Bangladesh is a country so much synonymous
with Bangla or Bengali, writing something in English takes away the sheen out
of it. Starting with the name of the country, a pure Bengali word, the emotion that
oozes out surrounding the words “Bhasa (Language) Andolan (Struggle) ” and “Mukti Yuddha (Liberation
for Freedom)” is no way near to when they are translated in any other language.
To me, the struggle for
establishing Bangla as the national language against an oppressive and tortuous
regime was deeply connected with their overall freedom movement. While one
after another governor from the then West Pakistan’s ruling institution tried
to force Urdu upon the nation as their national language bringing them to their
knees , this andolan was not just another upheaval around the language but it
united a whole country to go for something they believed in.
“ Amar Bhai er Rakte Rangano Ekushe
February,
Ami ki Bhulite Pari “ - When one hums these lines and other similar
lines like
“Amar Sonar Bangla,
Ami tomai bhalobasi”…one can feel the blood
flowing through the veins much akin to the freedom fighters from India.
The numerous distressed and
displaced people got an impetus to fight for their liberty in the face of all
odds. The struggle that started around 1950s got fructification in the year
1971 with the massive help and support from India – a neighborly act only to be
done by a sensible government.
Not specifically naming any leader
amongst the hundreds of nameless and faceless common men and women, I take this
opportunity to salute all those involved in this movement from the core of my heart.
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