Mother Language Day: Taliban Policies Threaten Afghanistan’s Linguistic Identity

DID Press: International Mother Language Day, marked annually on 21 February, underscores that language is not merely a tool of communication but a carrier of historical memory, collective identity, and cultural capital. In Afghanistan—home to more than 40 languages and dialects—this day carries particular weight, as linguistic diversity is a foundational element of the country’s social and historical fabric. Recent political changes and the Taliban’s language and cultural policies, however, have raised serious concerns about the future of mother tongues in the country.

Afghanistan is among the most linguistically diverse states in the region. Under the former republican constitution, Pashto and Dari were designated official national languages, while Uzbeki, Turkmeni, Balochi, Nuristani, Pashayi, Pamiri, Aimaqi, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and dozens of local dialects were actively spoken nationwide—reflecting centuries of cultural interaction, migration, trade, and coexistence.

The 2004 constitution formally recognized Uzbeki, Turkmeni, Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and Pamiri as official local languages in areas with significant speaker populations. While limited in scope, the move acknowledged Afghanistan’s multilingual reality.

Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and the repeal of the constitution, language policy underwent fundamental change. Reports from educational, media, and cultural institutions indicate a shift toward linguistic homogenization of official structures, a direction widely viewed as incompatible with Afghanistan’s historical and social realities.

Under these policies, Pashto content in school curricula has expanded, while instruction in Dari and local languages has reportedly been curtailed in some provinces. Official correspondence in state institutions is increasingly conducted in Pashto, and civil servants have faced pressure over the use of their mother tongues. Local media outlets report similar constraints, including directives to expand Pashto-language programming.

Linguists warn that such measures contravene linguistic rights and increase the risk of gradual extinction for smaller, low-resource languages.

Within international human rights discourse, the mother language is a core cultural right. The UNESCO has long emphasized that early education in a child’s mother tongue improves learning outcomes and prevents language erosion. In Afghanistan, however, language has repeatedly been politicized. Even prior to Taliban rule, disputes over Persian/Dari terminology and prolonged parliamentary controversies over identity labels in electronic IDs reflected entrenched tensions over linguistic identity.

Today, families in some regions fear their children may soon be barred from using their mother tongue in schools. In Uzbek- and Turkmen-speaking areas, teachers of local languages have reportedly been sidelined due to resource shortages or administrative pressure. In Badakhshan and Nuristan, local languages once taught in primary schools have been replaced by standardized curricula.

Researchers caution that these trends could lead to language attrition, whereby younger generations gradually lose fluency in their native tongues. The consequences extend beyond language: oral literature, local music, proverbs, historical narratives, and community worldviews are all transmitted through language. As languages weaken, entire cultural ecosystems face erosion.

Many local languages in Afghanistan lack standardized writing systems or adequate educational resources. Without protective policies, several could face extinction within decades.

International Mother Language Day presents an opportunity for Afghanistan to affirm its multilingual reality rather than pursue monolingualization. Comparative experience from multiethnic societies shows that linguistic diversity is an asset for social cohesion.

Inclusive language policy can reduce ethnic tensions, expand civic participation, and build trust between authorities and citizens.

Safeguarding mother languages in Afghanistan is therefore not merely a cultural imperative; it is integral to building a more equitable and balanced society. The future of these languages is inseparable from the future of Afghanistan’s collective identity.