Govt committed to preserving and granting status to minority languages: CM

Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Wednesday said that the current state government is committed to preserving and granting status to the languages of various minority communities in the state, including the Kokborok language.

Dr Saha said this while observing International Matri Vasha Divas at Town Hall Agartala.

“The state government is determined to preserve and give status to the languages of other minority communities in the state, including the Kokborok language. The mother tongue serves as the holder and bearer of its own cultural heritage. It inspires people with nationalism and is one of the most powerful means of preserving one's culture. The present state government has prioritized the development of languages spoken by ethnic groups in the state,” he said.

The program was organized jointly by the Department of Education, the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, and the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala.

Dr Saha mentioned that the country was divided into India and Pakistan based on religion.

“East Pakistan had Bengali-speaking people, while West Pakistan had Urdu-speaking people. A language movement emerged against the imposition of Urdu by the rulers of West Pakistan on the Bengalis of East Pakistan. On February 21, 1952, Salam, Rafique, Shafique, Jabbar, and Barkat embraced martyrdom during the campaign to establish Bangla as the language. Later, UNESCO recognized February 21 as International Mother Language Day. The significance of this day is to provide an opportunity for the mother tongues of all nations to flourish and to give equal dignity to all languages,” said Dr. Saha.

The theme for this year's International Mother Language Day is: “Multilingual education – a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning.

“This idea has already been included in the new National Education Policy of our country for 2020. The first language learned from the mother is our mother tongue. Mother tongue is the language of the human heart. It is everyone's responsibility and duty to protect their own mother tongue and give equal status to other languages as well,” said the Chief Minister.

He added that eight other languages, including Kokborok, are recognized and taught in selected schools.

“At present, the Kokborok language has been introduced in 1296 primary, 115 secondary, and 65 higher secondary schools in Tripura. Moreover, importance has been given to the development of various languages spoken by other ethnic groups, including Chakma, Manipuri, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kuki-Mizo, Halam, Mog, and Garo,” said the Chief Minister.

Arif Mohammad, Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Agartala, Special Secretary Ravel Hemendra Kumar, Director of Education NC Sharma, Director of ICA Department Bimbisar Bhattacharya, and eminent personalities in the field of language and culture were present as distinguished guests on the occasion.