International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on February 21 globally to promote, preserve and propagate linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The theme of the 2023 International Mother Language Day is “Multilingual Education- a Necessity to transform Education” The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000. This initiative has been globally welcomed by all. But the basic concern is- Are such initiatives enough to ensure the sustainability of any mother language? As per the UN statement on global languages, at least 43 percent of the estimated 6,000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world. In my opinion, two conditions can play a pivotal role in keeping any language alive- one is the emotional attachment of the people towards their mother language and the continuous research work.
If we do a practical study of our Kashmiri language which has a glorious past both in vocal or written format. But unfortunately, we missed all the two aforementioned conditions desperately. It was the emotional attachment of the Kashmiri pundit community that keep them attached to their mother tongue because they know that Language is the only medium through which they can connect with their roots while living away from their homeland. They have taken several initiatives like launching community radio stations like “Radio Sharda”, using social media as a virtual platform to seek, explore, inspire, and collaborate. They are using this platform to revive the folk tales and songs that have been lost with time, they try to rekindle that legacy, inspire and engage talent and provide a foundation for the youth of the community to rise and shine. It soothed my soul when I watch young talented artists from this community performing on social media-singing Kashmiri songs, narrating folk tales, etc.
On the other hand, our feeling and approach are different, we are suffering from xenocentrism -keeping a high opinion towards other cultures in comprising to his/her own culture. This extraordinary behavior leads our future generation to complete alienation from our roots. We speak highly about the application and preservation of the mother language but in practice, our actions don’t match the words that we usually communicate in favor of our mother tongue.
I recalled the day when my friend interviewed a retired Kashmiri teacher and writer. When the interview session concluded, my friend asked his grandson Gobra Cha-Ka Chu Nave in Kashmiri. O! Son, what is your name? He replied in Urdu, Mara Nam Ha” I repeated the question and motivated him to speak in Kashmiri. His answer astonished me. He said, “No, I can’t because my grandfather will rebuke me if I will utter a single word in Kashmir” There are few private schools where school authorities impose a fine or give negative reinforcement if a student speaks in the native language. This is how we treat our mother language! We have to change this attitude. Also, we need to do more research work to preserve its existence as the world is changing fast. Earlier when any new inventions were added to our life, our prolific Kashmir writers were able to give the Kashmir name to that particular thing or things considering their different qualities such as their sound, shape, application, etc. . For example mortar cycle, they use Thup-Thup, for a bicycle, it is Zalgur for owl-it is Ratimogul, etc. language like English is dominating the whole world because the expert associated with this language always make new experimentation. They never put it in stagnated mode. Innovation, experimentation, modification, and reformation are the key factors that play important roles in the preservation of any language or subject.
So, there is a need to widen the research scope of the Kashmiri language. In this connection, the application of digital technology can prove a significant tool to ensure its sustainability. Let us encourage those individuals or groups who are promoting this language as per their ability and capacity. Let us give due respect and love to our mother tongue.
Haroon Rashid Bhat is a teacher and columnist. He can be mailed at minamharoon123@gmail.com
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