February 21: International Mother Language Day

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated February 21 (3rd of Esfand) as International Mother Language Day. This designation was made at the UNESCO General Conference in 1999 with the aim of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity. In 1952, students from various universities in Dhaka, East Pakistan, staged peaceful protests to nationalize the Bengali language as the second language after Urdu, during which several were killed due to police gunfire. After Bangladesh's independence in 1971, at the request of a Bengali resident in Vancouver, Canada, a letter was sent in 1998 to then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, asking for action to save all languages from potential extinction and to declare a day as International Mother Language Day. He suggested November 21, the date of the killing of some students during the Dhaka protests. UNESCO first named November 21 (3rd of Esfand) as International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999, and the UN General Assembly recognized this day in a resolution in 2007, declaring 2008 as the International Year of Languages. According to the official UN website, "To enhance sustainable development, students must have the opportunity to learn in their mother tongues and other languages. Indigenous languages, especially those of minorities, play a crucial role in transmitting cultures, values, and traditional knowledge, all of which are vital for strengthening sustainable development." According to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), a ceremony has been held by the specialized center for the culture and literature of the indigenous peoples of Iran at the Jihad University of Lorestan to commemorate International Mother Language Day.