India, Feb. 22 -- P oet, singer and author Minu Bakshi has long worked across music, poetry, translation and teaching. On the occasion of International Mother Language Day (February 21), she reflects on the need to preserve languages that shape identity and memory. For the Punjabi Sikh artist, the connection is deeply personal. "I have always felt a deep responsibility towards preserving Punjabi folk traditions, especially wedding and ceremonial songs," she says, noting many once thrived in courtyards and homes but gradually faded from everyday life. Through her musical collection Band Baja Punjab, Bakshi has attempted to revive these songs in contemporary formats. "I wanted younger generations to connect with them so tradition continues naturally rather than becoming distant history," she explains. For Bakshi, a mother tongue is far more than communication. "It is absorbed through lullabies, rituals and everyday conversations. It shapes memory and emotion," she says, adding, "Even when we learn other languages, the mother tongue remains the inner voice through which we first understand the world." In today's globalised world, she warns, many languages risk slipping out of daily use. "When a language disappears, it takes away an entire cultural memory," she says, stressing that languages survive through speaking, singing, writing and teaching. Bakshi has also worked to carry Punjabi literature to wider audiences through translation. "Translation allows literature to travel beyond linguistic boundaries. Poets like Amrita Pritam have universal relevance," she says. Having taught Spanish for decades, she brings a cross-cultural lens to the classroom. "Language teaching is not limited to grammar. It opens doors to literature, music and history. Languages are bridges connecting cultures," she notes. Alongside Punjabi, Urdu holds a special place in her work. "Urdu expresses emotional nuance with great subtlety," she says, adding that poetry plays a key role in keeping languages alive. "Languages do not survive through nostalgia alone; they survive when they are used meaningfully," Bakshi says. Her advice for International Mother Language Day is simple: "Preserving a language does not always require grand gestures. Sometimes, it is as simple as speaking it at home, singing its songs, or teaching it to the next gen. When we allow languages to live in everyday life, we ensure they continue to carry human experience forward."...