Amader ei bashundhara,
Tahar majhe achhe desh ek shokol desher shera,
O she shopno diye toiri she je sriti diye ghera
Bangladesh is perhaps the only country in the world whose nationhood is so closely tied with the struggle for the right to speak Bangla.
Yet, one needs to keep in mind that this struggle was catapulted eons before the eventful speech of 1948 took place, in which Jinnah declared that “Urdu, and only Urdu, shall be the state language of Pakistan.”
As Bangladeshis, we have happened to reside in historically disputed grey areas, in terms of identity.
We practiced Islam, yet we spoke Bangla. When Bangladesh was known as East Bengal, opportunities were taken away from us by our wealthier and more literate West Bengal counterparts, on the basis of religion to some extent.
Eventually, after 1947, people thought things would finally change -- they would not be discriminated on the virtue of their religion.
Sadly, that was not true, because by then the people of then East Pakistan came to be shunned and denied their basic rights solely for differences in culture, mainly facing much disagreement in the spoken mother tongue to be.
However, the morning of February 21, 1952 changed the course of history forever for her people; and with much blood and lives lost, on February 29, 1956, Bangla eventually became officially recognised as the second official state language of Pakistan.
Sadly, today Bangla is not as triumphant anymore. It has become contaminated, abused, and mutated
Through the sheer determination of individuals, young and old alike -- adamant and determined in keeping their roots and traditions alive -- Bangla triumphed.
Almost 20 years later, this same fervent passion would eventually lead up to Bangladesh’s inevitable victory against Pakistan in the Liberation War of 1971.
Yet, sadly, today Bangla is not as triumphant anymore.
It has become contaminated, abused, and mutated by most, even bikrito to put it more bluntly. Nowadays, people barely speak Bangla properly or give it as much stake and importance in their lives.
True, Bangla is not as essential in this day and age of globalisation, for languages like English and Mandarin are the forerunners of the future, as countries where they are spoken are the leaders of the New World Order.
In spite of this truth, it is of utmost importance to conserve the beauty of Bangla and to uphold the legacy of it.
Fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters fought for the right to speak it, and consequently lost their lives in the process.
Now that we have the right to do so, we misuse it, casting it aside in favour of countless others. From chic, a la mode rooms of lounges to dingy, poorly lit alleys of slums, loud, thumping bhangra songs and/or electronic dance music can be heard playing deafeningly.
Yet, all is not lost.
From the evergreen Ekushey Boi Mela, to singers like Arnob and shows like Winds of Change, the fight to keep Bangla alive will not be hapless and futile.
For years to come, people will hopefully still hear the tunes of Tagore while reading Bangla novels on a pleasant midsummer’s day.
It is up to us to maintain our heritage and to preserve our roots.
Bangladesh needs her legacy to be kept alive -- it is a travesty if a mother cannot expect that much from her children. λ
Nafisa Kazi Iqbal is currently pursuing her MSc in Early Childhood Development at BRAC Institute of Educational Development (BIED).
