Tamaddun Majlish

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Principal Abul Kashem Founder of the Tamaddun Majlish.
Principal Abul Kashem
Founder of the Tamaddun Majlish.

Pakistan Tamaddun Majlish (commonly known as Tamaddun Majlish) (Bangla: পাকিস্তান তমদ্দুন মজলিশ) was an Islamic cultural organization in East Bengal. Tamddun Majlish was the founder of the historic Language Movement.

Contents

[edit] Establishment & Ideological Backgrownd

It was established immediately after the partition of India on September 1, 1947at 19 Azimput Road, Dhaka founded by Principal Abul Kashem, who also was a professor of the Physics department of Dhaka University at that time. Tamaddun Majlish was very active during the initial part of its existence. It played a vital role at the first part of the Bengali Language Movement.

The members of this organization were influenced to a marked extent by the mentality of the Calcutta Renaissance Society. After the partition, Majlish realized that, Pakistan was no longer run by the idealism that it promised. This drifted most of the members of the Tamuddun Majlish away from the Muslim League.

[edit] Involving in historic Language Movement

Although the main intent of Tamaddun Majlish was to invigorate Islamic spirit and culture among the citizens of the new nation of Pakistan, the vigorous role played by this pro-Islamic organization made it clear to the Bengali speaking Muslim population of Pakistan that the demand for adopting Bengali as one of the State languages was "not at all motivated by the anti-state elements and communists of East Bengal." Tamuddun Majlis issued on September 15, 1947, a well-written pamphlet titled Pakistaner Rashtra Bhasha: Bangla Na Urdu? ("Pakistan’s State Language: Bangla or Urdu?"). Among the authors of this historic booklet, Kazi Motahar Hossain, Abul Mansur Ahmed and Principal Abul Kashem (General Secretary of Tamuddun Majlish) made a strong case in favor of introducing Bengali as the only language of instruction, offices and courts of East Bengal. They also forcefully articulated the demand for Bengali to be one of the State languages of Pakistan. The seminal booklet also contained a succinct proposal, authored by Principal Abul Kashem in favor of Bengali language. Given the landmark nature of the demand for recognition of Bengali, the gist of that proposal is listed as follows :

  1. Bengali will be:
    1. the medium of instruction in East Pakistan;
    2. the court language of East Pakistan; and
    3. the official language of East Pakistan.
  2. Urdu and Bengali will be the two official languages of the Central Government of Pakistan.
  3. Bengali will be the first language for the purpose of education in East Pakistan which will be learnt by 100 percent of people;
    1. Urdu may be treated as the second language or inter-wing language in East Pakistan which can be taught as a second language to those people who will be working in West Pakistan. It will be more than adequate if Urdu is learnt by only 5% to 10% of population of East Pakistan. Urdu may be taught in higher classes at the secondary school level in East Pakistan; and
    2. English will be the third or international language of East Pakistan.
  4. Both English and Bengali will be used for a few years as the official languages in East Pakistan." [1]

Aimed at providing an organized resistance against the anti-Bengali policies of the Central Government of Pakistan and to lodge protest against the irresponsible and slanderous comments about Bengali language and script made by Fazlur Rahman, the Central Education Minister, the Tamuddun Majlish took the lead in the formation of the first Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad(State Language Movement Council) in October 1947. While Professor Nurul Huque Bhuyain of Dhaka University was elected to be the Convenor of the first Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad, Professor Abul Kashem, the General Secretary of Tamudhun Majlish, played a pivotal role in that rudimentary stage of the language movement. Professor Abul Kashem, almost a forgotten hero of the earlier phases of the Bengali language movement, provided a yeoman’s service for garnering widespread support for adopting Bengali as one of the State languages of Pakistan. He succeeded in enlisting of the younger generations in general, and the teachers and students of Dhaka University and other educational institutions, in particular. Thus the first Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad provided the needed organizational structure for launching the language movement in later part of 1947 and early months of 1948.[2]

The first protest meeting was assembled at the campus of Dhaka University on December 6, 1947, under the auspices of Rastrabhasa Sangram Parishad , to protest the unilateral decision of the National Education Conference, held in Karachi, for adopting Urdu as the only State language of Pakistan. The protest meeting had attracted a large number of students, teachers and informed public from Dhaka University and other educational institutions. While the protest meeting was presided over by Professor Abul Kashem, a number of students and teachers including Munir Choudhury, Abdur Rahman, Kallayan Dasgupta, A.K.M. Ahsan, S. Ahmed, and Farid Ahmed, the Vice President of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) addressed the public meeting.[3]

Position of Tamuddun Majlish about the Bengali Language Movement also reflected the aspirations of the common people of East Bengal..[4]

[edit] Publication:Weekly Shainik

Tamuddun Majlish published a weekly named Shaptahik Shainik at 1948, it was call as mouthpiece of the Bengali Language Movement which was active in encouraging the ideals of Bengali Language Movement. It was published till 1961.

[edit] Noteworthy Members

Some noteworthy members of the organization were:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Umar, Badruddin. Purba Banglar Bhasha Andhoolon o Totkaleen Rajneeti. Mowla Brothers, 1970, p. 14
  2. ^ Manik, Dr. M. Waheeduzzaman. THE MAKING OF THE FORMATIVE PHASES OF THE BENGALI ANGUAGE MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF PAKISTAN. http://www.globalwebpost.com/bangla/info/articles/manik_dhiren_early_years.htm
  3. ^ Umar, Badruddin (1979). Purba Banglar Bhasha Andhoolon o Totkaleen Rajneeti (in Bengali). Dhaka: Mowla Brothers, p20-21. 
  4. ^ Al Helal, Bashir (2003). Bhasha Andoloner Itihash (in Bengali). Dhaka: Mowla Brothers, p133-134. ISBN 984-401-523-5. 

[edit] External links

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