President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon today congratulated Tajiks on the Day of the State Language.
In his message, the President expressed his vision of the history of the emergence of the Tajik language, the importance of learning foreign languages, as well as why citizens should know their native language.
The full text of the message is available on the website of the President of Tajikistan, and we have selected several quotes from it:
– «I sincerely congratulate all of you, speakers of the mellifluous, sweet-hearted Tajik language on the Day of the State Language, which is one of the dominant foundations of statehood and a bright exponent of our national mentality.».
– «The purpose of celebrating Language Day is, on the one hand, to honor our poetic mother language, and, on the other, to help expand the range of its use.».
– «Every self-respecting person should know his language as best as possible, this means bowing before his nation and honoring its glorious past. The native language is the basis of the nation and one of the main pillars of national statehood».
– «The Tajik language is the personification of all the great spiritual values of our people, and the ancient civilization and the innumerable cultural heritage, which we are rightfully proud of, have survived and have come down to us through the centuries thanks to our language».
– «Thanks to an unusually beautiful and melodic language, texts and manuscripts written in it almost one and a half thousand years ago, we still read freely and without much difficulty delve into their meaning and content».
– «The national and human duty of each of us is sacred to honor our language, to cherish it as the most priceless blessing, and the precious heritage created on it and passed from generation to generation, not only to preserve, but also to study, teach others and draw from this bottomless source of wisdom».
– «The study of foreign languages is a dictate of modern times, but this in no way means a disdain for the native language».
– «Good knowledge of the native language contributes to the development of others».
– «Veneration of the national language, patriotism and the eternal striving for freedom and independence are closely interconnected, the history of Tajiks has proved on the example of the language policy of the Samanid state.
– «A lot of work has been done over eleven years, but this is still not enough. Because the language as a living organism needs constant care.
– «Every person who is patriotic and overwhelmed with a sense of pride for his nation must always sacredly honor and protect national shrines, be the standard bearer of his language, culture and nation».
Tajik received state status when the Law "On Language" was adopted on July 22, 1989. July 22 was declared in the republic as the "Day of the State Language" and was celebrated in 1990-2009, until the law was amended. The amended law was signed on October 5, 2009, after which the Language Day began to be celebrated in the country in October.
