line with recommendations made during the Transforming Education Summit, where emphasis was also placed on the education and languages of indigenous peoples.

Background of the day

• UNESCO announced this day on November17, 1999, and since 2000, this day has been celebrated all over the world.

• The day also marks the long struggle put up by Bangladesh to protect its mother tongue, Bangla.

• The suggestion to celebrate 21 February as International Mother Language Day was made by Rafiqul Islam, a Bangladeshi living in Canada.

• He proposed this date to remember the 1952 killings in Dhaka during the Bangla language movement.