UN theme: Multilingual education – a necessity to
transform education
A celebration of the contributions of mother-tongues to identities,
cultures, enrichment and community cohesion
Date: Sunday 26 February 2023
Organised by: United Nations Association-Luton and Purbachal-the eastern sky
Promoting linguistic diversity
The event featured poems, statements and songs in a wide
range of languages – Arabic, Bangla, Filipino, Hindi, Italian, Polish and Urdu.It was introduced by Shahnaz Saad, the Vice Chair of Purcbachal, and opened
with a message from Susan Lousada, Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.
The main
theme was how to maintain languages spoken by minority communities, when the
younger generations spoke English as their first language. Those present concluded that this is possible, despite the dominance of English, if they work hard to stimulate
the interest of younger people in them.
Dr David Cheesman,
Secretary of UNA Luton, pointed out that the ancient Celtic languages which had
been spoken in the British Isles before English evolved, had survived against
the odds, and Cornish was even being revived after becoming extinct in the
eighteenth century, but it was a
struggle. Champions of the languages had fought to put their languages onto the
school curriculum, to have them spoken on radio and television and, perhaps
most important of all, to celebrate their languages at cultural events and festivals.
The most famous is the Welsh Eisteddfod, a centuries-old competition of poetry
and songs. It is now the largest amateur cultural event in Europe.
Dr Nazia Khanum OBE DL, the Chair both of UNA Luton and
Purbachal, expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fought to
defend their country and their cultural identity against the invasion of a
superpower.
She gave a stirring example of the sacrifices some people
have made to defend their mother language. In 1952, Saleha Begum, a schoolgirl
in Sylhet in what is now Bangladesh, was rusticated by her school because she
supported the installation of Bangla as a state language. The rustication order
was never lifted and so she was denied her fundamental human right to
education. She was not allowed back to school or to take her Matriculation –
the equivalent of GCSE. She has since passed away but her grown-up children are
campaigning for the rustication order to be formally annulled so that she can
be recognised as a freedom fighter.
All attendees agreed that UNA
Luton and Purbachal should maintain their support for those seeking justice for
Saleha Begum and other forgotten heroes of the Language Movement.
Programme with video links
