International Mother Language Day

Syllabus: GS2/ Government Policies & Interventions

Context

• International Mother Language Day, observed on February 21, reminds us of the need to preserve linguistic diversity and protect fading languages.

Background

• The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh to commemorate the 1952 Bengali Language Movement.
• It was approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000.

The diversity of India’s languages

• India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world and considered a language hotspot.
• According to the 2018 Census, India has over 19,500 languages and dialects, with 121 languages spoken by 10,000 or more people.

Linguistic Loss and Its Impact

• The Indian Census of 1961 recorded 1,652 mother tongues, but by 1971, this number had dropped to 109, as many languages were grouped under broader linguistic categories.
• 42 Indian languages are critically endangered, a higher number than any other country in the world (UNESCO).
  • 197 languages in India are currently endangered.
  • Around 250 languages have gone extinct in the last 60 years.
• Languages spoken by remote and indigenous communities, particularly in the Northeast and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, are the most vulnerable.
  • Example: The Great Andamanese language and Rai-Rokdung language (Sikkim) are critically endangered.

Reasons for Language Disappearance

• Modernization: Younger generations prefer dominant languages like Hindi and English for better education, job opportunities, and social integration.
• Lack of Speakers: Fewer speakers lead to difficulty in transmission across generations.
• Dominance of Major Languages: Larger languages tend to overshadow regional and indigenous languages, reducing their practical usage in daily life.
• Standardization and Script: Many endangered languages lack a written script, making their documentation and preservation difficult.

Preservation efforts 

• People’s Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) documents linguistic profiles of communities.
• Sidhela Archive of Sikkim University aims to preserve endangered languages in Northeast India.
• Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL): Under the Scheme, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works on protection, preservation and documentation of all the mother tongues/languages of India spoken by less than 10,000 people which are called endangered languages.
• AI4Bharat Initiative: Uses AI to develop speech recognition, machine translation, and text-to-speech models in 22 Indian languages, making them accessible to researchers, industries, and native speakers.

Conclusion

• Language preservation is not merely about safeguarding words; it is about protecting cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge, and unique identities.
• As languages disappear, so do the rich traditions and histories they carry. Therefore, preserving linguistic diversity is crucial for cultural sustainability and inclusive development.

Source: TH