Published: 01:44 AM, 23 February 2025
A Language Fought For, A Legacy to Cherish and Bangla Forever
Smita Jannat
Language is the closest thing to a person from birth. From expression to self-expression is possible only through language. How difficult life is without language can only be imagined nowadays. There is not much precedent for giving life to this language. Rafiq, Jabbar and many others were martyred for the demand of national right to speak their mother tongue. Bengali is the first and only language acquired through life. Starting with the Tamuddun Majlish, this struggle took the form of a war called the War of Independence in 1971. From the freedom of language to the freedom of the country, this struggle is now limited only under the cover of imitation of others. Bangla is not just a language; it is the blood of our history, the pride of our soul!
One’s own country, own language, own identity are now running towards imitating others. Right from the food of westerners in the country, their clothes, their language, their culture are all our favorite now. Just as the example of acquiring identity through blood is unimaginable, it is also unimaginable to forget our own culture and try to imitate others. Individuality, self-reliance, individuality are being lost in the competition of this imitation.
People are leaving the place of the country acquired in exchange for life and are migrating outside the country, hoping for money. The education that people once did for the development of the country, today they are moving forward for their personal development. Even after studying in the country, many people are moving abroad to live an elite life. There are huge empty place for talented people in the country, and to fill that vacancy, human resources have to be brought from neighboring countries in exchange for more money. This is a huge failure for us. There is no greater wealth than human resources, which we have to convince ourselves and the powerful people of the country who do not know how to value talent. The noble life should be given an opportunity to live on the soil of the country.
We can't move forward without mentioning about the clothes. Bengali culture is not only the pride of Bengalis, it is worth presenting to the whole world. Elaborate celebration of Pohela Boishakh, panta vaat and Hilsa fish with red and white color dress. Navanna festival is the joy of bringing new crops home.
Festivals like Halkhata help strengthen social bonds. Moreover, Saree, Punjabi, Dhoti, Lungi are able to show the Bengali identity in a strong way in Puja Parbon, Eid and all religious events. We have world-famous inventions like Jamdani, Moslin, Khaddar which have caught the attention of the people of the world for ages and their fame or demand has not decreased at all in the world of modern life. The style of wearing a Bengali saree also carries the identity of the Bengali nation. Not only traditional clothes, the demand for clothes made in the current factories of the country is more in foreign soil. But sadly, it is true that the people of this country are more attracted to foreign clothes. They are more comfortable presenting themselves in foreign western clothes rather than wearing native Saree Punjabi. But they don’t understand the meaning of native clothes. As a result, it affects the country’s economic arena.
Although Bengali pride is expressed in fish and rice, today’s generation sees fish and rice as a boring food. It would be hard to find a foodie among Bengalis who doesn’t like Biryani or Polao, Bakarkhani of old Dhaka has a good reputation all over Bangladesh and even outside the world. Every Bengali knows the need for Hilsa fish. Besides, all Bengalis are familiar with Kebab, Mejbani beef, Bhuna Khichuri, Meat Kalabhuna, Prawn Fish Malaikari, Manda, Rasmalai, Lacchi. These delicious foods are lost today. Because nowadays the demand for burgers, pizza, sandwiches, Italian, and Chinese is familiar more at door to door. So now restaurants mean foreign food. Coffee has more name, quality and price than tea. There are only a handful of hotels named after Swadeshi cuisine because people eat in foreign names now, not quality.
Now let’s talk about language. Language Month is when everything is celebrated except language. Rose Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day are all other names of celebrations but Language Day is known only as a holiday. Even in school, students are forced to celebrate something, but no one else has time to think about it. Rather, they like to think of it as a holiday. It is beyond our imagination how much courage and sacrifice it takes to give life to a language.
From the popular uprising of the 24th, we can get a little idea that if there is fire in the chest, life can be given for the nation. A group of young people with fire in their chests jumped into the struggle to save the language, and they were successful. But that success had to be bought with the blood of them. However, Bengali language has no value in office at the big level of the country. Although the mother tongue is Bengali, Western languages are preferred.
There is doubt about how many people know the meaning of the words in Bangla like table, chair, motorcycle, traffic. Fighting for the language, the present social system is putting the mother tongue aside. It is a matter of pride that the child can speak English, but there is no regret that he himself cannot speak pure Bengali properly. Our mother tongue is our identity, our pride, and our eternal heritage.
Along with country, soil, clothes, food, language, there is another sector which is different, and that is culture. Culture carries the identity of a nation. From the Baul songs to Rabindra Sangeet, from Nokshi Kantha to Pitha-Puli, Bangla culture is a celebration of life itself. But nowadays, in the name of culture, indecent festivals like New Year, Halloween party, Valentine’s Day where dresses, language, food, drinks are all insulted. Over the ages, Bengali has gained recognition as a symbol of civilization and decency. Culture is not just preserved; it is lived—through the words we speak, the songs we sing, and the stories we pass on. But Bengali identity is being corrupted by imitating other cultures.
The popular uprising 2024 presented a new precedent among us. Irrespective of religion, caste, caste, caste, sound, poor, everyone is fighting for their country again. This nation has proved again, we must not lose, we must protest. For ages, sometimes British, sometimes Pakistani and sometimes dictatorship, justice is sure to win through protest.
But in the post-coup period it also realized that independence is harder to defend than to achieve. Change is not possible with the efforts of only a group of people. Change is needed at home. Change is needed mentally. Change is needed in self-reliance.
The student masses did not just give their lives to achieve freedom. They embraced death with the dream of an independent country. Their sacrifice is for the language, for the country, for mother Bengali. Bangla is not just a language; it is the essence of our traditions, our love, and our collective identity. Every Bengali should say with pride about himself, his motherland, his mother tongue,
My pride is my hope,
I speak in Bengali, strong and bold.
Let the month of language rise,
Not bound by words, but touching lives.
Smita Jannat is an independent researcher, author, columnist
and a translator.
