[lg policy] PREPAK greets on International Mother Language Day

[Harold Schiffman]

PREPAK greets on International Mother Language Day
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 20 2012: The proscribed PREPAK has greeted all the
people across the world on the occasion of International Mother
Language Day which falls on February 21 .

Language is both a heritage and tradition which is essential for
preserving and communicating both visible and unseen human thoughts,
actions and objects, said a press release issued by the outfit's
assistant secretary, publicity and propaganda Leibakngakpa Luwang. One
of the most noteworthy movements for preservation and promotion of
mother language was that of the erstwhile East Pakistan, now
Bangladesh. It is in commemoration of the same movement that the
International Mother Language Day is being observed all over the year
on February 21 every year.

When the Government of Pakistan declared Urdu as their national
language on March 21, 1948, Bengali politicians of East Pakistan and
students of Dhaka voiced strong objections demanding that Bengali
should be made official language of East Pakistan. The movement for
retaining Bengali as official language achieved the highest pitch on
February 21, 1952 . It was on this day three protesters were shot dead
by security forces while hundreds of other protesters sustained
casualties. Since then, East Pakistan started observing February 21 as
the Mother Language Day.

Unable to suppress the mass movement, Bengali was declared official
language of East Pakistan on February 29, 1956 and it ultimately led
to independence of East Pakistan in the form of a new country called
Bangladesh. Inspired by the movement in Bangladesh, two Bangladeshi
diasporas Rafiq and Salam who were living in Canada set up a body
called Mother Language Lovers of the World. Later, the UNESCO in its
30th general conference held in November 1999 declared February 21 as
the International Mother Language Day, the outfit recounted.

As pointed out by UNESCO in its book 'The Atlas of the World Languages
in Danger of Disappearing', 10 languages have been disappearing from
the Earth every year.
At least 372 languages are on the verge of extinction. Out of these 50
languages spoken in different parts of  Europe have almost
disappeared.
Likewise Kanglei Lon (Meitei Lon) is also facing grave threats. Since
the early ages Kanglei Lon has been the lingua franca of the different
communities living in Manipur.

However, after Manipur was allegedly annexed into the Indian Union,
all the indigenous institutions and mode of interaction among
different communities were severely altered.
These changes severely reduced the importance of Kanglei Lon as lingua
franca of the land. In its place, people started using English and
Hindi as medium of communication.
On the other hand, the political class of the land never bothered to
revive and promote Kanglei Lon although they were aware that the
language is under grave threats.

Saying that reviving Kanglei Lon as the ultimate lingua franca of the
land would go a long way in bringing emotional integrity among
different communities, the outfit asserted that it's time for all the
people to work together towards this end. It also called upon all the
communities to respect and promote all their indigenous languages by
framing a language policy. "Language is our mother and script is our
father", it said.


http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=4..210212.feb12
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