Gunfire rang through the air like fireworks, it was February 21st, 1952.

This day marks

International Mother Language Day- a day where we all appreciate (more than we normally do)
linguistic diversity around the world. The reason this day means so much to me is not only
because my first language was the root force behind this establishment, but also because
language is a powerful representation of our heritages, our cultures, and our homes.

International Mother Language Day is observed in order to recognize the Language

Movement Killings in Bangladesh in 1952. At the time, Bangladesh was “East Pakistan.” “West
Pakistan” (current day Pakistan) declared the Bengali language as a quality of a Hindu
civilization, despite the fact that both East and West Pakistan were/are predominantly Islamic
territories. West Pakistan didn’t allow those in East Pakistan to have literary and artistic
manifestations in the Bengali language. But on the 21st of February, many University of Dhaka
(capital of Bangladesh) students organized a procession in which they demanded for Bengali to
be the official state language. These students were confronted by the police at their campus, but
they refused to stop. They continued to march until they reached a legislative building, which is
where many students were killed by the police officers. The bustling city of Dhaka became a
quiet town; the police continued to kill others who were demanding Bengali to be the official
state language. Bengali was not only a way of communication for those in East Pakistan, but it
was also a way of life. When the people in East Pakistan found out their language was being
taken away from them, they had no other choice but to rebel and fight for what was near and
dear to their heart.

Although I was born in the United States, Bengali was my first language. As I grew older,
I learned English when I started school. However, I gradually started to lose my Bengali
tongue since I was speaking English everywhere I went. My parents constantly told me to speak
Bengali, but I never really understood why they wanted me to speak a foreign language in a
country where English is mainly spoken. I didn’t realize the importance of my original language
until my parents explained to me what people did to get their language. They told me that I had
the free ability to speak my language while there were others who had to be killed in order for
others to speak their language.

Even though I’m 17, I encourage everyone to grasp their language and speak it. There is
no way of changing who we are; even if we want to change ourselves, it won’t happen.
Language should be a part of our list of accomplishments and we should be proud to represent
where we come from. What inspires me to speak my language, Bengali, is a quote by Nelson
Mandela, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to
him in his language, that goes to his heart.” When someone speaks Bengali to me, it goes to my
heart, not my head. I feel pride when I speak my mother language, and it gives me a sense of
honor when I represent Bangladesh.