Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Calwell for bringing such a comprehensive motion to the House on such an important matter, which is recognised not only in this place but in our local communities and in global fora. The origins of Mother Language Day are both deeply saddening but also uplifting. They are sad because of the lives lost—born out of a right to speak a language. It is from this that the global movement of recognition stirred for decades before being declared by UNESCO as International Mother Language Day on 21 February.

This has a special meaning for Bangladesh, its people and its diaspora. It is inherently entwined with its independence movement. At a time when more than half the population of East Pakistan spoke Bangla not Urdu, in 1948 Urdu was declared to be the sole state language. This was despite the fact that Bangla had survived hundreds of years of foreign invasions. I want to draw from Ekushey, one of many Bangla-devoted online resources. Ekushey means 21. When this word is spoken, for Bangladeshis it is widely known to refer to 21 February. Ekushey states:

The students of Dhaka University spontaneously opposed—

that is, opposed the sole designation of Urdu—

and the Language Movement was born. Students, politicians and intelligentsia banded together in a move to implement Bangla as a second official language, alongside Urdu, and the state language of East Pakistan.

…   …   …

Early in February 1952, student leaders decided that 21st February would be celebrated as State Language Day. Peaceful strikes and processions were scheduled across the state …

This included a peaceful procession on the morning of the 21st:

As soon as the procession left the premises of Dhaka University campus and spilled into main streets, police opened fire, and consequently, unarmed students died and many were injured.

The already-disenchanted Bengalis were alarmed and angered by this action, and became increasingly agitated. Seeing this, the government made the gesture of instating Bangla as the state language of East Pakistan and a second state language with Urdu, in April of that year. The gesture came far too late, for the agitation for recognition was sweeping the vast state. It slowly morphed into a desire for self governance, recognition, respect that, after nineteen years of strife and tension, eventually evolved into a movement for independence, culminating in the nine month long War of Independence that gave birth to Bangladesh in 1971.

It is this line in particular that I want to quote:

In the world's history, no other nation has had to struggle so much, shed so much blood, to be able to hang onto their right to speak their Mother Tongue.

I pay tribute to the Bangladeshi people and their language. They are an integral part of our multicultural society. I have had the pleasure of a long association with many constituents of Bangladeshi descent, and I have a particular admiration for their struggle for independence: I have mentioned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, or Bangabandhu, in this place. He is one of the great leaders of modern times.

I refer to the UNESCO 2015 theme: 'Inclusion in and through education: Language counts'. More than ever, this highlights what still remains a burning issue for equality through education for the world's citizens. UNESCO notes that education for all goals are far from attained, due in part to the difficulties of reaching the worst-off segments of the population, the debate around language and education becomes more central.' It goes on:

Linguistic minorities are often among the most marginalised populations, with little or poor access to quality education. When they do have access to education, learners from these communities are often either excluded from opportunities to pursue their educational career beyond primary or pushed out of education because the language of instruction is not their own.

It should remain a key goal of Australians to ensure that those educational opportunities are afforded to all, irrespective of one's mother language. I will be celebrating Harmony Day in conjunction with International Mother Language Day. It is important to draw attention to the fact that many local communities, including the Burmese Friendship Association and also Bangla Academy Australia, have initiated many community events to draw attention to this issue.

I want to end by citing a less well-known language, and that is the language of Rotuma. Those of you who know my story know I have Fijian heritage, and my father learnt how to speak Rotuman fluently. Rotuma is a very small remote island of only around 13 by four kilometres. The statistics I have researched show that there are probably only about 2,000 Rotumans still living on Rotuma—though there are probably many more on the mainland. It was a language that my father learnt fluently and I hope that it remains alive, even as more and more Rotumans take up residence outside of Rotuma. Mr Deputy Speaker, I end with 'Faiaksia hanisit', which in Rotuman means thank you for your kindness. I thank the House.

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