With the book fair and events to commemorate Language Day on February 21 in full swing, Abdullah Juberee and Adnan Khandker went around a number of private and public universities in the capital to ask the current crop of students, from diverse backgrounds, what they thought about the fundamental points associated with Ekushey February. Here are the findings

It is hard to miss the hype at Dhaka University, with crowds pouring in from all directions, all day to the stretch of road from Shahbagh, past the Bangla Academy and right up to the Doel Chattar… the food stalls outside the fair venue, the Central Shaheed Minar resonant with patriotic music blaring from loud speakers and the streets covered in colourful lanterns. Students of the university took offence, predictably, when the question – what do they know about Ekushey February? – was posed to them.
   ‘Only an English-language newspaper could ask such a ridiculous question,’ said a first-year student of history.
   Some others were even more scornful.
   ‘Textbooks for higher education should all translated into Bangla,’ said one of them.
   ‘It has become a fashion these days for the upper class to speak in English and the upstart to quote Hindi one-liners while they all shed crocodile tears for the language martyrs in February,’ said another.
   Most students on the campus felt insulted when asked about the series of events that led to Ekushey. One even recalled verbatim Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s statement that started all the trouble, ‘Urdu, and only Urdu, shall be the state language of Pakistan.’
   The answers to similar questions that some students of private universities came up with, on the contrary, were marked by high-flowing rhetoric, ignorance and even indifferent shrugs.
   ‘Around 1950-52, the emerging middle classes of East Bengal underwent an uprising known later as the Language Movement. Bangladeshis, then East Pakistanis, were initially agitated by a decision by the Central Pakistan Government to establish Urdu, a minority language spoken only by the supposed elite class of West Pakistan, as the sole national language for all of Pakistan. The situation was worsened by an open declaration that Urdu and only Urdu will be the national language of Pakistan by the governor,’ said one inspired respondent.
   Most students on the campuses of North South University, Independent University of Bangladesh, BRAC University and East West University, however, declined to partake in the survey. One student cheekily pointed out that the language martyrs had died in February 21, 1975.
   To our next question. What significance does the language movement have?
   Once more, at Dhaka University, emotional, passionate and zealous answers flowed out.
   ‘It is a day that reminds us of our duties to our motherland,’ said a student at Madhur Canteen.
   Ekushey is a battle for the mother tongue and a battle against domination and power, said a female sophomore at the Department of Mass Communications and Journalism. ‘The nation needs another such occasion now.’
   A student of Peace Conflict Resolution reiterated the need to have university textbooks in Bangla. ‘Even our teachers prefer answers in English.’
   There were some impressive observations made at the private universities as well.
   ‘It sowed the seeds for the independence movement, which resulted in the liberation war of 1971. For the first time since 1947, it showed us that we have a completely different identity than that of our West Pakistani masters,’ said one BRAC University student.
   ‘The language movement helped invoke a sense of nationality in our people. Moreover, the movement proved to the greater masses that we could fight back for our rights. It demonstrated that as a people we were of a different credo than that of West Pakistan,’ said another student at North South.
   Some students also took the opportunity to relate the significance of Ekushey with the rise of fundamentalist forces.
   ‘Ekushey proved that religion cannot be the basis behind the formation of a state and it does not necessarily bind together a nation. Since the movement was able to establish the above facts, it does have a great significance as it helped define our identity as a Bangladeshi,’ said one pensive, bespectacled student of Computer Science at North South.
   So what does Ekushey mean to our students now? Does it really signify something or are we just using it as an excuse for a holiday or celebration?
   ‘Yes, it does, it is important to celebrate our heroes and the past, as does every nation on the planet. First and foremost, it reminds us what our values were and where we came from,’ said one student of East West University.
   The Dhaka University students, with many actively in national politics, took the issue to a more relevant level.
   ‘In present day Bangladesh, where you have rampant Islamic fundamentalism and calls for a Muslim state to be created which shall be governed by Sharia Law, February 21 reminds us that we chose to be a secular state that fought for the rights of people from all walks of life,’ said one student leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
   ‘History is a great teacher, and in the past a state created or built on religious solidarity did not survive. Therefore, religion cannot be the basis of our constitution. February 21 is an occasion which calls out to us to stand up against hypocrisy,’ said one of his fellow BCL leaders.
   One BRAC University student pointed out that, besides being a national event, it served as personal inspiration, the sacrifice made by those individuals for a cause taught things about life in general. ‘People can draw inspiration from February 21, and as it teaches people to dig deep and fight for what they believe. This should help people excel in their lives.’
   There was the naysayer, as well.
   ‘Some people use Ekushey as a political tool. It is being used as political rhetoric and used to validate causes that have no relations to the actual event,’ said a girl from East West.
   ‘After 54 years, I think we can stop lamenting about the loss of four to five lives. In one launch accident during monsoon we lose as many as 200 lives,’ braved another one.
   To our final query, so what does this generation do to commemorate the day?
   ‘It is a holiday,’ snapped out of the mouth of a North South student.
   Many private university students celebrate the day by attending a function organised by the student activity clubs on campus. Some visit the Shaheed Minar on the DU campus.
   Most private university students have had very little opportunity to go to Shaheed Minar on Ekushey or for that matter the Boi Mela. Some have never been to those places; they say these places are dangerous. ‘My parents would never allow me. There are always gunfights and people are being killed on the DU campus,’ said one girl. Another gullible-looking girl even said one could find ghosts in the area.
   Yet another group feels the day has become ‘more like a party or a festival than a sombre remembrance of the tragic sacrifices’.
   Such a view is, however, strongly contested.
   ‘Today, I think, it is essential that we show strong solidarity on the day as a slap across the face of religious zealots. We are not afraid of bombs or anything else that tries to take away our national identity,’ said one student. ‘The 21st will be a great opportunity for people to show the dark powers that we will not stand for such things as terrorism and extremism.’
   The Dhaka University students belong to a whole different planet when it comes to commemorating Ekushey. Under different banners as well as individually, students are working as volunteers at the book fair, setting up lanterns, organising musical shows, decorating the streets with alpana, distributing pamphlets and much more. Many have been staying up night since the beginning of February waiting for the climax on February 21 when at the strike of twelve they will march to the minar to lay down the bouquets.
   And some individual efforts are also unmatched. A first-year student of history is working to publish a little magazine to mark Ekushey. ‘I am doing it to make my friends serious about the significance and achievement of the language movement as well as the failure of the rulers of the independent Bangladesh to establish Bangla at all levels.’