The Bangla Academy organizes a book fair in the month of the language movement. The book fair has expanded over time and its fame has spread far and wide. Various types of books including literature are also being published on this occasion. But if we look at the quality, then in many cases one may feel disappointed. Anarchy is going on even in the use of language. The subjective use of language on social media is also responsible for this. However, there has been a lot of growth in writing in Bengali online. Youth participation is important. We need translation and promotion of high quality literature written in Bangla in widely used languages including English. The Bangla Academy, the symbol of the national psyche, should also come forward in this work. It should not be forgotten that the Bangla Academy is a direct creation of the Bhasha Andolan.
The fact that February 21 has now been declared by UNESCO as ‘International Mother Language Day’ is an honor for us. To protect the dignity of such recognition, we must refocus on protecting the language spoken by the small ethnic groups in our country. Arrangements should be made so that their children can get education in their mother tongue as well as join the mainstream of development. The way the language movement has made us proud, it has also made us responsible for some actions which cannot be avoided. If we fail to move forward in education and culture and become better human resource then we cannot increase the pride of our language and country. In this case, steps should be taken to eliminate discrimination to ensure equality of opportunity.
Along with working for economic emancipation in this country, political and cultural development should be ensured. During the Pakistan era, we rejected the cultural divide and moved forward by promoting the democratic spirit, which should not be avoided. We should move forward on the path of unity, not division. We need to nurture progressivism. In the changing global conditions, it is difficult to move forward in different ways among the backward elements in each country. In such a situation, there is no option to move forward. In our non-communal spirit and democratic culture, opportunism and compromise cannot be tolerated. It will create huge havoc in the national life. The result may be that one day we may be able to move forward economically, politically and culturally, but we are far behind. Education is at the core of this fight. Therefore, instead of division in the field of education, the basis of unity should be strengthened. Unfortunately, despite this progress, state-funded written and printed textbooks continue to face unprecedented controversy. The divisive forces are also getting a chance to present with the statement. The supporters of the liberation struggle should be careful of these things.
February, the commemorative month of the Language Movement, should also bring us an opportunity for introspection. Let’s not get caught up in the euphoric talk of great achievements that have not yet been achieved or are in danger of falling short.
* Hiren Pandit is a columnist and a researcher
