[Solved] International Mother Language Day & Bangla Movement | UPSC

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?

[UPSC CSE Pre 2021]

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Correct Option: B

Statement 2 is correct; the demand for Bangla as a national language was raised in Pakistan's Constituent Assembly. Statement 1 is incorrect because UNESCO, not UNICEF, declared International Mother Language Day.

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Analysis & Evidence

Concept

Language often serves as a primary driver of cultural identity and political mobilization, as seen in the history of the Indian subcontinent and international recognitions of linguistic diversity.

Authentic Source Evidence

UNESCO (not UNICEF) established International Mother Language Day to commemorate the 1952 language movement in East Bengal. Records of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly confirm the demand for Bangla.

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: Statement 1 is incorrect. While 21st February is indeed International Mother Language Day, it was declared by UNESCO in 1999, not UNICEF.

Logic 2: Statement 2 is correct. In 1948, Dhirendranath Datta moved a motion in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly to include Bengali as an official language alongside Urdu and English. The rejection of this motion fueled the Language Movement.

Historical Logic Quest

"What was the significance of the 1952 Language Movement in East Bengal?"

It was a socio-political movement that asserted linguistic identity, eventually leading to the birth of Bangladesh as a separate nation based on cultural-linguistic pride.

The Topper's Edge

"The substitution of 'UNESCO' with 'UNICEF' is a common 'distractor' technique used by examiners to check for precise reading of organizational mandates."

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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?