Lok Sabha on Tuesday observed the International Mother Tongue Day in memory of those who lost their lives in erstwhile East Pakistan (Bangladesh) fighting for recognition to Bengali language and culture.
In a symbolic gesture, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee addressed parliamentarians in chaste Bengali and recalled how Bengalis fell to Pakistani bullets and became martyrs to safeguard their mother tongue. For some, translation facility was available while others spoke with emotion.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Basudeb Acharya and Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta also made their speeches in Bengali. Soon other members also spoke in their mother tongues.
Some members, including Giridhari Lal Bhargava of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Raghunath Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, took the opportunity to demand the inclusion of Rajasthani and Bhojpuri respectively in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution.
Former minister Suresh Prabhu of the Shiv Sena, who spoke in Konkani as also Marathi, said many problems in the world will vanish if one is allowed to communicate in his mother tongue.
The hour-long deliberations saw some members becoming translators themselves to reach a wider audience.
Chatterjee, who had hit upon the novel method to observe the day, was euphoric over the spontaneous response from members and noted that it showed the unity in diversity.