Those male students who fought for the language movement by breaking the Section 144 are well known in our society. Female students had also a fair share in the movement. Groups of female students broke Section 144 and were arrested in large numbers. Scores were injured in the initial brutal lathi charge. If I recall correctly, among those arrested were Sufia Ahmed (nee Ibrahim), Farida Bari, Kamrun Nahar Laily, Firoza Begum, Jaharat Ara Rahela, and Johra Tara.

21st February in fact laid the foundation for a separate state of Bangladesh. Bengali nationalism has its roots in the Bangla language. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's words "I am Bengali, my nationalism is Bengal" sum up the essence of Bengali nationalism.

The spirit of the language movement contained a powerful stimulus in the direction of a broader economic and social agenda. Achieving independent statehood is only a means to emancipate poor people from bonds of endemic poverty by improving upon their standard of living through providing basic necessities of life including food, clothing, shelter, education, and primary health care. That is what Muktir Sangram (struggle for emancipation) is all about.

Importance of mother language
Mother language is what a baby child communicates for the first time with parents. It is a language that remains with that person for life, wherever the person may live. The mother language is a prism that determines our first notions of the world and its environment. The umbilical cord between mother tongue and individual personality is inseparable. Mother language is an issue that people naturally deeply feel for it and it is an issue on which passions are easily roused.

Eminent writers and scholars have emphasized the importance of mother language in national life. Scottish essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle (1795- 1881) called the language "the body of thought." This implies if mother language is crushed, thoughts and ideas will inevitably die. American statesman, scientist, and author Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) who helped draw up the American Declaration of Independence in 1776 was worried that if the German language was not checked, it would not only supercede the English language, but also its cultural values in America.

International Mother Language Day
We are proud that at the initiative of Bangladesh, in 2000, 21st February has formally been recognized by the Paris-based UNESCO ( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as the International Mother Language Day. While announcing, the UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura stated that "language is an essential component of identity and a means by which we find our place in the world."

Many hundreds of mother languages have disappeared from the world. Out of 6 billion people only 6,000 mother languages exist according to UNESCO. Presence of diverse mother languages represents rich cultural pluralism, tolerance, and mutual respect. With the onset of globalization and interdependence of countries, only a few languages have become global languages of commerce, education, science, and culture. As a result many mother languages are dying out and UNESCO has taken initiative to ensure that diversity of languages exists in the world.

Although one may sacrifice his life for preservation of mother language, it does not mean that an individual should not learn and speak other foreign languages. People get enriched in communicating with others of different cultures with diverse languages. Multi-lingual skill is a great asset and constitutes one of the important components of our international relations with people of other countries.

Bangladesh needs to set up an Institute of International Mother Languages to energize and revive the vigour of existing diverse languages so as to provide a leadership in this respect as contemplated by UNESCO.

Language Day ideals unfulfilled
Although we all robustly commemorate the Language Martyrs' Day, there is a general impression that the day is routinely observed in a stereotyped fashion. There are more rituals than substance. The pertinent questions to be asked on this day are: Did we translate the ideals for which sacrifices are made?

One of the primary tests appears to be the enforcement of compulsory primary education for all children so that every child over the age of five can read and write Bangla. Recent Millennium Report by the UNDP shows that enrolment rate at primary level has increased to 82.7 per cent in 2003 (73.7 per cent in 1992). Although it is a good record, yet 17.3 per cent of children are left out.

Ordinarily primary education is free in the country, however, parents have to spend money on school dress, learning equipment and tools and transport and those who are extremely poor cannot afford to provide such expenses for children.

Another fact merits attention. Bangladesh is proud to have more than 45 ethnic groups (about 2 of the total population) with their own mother languages. Although they speak Bangla, they use their own mother tongue within their family. Many linguists suggest that the government must make efforts to protect the mother tongue of each and every ethnic and linguistic group in the country.

Conclusion
21st February is a day of reflection and provides an opportunity in considering to what extent we have fulfilled the ideals for which ultimate sacrifices were made in 1952. Furthermore, social justice and economic inequality among people needs to be addressed together with strengthening democratic tradition-namely, compromise, cooperation and accommodation of diverse views with respect. We will be judged by our deeds not by our mere words on this day.

Barrister Harun ur Rashid is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.