Santals' demand for Roman script
Perhaps no other nation can claim to have sacrificed so much as the Bangladeshis, who sacrificed their lives for their mother language. Their struggles and sacrifices have inspired people worldwide, and today the International Mother Language Day stands as a reminder of the importance of fighting for everyone's right to her or his language. Thus the Santals' demand, coming as it does in the month of February, that their pre-primary textbooks be written in Roman alphabet deserves serious attention, partly because of that legacy, but also because it is their right to choose the kind of alphabet/ script they want to practice, nurture and nourish their mother language in.
The government has already taken some laudable steps about the ethnic minority languages, including introducing pre-primary textbooks in five indigeneous languages at the beginning of last year through the The International Mother Language Institute (IMLI). But the Santals' protests show more needs to be done. They are worried that their children are not being able to learn their mother language in the script of their preference—the Roman script. We hope the government will take appropriate steps to put these concerns to rest. The IMLI should remove impediments, if any, in preparing the Roman script for the Santals quickly.
Here is a real opportunity for Bangladesh to show the world that diverse languages and cultures can co-exist hurmoniously in this country, and that those are cultivated and promoted in equal measure.
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