Mother Tongue is not just a language, it is a part of our identity and culture. It is the language that we learn from our parents and immediate family members and it is the language that we feel most comfortable speaking. It is the language that we use to communicate with our loved ones and it is the language that connects us to our roots.

However, in some cases, Mother Tongue can also create divisions and barriers between people. In my case, I was judged and even physically punished for mixing up words that were associated with different religions. This shows that Mother Tongue can also be used to discriminate and create divisions among people based on religion or culture.

It is important to respect and embrace the diversity of Mother Tongues and to not use language as a means of discrimination or division. We should embrace the beauty and richness of different languages and use them as a way to connect and understand each other, rather than to create barriers and divisions.

The language that you are taught by your mother or that you learn after you are born is called your Mother Tongue. Mother Tongue is the foundation and identity for all living creatures, including humans and animals. We can identify animals by their sounds or the way they communicate. For example, if we hear a cow mooing, we know it is a cow. Some animals, like Myana, can learn and copy different sounds, but they cannot understand what the sounds or words mean.

I was born in a small village called Dhajanagar in the north-eastern part of India, which is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides and is connected to India through the state of Assam. My small town is Bishalgarh, which is located by the river Bijoy. I don't remember how I learned the language that my mother or other family members and neighbors spoke. I do remember learning the alphabet and being taught by my neighbor, aunt Anu, when I started reading. Mother Tongue also includes the language spoken by your father and other immediate family members.

In my village, I learned to call water "pani" at home and "jol" from aunt Anu and other neighbors. I asked why I had to call it "pani" in some places and "jol" in others, and I was told that only Muslims say "pani" and Hindus say "jol." I was judged for saying "pani" or "jol" depending on who I was with. It was prohibited to say "jol" with Hindus and "pani" with Muslims. It was confusing for me, as in Hindi and Urdu, water is called "pani." However, in my area or state, if someone says "pani," it means they are Muslim. I had a lot of issues with both Hindus and Muslims because I would mix up "pani" and "jol" a lot of times. I remember getting slapped on the face a few times because of it, but I never learned the lesson to not say "jol" with Muslims or "pani" with Hindus.