Living without language limits work diversity

The foundation of Bengali civilization was laid on the self-sacrifice of the martyrs of the 21st of February. Language is what makes a person human—this is a harsh truth. When humans did not have language, there was no distinction between humans and animals. The development of a person's individual life, social life, state life, and national life happens through language. Language is the tool for human survival. The rulers tried to take away this tool, but the language martyrs stood firm. To be truly human, one needs a mother tongue, their own literature, and culture. Patriotism is a kind of emotional attachment to one’s homeland. In simple terms, patriotism means loving one’s birthplace from the depths of one’s heart.

From birth, there is an innate connection between a person and their motherland. Regardless of religion or caste, deep affection and love for the homeland arises in everyone’s heart. That love is born from the core of one’s being. Even if a person is forced to live elsewhere as they grow, they can never forget the bond with their birthplace. This immense attraction and genuine love for the land of one’s birth and the land of childhood is what we call patriotism. The land, air, weather, sky, seasonal variations, and natural beauty of one’s homeland continually uplift and captivate a person’s spirit. The endless and eternal attachment to the fertile soil, green forests, and sustenance of the homeland is a feeling beyond measure. Many heroes have sacrificed their lives for the love of their country throughout the ages. Our liberation itself is an example of patriotism. Under the leadership of Bangabandhu, the nation, irrespective of religion or caste, united as one to fight for independence. Patriotism is essentially a quality that particularly inspires a person to dedicate their life for the greater good of their country, above their own interests, comfort, or joy.

The eternal passion for one's homeland makes a person responsible, duty-bound, energetic, and inspired. Moreover, love for the motherland elevates a person above selfishness, narrow-mindedness based on community and group identities, and political differences, enabling the creation of a dreamlike and prosperous nation. The primary duty of a patriot is to voluntarily engage in all developmental activities of their country. Just as every patriotic citizen must remain vigilant like a sentinel to protect the independence, sovereignty, and security of the nation, so too is it the sacred duty and responsibility of a true patriot to contribute to and sacrifice for the socio-economic development of the country in fields such as education, industry, agriculture, and trade.

Regardless of the original process of language creation or use, language has over time expanded its scope, intertwining with various aspects of human life, adding melody, rhythm, and bonds. From the moment humans began using language to communicate their thoughts and ideas in a structured and logical way, the pace of human development also increased, which is evident. Through various changes over time, people have used language to make their lives easier and better. Language has helped humans navigate unknown paths and made journeys simpler. The relationship between our life, society, and our mother tongue is deep and continuous. Our thoughts and ideas swim daily in the reservoir of our mother tongue. Our mother tongue is the language of our thoughts, our dreams. When we speak in our dreams, we speak in our mother tongue. If we imagine a world without any language, we feel that many things in our life would cease to exist.

A person without language can survive on earth, but it becomes nearly impossible for them to perform diverse tasks. A language-less person cannot easily convey the idea that "Above all is humanity, and there is nothing above it." While language is not inherently tied to ethnicity, there are certain nations that are established solely through the unity of language. However, it is also not accurate to say that national unity is impossible without linguistic unity, as there are examples of national unity existing without linguistic cohesion. The communication and mental unity of the large population of East Bengal and West Bengal, for instance, were rooted in this very language. The existence of the Arab nation today is enshrouded in the unity of their language. In many parts of the world, including Europe and Africa, local languages and cultures have served as a source of inspiration for nationalist sentiments at various times. The French are well aware that their language is the tune, strength, and glory of their nationhood and culture. Similarly, the role of the Sanskrit language in shaping the Indian identity cannot be denied.

We all know that in the 20th century, the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign state was based on the unity of Bengali language nationalism. The history of the Bengali language is inseparable from the history of ancient Bengal, present-day Bangladesh, and the Bengali people. The Bengali language is the heart's language of the Bengali people, the language of their songs, their laughter and tears, and their dreams. Despite facing many adversities, the Bengali language has flourished. This language holds immense beauty, a rich history, and a wealth of literature. The beauty of this language blossoms in our hearts, in our thoughts, speech, hearing, writing, and reading. In today’s wave of globalization, not only are nation-states, national identities, and national consciousness quietly eroding, but the language associated with these national ideologies is also gradually becoming weakened.

