The International Mother's Language Day was observed across Tripura on Wednesday by organizing cultural programmes, patriotic ,folk songs, poetry , cultural activities with colourful processions, functions, discussions, seminars and other programmes.

In Agartala, the main programme to mark the day was jointly organized by the School Education department of Tripura and Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh at Agartala, where Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, special secretary of Education department, Raval Hemendra Kumar, assistant high commissioner of Bangladesh, Arif Mohammad, director of Higher Education department N C Sharma, director of ICA department, Bimbiwar Bhattacharjee  along with government officials were present.

Hundreds of students both from tribals and non-tribals communities and people from all walks of life organized a colourful rally in Agartala and took part in the main function held at Agartala Town Hall.

Addressing the programme, the Chief Minister stressed on proper respect to all languages and termed mother language as valuable as mother’s milk.

This year’s UNESCO’s resolution  and the theme of International Mother Language Day celebration 2024 is “Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning”, said the Chief Minister and added that the same thought has been adopted in the country’s new education policy in 2020.

The people of eastern India and Bangladesh played leading roles for the introduction of the International Mother Language Day in 1999 by UNESCO and  the people of Tripura have also paid their respect to the martyrs of the language movement in 1952.

In the 1952 Language Movement, many Bangladeshis laid down their lives for supporting Bengali as a state language during the Pakistani rule, said Dr Saha.

The International Mother Tongue Day celebration gives respect to all languages across the globe and was first declared in 1999. People of India and Bangladesh always came together to celebrate the day with mutual brotherhood, said Dr Saha adding that in Tripura apart from Bengali and Kokborok, the students can impart learning in other regional languages too.

He said that Tripura is a multilingual state and government along with Kokborok eight other languages  are being taught in selected schools of the state. At present in 1296 primary schools, 115 Madhyamik schools and 65 Higher Education schools are given teaching on Kokborok language and government has stressed importance for development of other languages like Chakma, Manipuri, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kuki-Mizo, Halam, Mog and Garo etc.

Dr Saha also said that the state government working for development of all languages and to achieve the target a separate department has already opened in the state.

Bangladesh's Assistant High Commissioner Arif Mohammad and other dignitaries also delivered their addresses in the programme.

The Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala organized various programmes to mark the day. Day-long celebrations took place at the mission complex to commemorate the historic Bangladesh Liberation War.

Reports from other parts of the state said that the International Mother's Language Day pays floral tribute to memorial columns and different cultural programmes with fervour.