BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – February 21st was set by UNESCO as the International Mother-Language Day. It shows us the importance of maintaining, preserving and empowering the mother language.
As the effort to maintain the language, Pasundan Students’ Movement (Gerakan Mahasiswa Pasundan, Gema) held a cultural talk show raising the theme “Mieling Basa Indung Dina Raraga Ngaronjatkeun Ajen Inajen Urang Sunda’ in 27 February 2022.
This event is part of Pasanggiri (lit. competition) of Mieling Basa Indung. In addition, the cultural talk show also presented keynote speakers from various backgrounds, including academicians, cultural artist and practitioner, namely Budi Dalton, Hawe Setiawan and Abah Ruskawan.
There are four events on the series of Pasanggiri Mieling Basa Indung, including Sundanese poetry competition, Sundanese speech competition, Sundanese pop-singing competition and local cultural art performance competition.
General Chairman of Gema Pasundan, Rajo Galan said that the commemoration of International Mother Language Day is part of the concern of Pasundan youths for the preservation of the mother tongue, especially Sundanese.
“We dedicate this to Indonesia, because language is a national asset that must be maintained. Language is the nation’s identity, so youths should maintain and take care of it,” he said.
From the data collected, Rajo said that in the span of 10 years, around 2 million Sundanese speakers continued to decrease. If so, he is worried that the next generation will not be familiar to hearing Sundanese.
The existence of 718 local languages spread in 17 thousand islands makes Indonesian, especially those who are in rural areas, speak their mother-tongue since they were children. Furthermore, people will speak Indonesian at school, work and public service.
“On the Youths Pledge (lit. Sumpah Pemuda), the unity language is indeed Bahasa Indonesia, but we must neither forget nor ignore [our] local language,” he continued.
In the future, as Rajo stated, Gema Pasundan will make a traditional village in the middle of urban communities to promote the culture and customs which are starting to fade. (Reta)*