In the era of globalization, it has become essential to establish cultural unity over cultural diversity in order to ensure the dominance of a single global-centric culture in the interests of multinational corporations. Since one of the key mediums of culture is language, significant changes are also occurring in the field of language. Many languages have already faced the threat of extinction. A 2001 report revealed that nearly 40 crore people now use English as their first language, and an additional 25 crore people speak it as their second language. Around one billion people are currently deeply engaged in learning English. Many experts predict that by 2050, nearly half of the global population will speak English.

In this age of globalization, English has become the universal medium of communication across the world. Business and commerce are conducted in English, and it is the language of computers and the internet. Thus, English is no longer just a language; it has evolved into a new form of culture. In this way, in today’s singular world, English is gradually becoming unrivaled as the global language, while, on the other hand, two languages become extinct every week, and over a hundred languages die out each year. Many experts believe that by the end of this century, 60 to 90 percent of the world’s languages could face extinction. In this context, the recognition of February 21 as International Mother Language Day by UNESCO at its session on November 17, 1999, in Paris was a significant event. Since then, the 21st of February has been observed as International Mother Language Day by UN member states.

As a result of UNESCO's decision, a significant achievement for Bangladesh has gained international recognition, and the glorious chapter of our language movement has been immortalized in world history. For this, it is essential to inspire and unite all citizens—young and old, male and female—in the work of nation-building, creating a collective awakening. Only then will the amazed world once again sing in awe, "Bravo Bangladesh!" The world, watching in astonishment, may burn in destruction, yet will never bow its head. The belief that the motherland is greater than heaven is driven by patriotism. Therefore, the mother and the birthplace, or one’s own country, eventually hold a significant place. The history of the country where a person is born profoundly influences their mind. Just as one finds happiness in their humble home, true happiness is also found in loving one’s country.

In 1971, the liberation war lasted only nine months. In this war, three million people were martyred. The crimson sun of freedom was snatched from the enemies of independence. The children of the land gave their lives to establish the mother tongue, Bengali. It is with their blood that we now have this nation. Today, the number of Bengali speakers worldwide is vast, exceeding 25 crore, placing Bengali as the fifth most spoken language in terms of population. However, the status of the Bengali language remains very low. Why is that? The reason is that, although we are huge in number, we are small in power. It's similar to our education system; while the number of educated people is large, the quality of education has declined. There are several reasons for this powerlessness. The primary and fundamental reason is the lack of intellectual practice. Intellectual activity is not happening properly, and the reason for that is that whatever practice is happening is not happening through the Bengali language.

There is no doubt that knowledge is power; however, we are failing to rise through the pursuit of knowledge. Our intellect and thinking remain underdeveloped, and as a result, our power does not grow. We are becoming diluted, unable to consolidate. Therefore, Bengalis have no respect in the world. Meanwhile, all Bengalis are looking toward Bangladesh, as it is the hub and refuge for the practice of the Bengali language. This state was established through the Bengali nationalist movement based on language; its state language is Bengali. If there is no trust here, where will it be? And indeed, there isn’t. Once again, we must return to the issue of the ruling class’s enmity towards the people.

The state has failed to do many things; its biggest failure lies in the field of Bengali language practice. This failure has led to numerous other failures. The reason for the failure is that while the state has broken down, it has not changed internally; it remains as it was before. There was supposed to be change because this state was founded through the struggle for Bengali liberation. The language movement was an integral part of that liberation struggle. The culmination of that was the liberation war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. The struggle for freedom required the independence of Bengali language practice. We must always remember not to forget the root ailment of the language issue – the character of the Bangladeshi state. By changing that character and bringing the state under the control of the people, we will ensure that the language of the people is continuously used throughout the state, society, and personal lives, and there will be no barriers to its progress.

Rayhan Ahmed Tapader: Researcher and Columnist.