A carrier of identity

To a sociologist, there are several features and determinants of individual identity. In an era of glocalisation, identity has assumed a different perspective. Even then, with all changing times, one quality remains universal to define the identity of an individual, and that is language. In the words of Mary Piper, “language imparts identity, meaning, and perspective to our human conditions’’. Truly, language is intrinsic to the expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs, and customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity. It is how culture and its traditions and shared values may be conveyed and preserved. Many historians argue that language is the bedrock of nationalism, for they believe, and perhaps with some propriety, that language generates a common bond to the nationalist feeling. Hence, it is no wonder that language has had an influence over human emotions to the extent of inspiring people to revolt in situations where the right to language was attempted to be taken away, unjustifiably. History has been witness to such developments. There has been linguistic nationalism in England, East Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. But perhaps no language movement can match the intensity of the struggle that occurred in East Pakistan. Not only this episode of struggle is laden with bloodshed, but it also ushered in a spirit of struggle for independence amongst the natives of the then East Pakistan. The culmination of this struggle was the formation of Bangladesh as a separate nation-state in 1971. The Bengali-speaking community of East Pakistan rose against the imposition of Urdu as the state language. They were emotionally stirred as, to them, their language was their identity.

The relationship between language and cultural recognition is not strange. Millions of people have fought to preserve their language. When it comes to fighting for the Bengali language, the fight in East Pakistan was not the first of its kind. It happened before the Indian Independence in the province of Bihar when residents of the erstwhile Manbhum area declared protest, as they believed that the Hindi language was forced upon them. The problem continued even after the Indian Independence and could be partially resolved with the inclusion of a part of that area into West Bengal in the form of the Purulia district. The language movement in East Pakistan was of a different dimension. It saw nationwide participation. It all started on a massive scale when on March 21, 1948, Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared Urdu as the state language of Pakistan. This opened up Pandora's Box. It was beyond the imagination of Jinnah, or any other leadership, that the announcement would unleash something like the Bangladesh Liberation Movement. Individuals like Shamsul Haq, Shawkat Ali, M Sirajul Islam, and Dhirendranath Datta led the protest. The government retaliated strongly. The 44-million Bengali-speaking community of East Pakistan could not tolerate that their language would not attain official status. Even before Jinnah’s announcement, the first ‘Rashtrabhasa Sangram Parishad’ was formed in 1947. Parliament members like Shamsul Haq convened a committee to push for Bengali as a state language. Assembly-member Dhirendranath Datta proposed legislation in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan to allow members to speak in Bengali and authorise its use for official purposes. When the Pakistan Public Service Commission removed Bengali from the list of approved subjects, and also from currency and notes, public discontent was widely expressed. Students gathered at the University of Dhaka on December 8, 1947, stating their demand for making Bengali the official language.

The language movement in East Pakistan was unique in the sense that both the Hindus and the Muslim communities joined hands. To them, language was the common bonding. When Jinnah overruled the contract between Khawaja Nazimuddin and the students, further outrage followed. The intellectuals of East Pakistan, like writer Abul Mansur Ahmed, argued that if Urdu be made the official language, then the Bengali-speaking community of East Pakistan would eventually be illiterate and consequently ineligible for government positions. It was a ploy, as many believed in East Pakistan, to ensure that the people of West Pakistan dominate the administrative system.

The Bengali-Urdu controversy was rekindled by the speech of Governor-General Khawaja Nazimuddin, delivered on January 27, 1952. An action committee was formed, protesting vehemently against the government’s proposal of writing Bengali in Arabic script. On February 21, 1952, students started gathering in the campus of Dhaka University, defying section 144. Tensions mounted and, as a result of police-firing, several students including Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat, and Abdul Jabbar were killed. These people became martyrs for the cause of linguistic freedom. This was no mean an incident, for it gave birth to a cry for freedom. The bloodshed of the martyrs did not go in vain. After four years of conflict, the Pakistani government granted second official language status to the Bengali language in 1956. A prolonged and gruelling effort that cost human lives and resources saw the emergence of a free nation, Bangladesh, under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, with Bengali as their language. In 1999, UNESCO declared February 21 as ‘International Mother Language Day’. It has been a fitting tribute to the sacrifice of those who laid down their lives to secure the dignity of their language.

Today, when we carry forward the legacy of the sacrifice made on February 21, 1952, we find it global. Bengali-speaking people all over the world, united by their mother tongue, celebrate the day with cultural programmes, discussions, and reminiscences. Seventy years have passed and yet the blood of those martyrs still appears red. We emotively remember those who uncompromisingly strengthened the pride of the Bengali language — ‘Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushe February / Ami Bhulite Pari?’. The day also reminds us that language is not just communication alone; it is also a powerful tool to preserve the culture and heritage of a race.

The impact of ‘Bhasa Andolan’ — as it is popularly known — has taken a multi-faceted manifestation. The date February 21 is a testimony to freedom of language for millions under the sun. It is not about four deaths; it is about the resurrection of hope and inspiration. Many have created literature of different genres demonstrating the innate right of an individual to express his mind in his mother tongue. Worldwide studies endorse the significance of primary education in the mother tongue only. The commemoration of ‘International Mother Language Day’’ is also a promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism around the world. It is essential to understand the role of indigenous languages in development and reconciliation. A recent survey shows that nearly 30 per cent of the global population does not have access to education in their mother tongue. This is serious because if students do not learn in their native language, the next generation can ignore the language of their predecessor. Language is life, and life needs to be preserved at any cost. February 21 is the date for that pledge.

The writer is an educator from Kolkata. Views expressed are personal