The mandate of the Cultural, Religious and linguistic (CRL) Rights Commission is to protect and to promote Cultural, Religious and linguistic Rights of communities. It is in the light of this mandate that the Commission joins the nation and the international community in celebrating International Mother Tongue day. At the partition of India in 1947, the Bengal province was divided according to the predominant religions of the inhabitants.
The western part became part of India and the eastern part became a province of Pakistan known as East Bengal and later East Pakistan. However, there was economic, cultural and lingual friction between East and West Pakistan.
These tensions were apparent in 1948 when Pakistan's government declared that Urdu was the sole national language. This sparked protests amongst the Bengali speaking majority in East Pakistan. The government outlawed the protests but on 21 February 1952, students at the University of Dhaka and other activists organised a protest.
Later that day, the police opened fire at the demonstrators and killed four students. These students' deaths in fighting for the right to use their mother language are now remembered on International Mother Language Day.
The unrest continued as Bengali speakers campaigned for the right to use their mother language. Bengali became an official language in Pakistan on February 29,
1956. Following the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Bangladesh became an
independent country with Bengali as its official language.
On 17 November 1999, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) proclaimed February 21 to be International Mother Language Day and it was first observed on 21 February 2000.
The celebration comes at the period where South Africa is looking into plans by the Minister of Basic Education, Hon Angie Motshega to introduce indigenous language Bill in basic education. On 13 January 2012 the CRL Rights Commission issued a statement appealing for the recognition and the use of mother tongue from Basic Education up to Institutions of Higher Learning.
The CRL Rights Commission celebrates this day in honour of the memory of the Bengali speakers who lost their life for the course of freedom to express themselves in the mother language.
There is an international need to redress the racially discriminative laws and practices. The current democratic dispensation allows respect of culture, religious and language rights and the rule of law must instil a sense of worth and dignity for all languages in the international community.
Enquiries:
Botle Letsebe
Tel: 011 537 7625
Cell: 079 238 1485
CRL Rights Commission celebrates the International Day of Mother Language
