Why is International Mother Language Day celebrated today?

February 21, 2019

In his literary column in Lanata Sin, Filtro Flavia Pittella recommended the novel "The German Room" and told the story of the International Mother Language Day.

Since the year 2000, every 21st of February is celebrated International Day of the Mother Tongue. This date was set in 1999 at the UNESCO General Conference to protect linguistic and cultural diversity.

To understand the story behind the chosen date, we must return to Bangladesh – at that time, East Pakistan. In 1952, the authorities violently repressed in Dhaka a demonstration against the ban on the use of Bengali, mother tongue. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the Day of Martyrs is celebrated in memory of those who died on February 21, 1952.

On the other hand, Flavia Pittella recommended Carla Maliandi's novel: "The German chamber"

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