Virtues of mother languages; Don’t turn them into vices

Today is the International Mother Languages Day as declared by the United Nations which, in a statement says, languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet. It says that yet, due to the globalization processes, mother languages are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression -- valuable resources for ensuring a better future -- are also lost.  

More than 50 per cent of about 7,000 languages spoken in the world are likely to die out within a few generations, and 96 per cent of these languages are spoken by a mere four per cent of the world’s population. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given pride of place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.  

The UN says, the International Mother Languages Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.  

This year’s theme, Linguistic diversity and multilingualism is one of the UN’s sustainable development goals. To foster sustainable development, learners must have access to education in their mother tongue and in other languages. It is through the mastery of the first language or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge, thus play an important role in promoting sustainable futures.  

International Mother Language Day also supports target 6 of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): “Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.”  

In Sri Lanka while there is validity in the values and virtues proclaimed in the mother languages, it is tragic that narrow minded extremists, pseudo patriots and some elements in party politics have abused the mother tongue to spark regular riots and a devastating 25-year war that cost tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in damage.   

It is commendable that, as an important lesson from this devastation, Sinhala students are now being taught the Tamil language and Tamil students the Sinhala language. All students are being encouraged to learn the English language also so that while maintaining our culture and other virtues we could make full use of the marvels of modern technology.  It is also commendable that in the public sector Sinahala workers who learn Tamil and Tamils who learn Sinhala are given special promotions. We hope that while making full use of the positive aspects of different languages and cultures, pseudo-patriots will not be allowed to whip up racial extremism.   

Languages are meant to bring about unity in diversity. But extremists who use hate speech could cause divisions violence and turmoil. We saw some elements unfortunately engaging in this and it may have been one of the causes of the current political crisis, which has caused tension, turmoil and economic instability in Sri Lanka.