1 March 2022
International Mother Language Day is annually celebrated on 21 February to honour the linguistic and cultural diversity in the world. The High Commission of India in South Africa this year hosted the third edition of Mataram where Indian diaspora groups showcased the linguistic culture of their regions through various forms of cultural performances.
Guests were entertained with flamboyant dances, poetry, music, song that originated from all corners of India. Shruthi Purushotam, Second Secretary at the Indian High Commission said that this event creates a great opportunity for the Indian diaspora in South Africa to showcase their talents and to connect with their roots. As the cultural feast came to an end guests were treated to the rich flavors of Indian cuisine.
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High Commissioner Jaideep Sarkar presented all the performers with a token of appreciation.
According to census data, more than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken in India as mother tongue.
In a tweet on International Mother Language Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Today is also World Mother Language Day. Education in mother tongue is related to the mental development of children. Teaching of medical and technical education in local languages has started in many states,” he said. He highlighted that Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world and pointed out that in 2019, Hindi was the third most spoken language in the world. Modi urged people to speak their mother tongue with pride.
Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu in turn said, “The linguistic diversity that coexists with hundreds of languages is owned by Indians. Language is the key to our creative thinking and expression. We all have a responsibility to preserve, promote and pass on our mother tongue to future generations. I call on parents and teachers to take the initiative in this regard.”
International Mother Language Day commemorates the students killed during a protest in Bangladesh that happened on February 21, 1952. They were part of the group that was campaigning for the official use of Bengali as their mother language.
Photos and story -TDS