Q. Consider the following statements:
1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: b) 2 only
Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 GS Paper
Explanation :-
International Mother Language Day and Language Movement
The correct answer is “2 only.” Here’s the explanation for each statement:
Statement 1: International Mother Language Day by UNESCO
21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO, not UNICEF. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) proclaimed 21st February as International Mother Language Day in November 1999. The day was chosen to commemorate the 1952 Language Movement in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where students and activists protested for the recognition of their mother language, Bangla (Bengali), as one of the state languages of the then Pakistan. This statement is incorrect. Bengali language movement – Wikipedia
Statement 2: The Language Demand in Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly
The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was indeed raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. When Pakistan was formed in 1947, it had two geographically and culturally separate regions: West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The majority of the population in East Pakistan spoke Bangla, and they demanded that it be recognized as one of the national languages alongside Urdu. This demand led to the Language Movement, which ultimately resulted in Bangla being recognized as a state language of Pakistan. This statement is correct.
Therefore, only the second statement is correct.
