Bengali language movement

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Shaheed Minar , the "Martyrs' Monument" and memorial for the activists of the Bengali language movement killed in Dhaka in February 1952

The Bengali language movement ( Bengali ভাষা আন্দোলন bhāṣā āndolan , "language movement") was a socio-political movement in what was then East Pakistan (today's Bangladesh ), which campaigned for the Bengali language to be recognized as the official state language.

Founding of Pakistan in 1947 and discussions about the state language

Pakistan (east and west) between 1947 and 1971

British India was granted independence in 1947 . The states of India and Pakistan emerged as successor states . Pakistan was founded at the instigation of the Muslim League under Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a state that was to encompass the predominantly Muslim provinces of British India. Two provinces of British India were inhabited in greater numbers by both Hindus and Sikhs and Muslims: Punjab and Bengal . Both provinces were divided. The greater western part of the Punjab came to Pakistan, the eastern part to India. The western part of Bengal (with Calcutta ) came to India, the eastern part to Pakistan. The result of these partitions, the new state of Pakistan, had no geographically contiguous national territory. The larger western part in terms of area was in the Indus river basin, the eastern part consisted of East Bengal. In terms of population, however, both parts were roughly equal. The ruling elites of the new state, however, came predominantly from the western part of the country.

Immediately after the founding of Pakistan, the question of the official language of the new multilingual state arose. The languages ​​of West Pakistan were essentially Punjabi , Sindhi , Pashtun , and Baluchi ; in East Pakistan the predominant language was Bengali . All languages ​​belong to the Indo-European language family . The languages ​​of Western Pakistan were (and are) written in Arabic , while Bengali uses its own Indian script, similar to Devanagari . Bengali was the strongest language in terms of speakers in the new state of Pakistan.

After the founding of Pakistan, at the first conference on education in Karachi in 1947, none of the mentioned languages ​​was selected as the new state language, but instead Urdu . Officials and high schools in Pakistan have been directed to use Urdu in the future. An “Official Language Committee” set up specifically for this purpose was concerned with creating a new Urdu vocabulary for terms that were previously only available in English (for example from the fields of science, justice, etc.). Urdu had long been considered the lingua franca of Muslims on the Indian subcontinent and was propagated as such by supporters of the Pakistan idea. Linguistically, Urdu is part of the Hindustani dialect continuum of northern India or emerged from it. It has absorbed numerous Persian and a few Turkish influences. Since it is written in Arabic script , the script of the Koran , it has traditionally enjoyed higher prestige among Indian Muslims. Other Muslim-ruled princely states on the Indian subcontinent - such as Hyderabad - had declared Urdu their state language in the past. The possibility of allowing multiple official languages ​​in Pakistan was rejected out of fears of separatism. It was hoped that a common official language would also create a Pakistani state consciousness in the new artificial state. At the same time there were similar lines of thought in neighboring India, where there was initially a strong tendency to make Hindi the sole state language.

Riots in East Pakistan, 1948

Shortly after the first declarations of intent to make Urdu the sole state language, there were first protests by Bengali intellectuals and students in Dhaka . These indicated that Urdu speakers were not in the majority in any of the Pakistani provinces, while more than 50% of Pakistan's residents (almost all of whom lived in East Pakistan) spoke Bengali as their mother tongue. Leading Bengali scholars and writers spoke out against Urdu as the sole state language and feared that their ignorance of the state language would make the people of East Pakistan illiterate in their own country. The journalist and teacher Mohammad Akram Khan objected that the Bengali Muslims had always spoken and written Bengali since the arrival of Islam. The Bengali linguist Muhammad Shahidullah emphasized that the Bengali language was of older origin than Urdu. The attempts by elected MPs from East Bengal to establish Bengali as one of the state languages ​​in the constituent national assembly of Pakistan, which was supposed to draft the new constitution, failed. This led to a general strike in Dhaka on March 11, 1948, which was largely organized by students from Dhaka University . This was followed by numerous arrests of demonstrators. As the unrest did not subside, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's first head of government, traveled to Dhaka and gave a high-profile speech to a large crowd there on March 21, 1948.

