St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School Pathaliaghat
International Mother Tongue Day was celebrated with great pomp and festivity at St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Pathaliaghat on 20th February 2026. The celebration highlighted the richness of linguistic diversity present within the school campus and emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting one’s mother tongue. The programme began with a brief and meaningful introduction by Fr. Babu Stephen, who explained the significance of the day. He spoke about how mother tongue is not merely a language but the very identity, culture, and heritage of a community. He encouraged the students to take pride in their own languages while respecting and appreciating others. One of the most remarkable aspects of the celebration was the active participation of students representing 20 different language-speaking communities. The campus became a vibrant mosaic of cultures as students dressed in their traditional attire came forward to showcase the uniqueness and beauty of their mother tongue. They greeted the gathering in their respective languages, delivered short speeches, recited poems, sang songs, and spoke about the origin and history of their languages. The languages represented during the celebration included Kokborok, Jamatia, Tripuri, Molsom, Noatia, Kaipeng, Bru, Reang, Kalai, Manipuri, Khasi, Garo, Rupini, Murasing, Mundari, Chakma, Bengali, Malayalam, and Hindi. Each presentation was unique and reflected the deep-rooted cultural richness of the respective communities. The audience listened with keen interest and appreciation as one language after another echoed across the campus. The programme fostered mutual respect, unity in diversity, and a deeper understanding of the importance of preserving linguistic heritage. It was indeed heartening to see students taking pride in their roots while celebrating the diversity of others. In his concluding remarks, Fr. Babu Stephen thanked all the students and teachers for their dedicated efforts in making their languages heard and appreciated on the school campus. He commended the organizers and participants for making the event meaningful and memorable. The celebration of International Mother Tongue Day at St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Pathaliaghat was truly a unique and enriching event, leaving everyone with a renewed sense of pride in their linguistic and cultural identity.
