Yesterday was the 21st of February which is otherwise known as International Mother Language Day and originated from the actions of a few university students in the then-Dominion of Pakistan, before it became Bangladesh.

In 1948 the Pakistan government had ordained Urdu the sole national language of the East Bengal region despite having a majority Bangla-speaking population. On 21st February 1952, students from the University of Dhaka organised protests to fight this ruling which catastrophically lead to their deaths, fuelling civil unrest.

Their vision as well as that of the rest of the Bengali population became known as the Language Movement.

The Language Movement is not just about Bangladesh, it’s about the ethno-linguistic rights of people around the world.

In 1956, after years of conflict, the government finally gave the Bangla language official status.

Very very few other countries have a history of fighting for their right to speak their own language. But not Bangladesh. We fought, and we won.

But what of it today?

Walk around Tower Hamlets and you’re certain to catch snippets of Bangla effortlessly weaving in and out of English sentences, which is almost analogical of Diaspora Bangladeshi attitudes towards their homeland; fragmented.

For first generation Bengalis i.e those who moved to the U.K (and other places) after Bangladesh found independence in 1971, Bangladesh remains close to their hearts and was further strengthened by the institutionalised racism faced in their day. But unfortunately, somewhere along the way, second and third generation Bengalis don’t seem to display the same patriotism for their homeland.

When you’re brown, you’ll often hear the question ‘where are you from?’ which from experience does not mean which ends in London you are from but rather what makes you brown.

From my own experiences answering this question, saying ‘Bangladesh’ sometimes opens up a string of unwarranted comments like ‘you don’t look Bengali’ ‘I thought you were Indian’ ‘Do you like fish?’

If you tell a British Bengali teen they don’t look Bengali, they might often get ‘gassed’ (flattered) because apparently it’s a compliment. If you tell them they look Arab then they get very gassed. But it’s a compliment only when likened to light skin Arabs (fetishisation of white skin, remnants of colonisation-more on that later).

Why is it a compliment to be told you have features that purport to belong to another race, where’s our sense of pride and camaraderie with our own people, what does a Bengali even look like?

Bangladesh might not always be portrayed in the best light here in the U.K, especially if you take a stroll down somewhere like Whitechapel which is usually linked to immigration or benefits stories or the rise of fried chicken shops.

But it is so important to take ownership of your heritage, to teach youngsters to be proud of where they’re from. Think of other cultures who flaunt and celebrate their heritage. Why are our celebrations so quiet?

It’s human nature to wonder about people’s heritage-where they come from, their stories, their lives-we use it to communicate and bond and find common ground, but those on the receiving end should remember that you have a chance to educate someone on your background; so use it.

The state of affairs these days might lead you to protest on the streets, whether it’s against Trump, for Black Lives Matter, the Muslim ban, just know that the culture of dissent can and does come into fruition, if history is anything to go by. It did at least for a few students from The University of Dhaka.

Now let’s be proud of that rich history.