International Mother Language Day 2026, under the theme “Youth Voices on Multilingual Education,” was observed by Watsu Mungdang on Saturday at the Conference Hall, Aor Kilem, with Prof. Pangersenla Walling of the Department of Linguistics, Nagaland University, as the theme speaker.
Delivering her address, Prof. Walling stated that learning begins even before a child enters school, on the mother’s lap. “Through a mother’s voice, a child learns the first words that shape how they understand the world,” she said.
Speaking in the context of UNESCO’s Youth Voices on Multilingual Education, she stressed that multilingual education must value mothers’ voices alongside formal schooling. While English is essential, she said it cannot replace languages rooted in land, food, stories, and rituals. A strong mother-tongue foundation, she added, helps students become confident learners rather than weaker ones.
Prof. Walling further noted that oral tradition, where a grandmother tells a story, a mother repeats it, and a child remembers it, reminds society that ancestors left behind voices, not books. Every mother who speaks her language, she said, becomes a living classroom.
Earlier, a short address was delivered by Ao Senden president Marsanen. The introductory note was presented by Watsu Mungdang president, while the invocation was offered by S. Atula. The programme was chaired by Tangitla.