The Language of Our Heart

Our mother tongue always stays with us – from the day we are born, until the day we die. It is our first connect with our mother and the world around us. It is the language we learn, think, feel and dream in. It is what strengthens our roots and gives us a sense of belonging.

The International Mother Language Day, celebrated on 21 February every year, commemorates and honours the ‘language martyrs’ – students of Bangladesh, who sacrificed their lives to safeguard their mother tongue, Bengali, as their national language in 1952.

In the words of Nelson Mandela, “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.”

Our mother tongue – the language of our heart, is a reflection of our soul. It is the basis for self-awareness, and intellectual development. While protecting and preserving our own heritage, it also teaches us to respect other languages and cultures.

At the Aga Khan Academy, we celebrated Language Awareness Day on Monday, 22 February. The middle and high school students performed role plays, recited poetry and proudly sang the Bengali / Bangla national anthem, which was followed by the Indian national anthem. The poem “In Search For My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt tells how the poet feels her mother tongue is unused and the new language that she learnt has replaced the original language. We see this happening in our day-to-day life where foreign languages have completely taken over. How true it is as we watch our mother tongue rot and die!

A reminder to one and all that it is high time to remember that we owe a lot to our mother tongue. It is our origin – a vital part of our identity. Without, it we are incomplete.

By Anahita Aman, Grade 8