International Mother Language Day - EVENT
NEWS: International
Mother Language Day, observed on February 21, reminds us of the
need to preserve linguistic diversity and protect fading languages.
WHAT’S
IN THE NEWS?
International
Mother Language Day and Its Origins
The idea of celebrating International
Mother Language Day originated as an initiative of Bangladesh,
aiming to honor the 1952 Bengali Language Movement, in which students
lost their lives while protesting for the recognition of Bengali as an official
language of Pakistan (then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh).
Recognizing the significance of linguistic diversity and the need to protect
endangered languages, UNESCO approved the proposal at its 1999 General
Conference, officially declaring February 21 as International Mother
Language Day. Since the year 2000, this day has been observed globally
to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and encourage the
preservation of mother tongues.
India’s
Linguistic Diversity
India is one of the most linguistically
diverse nations in the world and is considered a global language hotspot
due to the high number of spoken languages and dialects.
- As
per the 2018 Census, India has over 19,500 languages and
dialects, of which 121 languages are spoken by 10,000 or
more people.
- The
country’s linguistic diversity is spread across various regional,
tribal, and indigenous communities, with many languages having distinct
scripts, phonetics, and grammatical structures.
- India’s
linguistic landscape is dynamic, influenced by historical migrations,
cultural exchanges, and socio-political changes over time.
Linguistic
Loss and Its Impact
The loss of languages is a growing
concern in India, leading to the disappearance of unique cultural
identities, traditional knowledge, and indigenous heritage.
- In
the 1961 Indian Census, 1,652 mother tongues were recorded.
However, by 1971, this number had drastically reduced to 109,
as many languages were merged under broader linguistic categories.
- According
to UNESCO, 42 Indian languages are critically endangered, the highest number for any
country in the world.
- A
total of 197 languages in India are currently endangered, meaning they are at risk of
extinction due to declining numbers of native speakers.
- Over
the past 60 years, approximately 250 languages have already become
extinct in India.
- The
most vulnerable languages are spoken by remote tribal
communities, particularly in the Northeast region and the Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.
- Examples
of critically endangered languages:
- The Great Andamanese language, spoken by indigenous groups
in the Andaman Islands, is on the verge of extinction.
- Rai-Rokdung language of Sikkim is also considered
highly endangered.
Reasons
for the Disappearance of Languages
Several socio-economic and cultural
factors contribute to the rapid decline of regional and indigenous languages in
India.
- Modernization
and Globalization:
- Younger generations are
increasingly shifting to dominant languages like Hindi and English
due to better educational, economic, and employment opportunities.
- Urbanization and digital
communication favor languages with wider reach and utility,
further marginalizing lesser-spoken languages.
- Declining
Number of Native Speakers:
- With fewer people speaking a
language, intergenerational transmission weakens, making it
difficult for the language to survive.
- Many small linguistic
communities assimilate into larger cultural groups, leading to the
gradual loss of their native tongue.
- Dominance
of Major Languages:
- The widespread usage of official
and widely spoken languages in government, media, and education
discourages the use of regional and indigenous languages in daily
communication.
- The imposition of standardized
education systems in a few major languages results in children
growing up without learning their native languages.
- Lack
of Script and Documentation:
- Several endangered languages
lack a written script, making them difficult to document,
standardize, and teach.
- Without proper written
records, oral languages are at risk of disappearing entirely when
native speakers pass away.
Efforts
to Preserve and Protect Languages
Recognizing the urgent need to
protect India's linguistic heritage, various organizations and government
initiatives are working to preserve endangered languages.
- People’s
Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI):
- The PLSI project
documents linguistic profiles of different communities across India.
- It helps in identifying,
mapping, and recording the status of lesser-known and endangered
languages.
- Sidhela
Archive of Sikkim University:
- This archive focuses on preserving
the endangered languages of Northeast India, ensuring their cultural
and linguistic heritage remains intact.
- Scheme
for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL):
- This initiative, led by the Central
Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore, works towards the documentation,
preservation, and research of languages spoken by fewer than 10,000
people in India.
- It aims to develop
linguistic resources, including dictionaries, grammars, and phonetic
studies to facilitate language revival.
- AI4Bharat
Initiative:
- This initiative utilizes Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to develop speech recognition, machine translation, and
text-to-speech models for 22 Indian languages.
- By making these languages
accessible in digital platforms, AI4Bharat helps preserve and promote
linguistic diversity for future generations.
What
are Global Efforts for Protection of Languages?
- The
UN has designated the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International
Decade of Indigenous Languages.
- Earlier, the United
Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2019 as the
International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL).
- The Yuelu
Proclamation, made by UNESCO at Changsha (China) in 2018, plays a
central role in guiding the efforts of countries and regions around the
world to protect linguistic resources and diversity.
What
are India's Initiatives to Protect Indigenous Languages?
- Bhasha
Sangam: The
government has launched the "Bhasha Sangam" program,
which encourages students to learn and appreciate different languages,
including their mother tongues.
- The program also aims
to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity.
- Central
Institute of Indian Languages: The
government has also established the Central Institute of Indian
Languages, which is dedicated to the research and development of
Indian languages.
- Commission
for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT): The CSTT is providing
publication grants towards the publications of University Level
Books in regional languages.
- It was established in 1961 to
evolve technical terminology in all Indian Languages.
- State-level
Initiatives: There
are also several state-level initiatives to protect
mother tongues. For example, the Odisha government has launched
the "Ama Ghara" program, which provides education in tribal
languages to tribal children.
- Also, Namath
Basai by Kerala State Government has proved to be very
beneficial in educating children from tribal areas by adopting vernacular
languages as medium of instruction.
Conclusion
Language preservation is not just
about protecting words and grammar; it is about safeguarding cultural
heritage, traditional knowledge, and indigenous identities.
- The
disappearance of languages leads to the loss of folk traditions,
oral histories, and unique ways of understanding the world.
- To
ensure cultural sustainability and inclusive development,
governments, educational institutions, and communities must take proactive
steps in revitalizing, documenting, and promoting indigenous languages.
- Investing
in multilingual education, digital resources, and community-based
language revival programs can play a crucial role in keeping India's
rich linguistic heritage alive.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/children/international-mother-language-day-vanishing-voices-the-fight-to-keep-indias-mother-tongues-alive/article69241829.ece#:~:text=A%20call%20for%2