Muhammed Ali Jinnah speaking in Dhaka on March 21, 1948

In this speech, Jinnah explained that the citizens of the new state of Pakistan should not see themselves primarily as members of different peoples, but as Muslims. Urdu will be the only future state language of Pakistan. Jinnah, however, agreed to the residents of East Pakistan that they could choose a local language, Bengali, for regional use at the provincial level, if they so wished. At the same time he warned against supposed separatists and saboteurs controlled from abroad (i.e. from India), justified the political dominance of the Muslim League and rejected a multi-party system:

“… What do you mean: 'We are Bengalis, Sindhis, Pashtuns or Punjabis'? No, we are Muslims. [...] Ultimately, it is up to you, the inhabitants of this province, to decide what the language of the province should be. But I want to make it very clear that the state language of Pakistan will be Urdu and no other language. Anyone who tries to mislead you is really Pakistan's enemy. Without a state language, no nation can stick together and function in the long term. [...] I will tell you again: do not be offended by those who are the enemies of Pakistan. Unfortunately, you have a fifth column among you - I regret to say that there are even Muslims - that is funded from abroad. But they make a big mistake. We will no longer tolerate sabotage, we will no longer tolerate the enemies of Pakistan, we will no longer tolerate quislings and fifth columns in our state. If this is not stopped, I am confident that your government and the government of Pakistan will take the most energetic measures to clean up those ruthlessly because they are poison to our country. [...] Very often it is said: 'Why can't we have this or that party?' I have to tell you - and I hope you will agree - that we ultimately achieved the creation of Pakistan after ten years of unrelenting efforts and efforts. The Muslim League has achieved this. Of course, there were many Muslims who were indifferent to this issue. Some feared for personal gain they feared losing, others sold themselves to the enemy and worked against us, but we tried and fought and by the grace and help of God we created Pakistan to the amazement of the world the whole world. Now this sacred legacy is in your hands, that is, those of the Muslim League. Should this sacred legacy be protected by us, as the real trustees of the welfare of this land and our people, or not? Should parties that are springing up like mushrooms and that are led by people with dubious pasts destroy what we have achieved or take over what we have secured? "

- Muhammed Ali Jinnah : Speech in Dhaka on March 21, 1948
Gathering of students in front of the building of the Faculty of Humanities of Dhaka University on February 21, 1952

Even after Jinnah's public advocacy of Urdu as the sole state language, the agitation for the Bengali language continued. Compromise proposals stipulated that although Bengali should be declared the second national language, this should in future be written in Arabic script. The Pakistani government also hesitated to implement legislation that would have given Bengali a quasi-official status. No corresponding law was passed until 1952.

Protests 1952

Student memorial procession in Dhaka on February 22, 1952

On January 27, 1952, the situation escalated again after the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Nazimuddin , himself of Bengali origin, reaffirmed that Urdu would be the only state language. The leaders of the Language Action Committee in East Pakistan then called for a hartal , a general strike, and organized demonstrations across East Pakistan on February 21, 1952. The government banned the demonstrations and imposed a curfew, but the ban was ignored. On February 21, student demonstrators from Dhaka University clashed with police, killing several protesters. On the following two days there were again deaths in demonstrations. A total of 10 demonstrating students lost their lives. The events had a great impact in East Pakistan. The killed students were stylized as martyrs of the language movement, and in the following years "Martyrs Day" was celebrated on February 21st.

Official recognition of Bengali as the state language of Pakistan

After the events of February 1952, the elected Provincial Parliament of East Pakistan passed a resolution calling for Bengali to be recognized as the second state language. On May 7, 1954, the Constituent National Assembly of Pakistan decided that the official languages ​​of Pakistan should be both Urdu and Bengali. This principle was also found in Pakistan's first constitution, passed on February 29, 1956, in which Urdu and Bangla were both declared national languages ​​of Pakistan. The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan came into force on March 23, 1956. Article 214 stated: The State languages ​​of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali. ("The state languages ​​of Pakistan should be Urdu and Bengali.").

A 1962 Pakistani postage stamp labeled in three languages: Urdu, Bengali and English

Official documents, banknotes and stamps were then printed in Urdu / Bengali bilingual, and Bengali MPs were given the right to speak in Bengali in the Pakistani National Assembly. However, this constitution was not in force for long. On October 7, 1958, shortly before the scheduled election date for the parliament of all of Pakistan , President Iskander Mirza imposed martial law on the country and installed Army General Muhammed Ayub Khan as head of government. The main motive for this step was the fear that the opposition parties to the Muslim League, which are particularly strong in East Pakistan, would win the election. A short time later, on October 27, 1958, Muhammed Ayub Khan deposed the president and installed himself as the president of Pakistan in a coup d'état . The second constitution of Pakistan, which was drawn up at his instigation and came into force on June 8, 1962, reaffirmed the equality of both languages.

