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Dhaka Day by Day

Of Love and Fire

by Iftikhar Ahmed Chowdhury
The cardinal difference between any other ereptora and Man i* that the latter ha. to go through a tot of ordeal to become humau It to with a tot of cara and nursing that one becomes human and language plays - vital rote in this transformation from a creature to a human be tag- satd Dr. Mostafa Nurul Islam - the veteran wark axii Ian, writer and Aamboyant media per-somdlty of today who was an active specimen of the language movement years back
Some events of national history have the potential of becoming a teairnd. Legend tliat to often told and handed down to posterity. Legend that continually inspire a nation and its people and. become a heritage of Its very own. Ekushey is such a legend for our people II remains to be a single event that gerpiinates our national growth, gradual enlightenment and re
As a consistent part of the collective strength that liberated our mother tongue Dr. Islam had his share of pride during the language movment. Settlfhg himself somewhere between the nostalk past and the glories of the by gone days he allured his memory over an in-
elarvd In a mammoth public meeting that only Urdu shall be the state language of Pakistan. On I I th March a Dhaka Univer sity oriented students league was formed in order to defend the rights ofstudents in particular and nation in general. It was from here that the mow ment leaped from It. Infancy towards It. ma lurtty and final culmination In February 31. 1953
Dr Islam related that eventhough the Ian guage movement started with the students and intellectuals at its Inception It soon enveloped the whole range of people In the movement For the commtw people the movement did not only stand for tlx- rights of lailguaac but tt had a vast symbolical implication
This movement was the common nag or platform under which the depriving people united. It stood against everything that were chained and oppressing, rhat is why the language movement even though a cultural revolution at the bcglning was rapidly transformed Into an inspiralkin for any other national mov menls
It Is ture that the memory of the language
terview with The Dad) Star
Dr. Islam thinks that the process of -the language move ment started after the partition The smergMsee of of Pa kistan was a wish fulfillment for both West and East Pakistanis alike. But right after its indc pendence. the nas cent government ' began to show step morhterly attitude towards East Pakl stan. The political vows with were made by the West Pakistani rulers were repeatedly vl-oteted.
A growing anno) ance was clouding the atmoshpre Bui It did not get Its momentum till 1945. Person’s who raised voices against West Pakis
movment Is rapidly turning Into a ritualistic observance, losing the real warmth and emotion that accompanied It. Dr. Islam mentioned that any event of the past through lapse of time transforms Into rituals. This practice I. needed to keep history ahve. But if It lacks the passtonale Intensity the event Itself becomes non cxistant and lifeless.
Dr. Islam was seriously involved with the first 'Eukushey' publics • lion which came out In 1953. It was edited and financed by the eminent poet Hasan Haflxur Rahman We learnt from Professor Islam that I tasan I laf
tanl indifference were young student leaders like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Oli Ahad. Abul Hashem. Hablbullah Baliar Abul Mansur Ahmed who was the editor of Ittehad a progressive newspaper founded by SuhrahWardy. A little later It included people like Ataur Rahman — politician from Rajshahl wIm> was later involved In the famous Nachoi Trial’. Akhlakur Rahman the famous economist of today. Dr. Islam himself who came from Dtnajpur and host of other political and cultural activists and intellectuals all over the country.
An important publication on die language issue Paklstancr Rashtra Bhasha Bangla na Urdu' was brought out by the Tomuddun Majlish Ittehad also played a stellar role in moulding the sentiments of the mass. People, like Abul Mansur Ahtpcd. Ahsan Habib. K. G Mustafa worked ceaselessly towards this endeavour
Till March 1948 what happended tn this part of Bengal could be calk-d a general annoy ance. but II was not what is more popularly known as a movment or a mass up heaval But everyhtlng changed after March 1948 when Mohammad All Jinnah came to Dhaka and de
izur Rahman borrowed (without asking) his mother's ornaments In order to finance this publication. Wc wonder how much love It claims to give away ones mother s precious possession for the motherland! Surely the gift did not go In vain Among other persons who contributed to this publication are Shamsur Rahman. Abu Zafar Obaldullah. Abdul Gaffar. Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir and M R. Akhter Mukul.
Ekushey' paved the way through which Bangladesh finally achieved it's Independence — said Dr. Islam It is true that Ekushey failed to provide us the desired economic and social emancipation. But It surely paved the way for a new nation, a new flag, a constitution and aboveall. a rich hcreitage to be absolutely proud of.
When we walk in the solemn procession towards the 'Shaheed Minar on the morning of 21 February we should always ramen)ber that every Inch of that way is wet with the rich bkxid of our inatryrs. Only then we would know from where the crimson Krishnachura found it s colour.