SHILLONG, Feb 21 - 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 � Nelson Mandela.
These days a large number of Indians do understand or are forced to understand English, in this race for economic opportunities.
�English is the market language. It provides opportunities, so parents are inclined that their kids learn the language,� Head of Linguistic department of NEHU, Prof Shailendra Kumar Singh says.
But, as the world celebrates the International Mother Language Day today, heartbeat of several cultures and identities, preserved and promoted through Mother Tongues, are slowly dying out.
Observing International Mother Language Day was an initiative of Bangladesh to celebrate linguistic diversity. It was on February 21, 1952 many died or were injured in Bangladesh protesting the forceful imposition of Urdu over Bangla in Bangladesh and formed the genesis for Bangladesh�s independence.
�The key to cultures, identities is the Mother tongue. The death of the Mother tongue is the death of one�s identity and culture,� Rabindra Singh Ngangom from the department of English, NEHU says.
Ngangom, also a poet, writes both in English and his Mother Tongue Manipuri and added that the second language for any community is the �borrowed identity.�
�We need to read and write in our Mother Language, not just in English or else life would be monochromatic without any diversity and colour,� Ngangom argues.
Singh on the other hand blames successive Governments for not putting in all its resources and support for preservation and promotion of different languages in India.
�There are hardly any degree courses for many of the languages at the University level. Therefore, there is less opportunity when someone wants to pursue higher education in their Mother Tongue,� he pointed out.
He said, the Government should at least provide basic education, till the primary level, in the Mother Tongue. �In this way we can at least preserve some of the languages,� he added.
In this context the fight of the Khasi Authors� Society for inclusion of the Khasi Language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution needs to be understood.
�We have been fighting for inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule for so long, but so far not succeeded,� president of Khasi Author�s Society, DRL Nonglait said.
Inclusion in the Eighth Schedule, apart from promoting and preserving the language, culture and the unique identity, would also create employment opportunities for the youth. �The Mother Tongue promotes unity, moreover, people can relate to each other better,� Nonglait added.
Meanwhile, Singh suggested that this Day should also be celebrated as Linguistic Integration Day in a multi-lingual country like India. This year, UNESCO�s, International Mother Language Day theme is: �Indigenous languages matter for development, peace building and reconciliation.