Nonetheless, the Pakistani government under Muhammed Ayub Khan retained a persistent distrust or unease about the language situation in the country. Efforts have been made to linguistically bring the two geographically separate parts of the country closer together. The intellectual leadership of East Pakistan was asked to adopt loanwords from the languages ​​of West Pakistan and from Persian and Arabic. The equality of Bengali took place only hesitantly and half-heartedly. In addition, there was the economic and political disadvantage of East Pakistan in favor of the western part. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , East Pakistan felt abandoned by West Pakistan. Pakistan's military leadership focused practically exclusively on defending western territory. Overall, the measures taken by the Pakistani leadership proved inadequate, the internal divisions in the country tended to deepen, and the Bengali autonomy movement continued to gain momentum.

In 1970/71 there was an open break and East Pakistan became independent under the name of Bangladesh after the War of Independence .

International Mother Language Day

Memorial to the killed students in front of the Academy for the Bengali Language in Dhaka

At its 30th session in Paris on November 17, 1999 , the UNESCO General Assembly declared February 21 International Mother Language Day . The date was chosen to commemorate the victims of the Bengali language movement. According to UNESCO, the day of remembrance should "promote linguistic diversity and multilingual education, as well as awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions and contribute to their understanding, tolerance and dialogue".

February 21st is known as "Martyrs Day" and is now an official national holiday in Bangladesh.

Web links

Commons : Bengali Language Movement  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alyssa Ayres: Speaking Like a State: Language and Nationalism in Pakistan. Cambridge University Press 2009, ISBN 0521519314 . P. 37 ff
  2. ^ Fight for Bangla as a state language of Pakistan. NewAge - The Outspoken Daily, October 9, 2014, accessed February 19, 2016 (excerpts from a memorandum from April 11, 1952 by language activist Abdul Matin).
  3. ↑ Saleque Khan: Performing the Imagi (Nation): A Bangladesh mise-en-scène. Dissertation, New York 2007 p. 81
  4. ↑ NATIONAL CONSOLIDATION. Retrieved on January 31, 2016 (in the original text:
    … So what is the use of saying “we are Bengalis, or Sindhis, or Pathans, or Punjabi”. No, we are Muslims. […] But ultimately it is for you , the people of this province, to decide what shall be the language of your province. But let me make it very clear to you that the State language of Pakistan is going to be Urdu and no other language. Anyone who tries to mislead you is really the enemy of Pakistan. Without one State language, no Nation can remain tied up solidly together and function. […] I tell you once again, do not fall into the trap of those who are the enemies of Pakistan. Unfortunately, you have fifth columnists –and I am sorry to say they are Muslims –who are financed by outsiders. But they are making a great mistake. We are not going to tolerate sabotage any more; we are not going to tolerate the enemies of Pakistan; we are not going to tolerate quislings and fifth-columnists in our State, and if this is not stopped, I. am confident that your Government and the Pakistan Government will take the strongest measures and deal with them ruthlessly, because they are a poison. [...] Very often it is said, "why cannot we have this party or that party?" Now let me tell you, and I hope you will agree with me, that we have as a result of unceasing effort and struggle ultimately achieved Pakistan after ten years. It is the Muslim League, which has done it. There were of course many Massalmans who were indifferent; some were afraid, because they had vested interests and they thought they might lose, some sold themselves to the enemy and worked against us, but we struggled and we fought and by the grace of God and with His help we have established Pakistan which has stunned the world. Now this is a sacred trust in your hands, i. e., the Muslim League. Is this sacred trust to be guarded by us as the real custodians of the welfare of our country and our people, or not? Are mushroom parties led by men of doubtful past to be started to destroy what we have achieved or capture what we have secured?).
  5. ^ A b c Rizwan Ullah Kokab, Massarrat Abid: Pakistani Leadership's Response to Linguo-Cultural Challenge in East Bengal . Pakistan Vision Vol. 15 (1) pp. 1–15 PDF
  6. ^ Khalid Bin Sayeed: Federalism and Pakistan. Far Eastern Survey, Vol. 23, No. 9 (Sept. 1954), pp. 139-143 JSTOR 3023818
  7. ^ Constitution of 1956. Retrieved February 20, 2016 (English).
  8. ↑ Resolution 12 of UNESCO's 30th General Conference, 1999. UNESCO, November 17, 1999, accessed February 20, 2016 .