Agartala: Feb 21: Today, at the state-level program for the International Mother Language Day celebration held at Agartala Town Hall, Agriculture Minister Ratanlal Nath emphasized the significance of the mother tongue in the era of globalization. He stated that the mother tongue is the identity of any nation and that no nation can ever prosper by neglecting it. This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day.
During the program, Minister Nath highlighted that mother, mother tongue, and motherland are matters of utmost respect and that no nation can progress by forgetting these. He pointed out that a child first learns the mother tongue from their mother and that it is through the mother tongue that people can express their feelings simply and straightforwardly. The Minister urged everyone to take a vow to enrich their mother tongue and other languages as well. He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced a new National Education Policy that gives importance to the mother tongue. The state government is also working to protect all the languages of the state by giving them equal importance.
Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Deepak Majumder spoke about the global enthusiasm for International Mother Language Day, celebrating the protection and promotion of every ethnic group’s mother tongue. He noted that the current government is working to enrich the languages of various ethnic groups in the state.
Former Vice Chancellor of Tripura Central University, Padmashree Dr. Arunoday Saha, emphasized the importance of the mother tongue as a medium for expressing one’s feelings and thoughts, comparing its importance to that of mother’s milk. Other dignitaries present included N.C. Sharma, Director of Secondary Education and Elementary Education Rights; Bimbisar Bhattacharya, Director of Information and Culture Department; Animesh Debbarma, Director of Higher Education Department; Anandhari Jamatia, Director of Kokborok and Other Minority Languages Department; and L. Darlong, Director of State Council of Educational Research and Training.
The program featured representatives from various linguistic groups of the state, who showcased their culture and traditions in their respective mother tongues, dressed in traditional attire. Additionally, students from schools and colleges performed inaugural songs in Bengali, Kokborok, and Hindi languages at the event.