International Mother Language Day is observed worldwide on 21st February every year to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.
The Day is part of a broader initiative by UNESCO to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by people of the world.
Origin of International Mother Language Day
The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day first came from the liberation struggle of Bangladesh and the sacrifices made by Bengalis to protect their mother language.
The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided to celebrate February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 2000.
Theme of International Mother Language Day
Every year UNESCO chooses a unique theme to celebrate International Mother Language Day.
The theme of 2022 is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”.
The theme broadly focuses on the potential role of technology to advance multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and learning for all.
International Mother Language Day Celebrations in India
In India, International Mother Language Day is to be celebrated as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
To mark the day, the Ministry of Culture is organizing a two-day program in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts IGNCA and UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office in physical and virtual format.
According to the Ministry of Culture’s press release, the event will also witness Poetry recitation in mother tongues, Group Songs and Dances in different languages, and a webinar on the theme “Using Technology for Multilingual Learning: Challenges and Opportunities”.
On this occasion, Prof. Ramesh C Gaur, Dean IGNCA is also expected to launch his book “Tribal and Indigenous Languages of India”.
Furthermore, there will be an interactive session among the group of writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, journalists, and experts on one stage.