DUSHANBE, October 5, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan marks State Language Day today.

On this occasion, a number of events will take place in the Tajik capital tomorrow.  The main event with participation of representatives of Tajik intelligentsia is taking place in Dushanbe’s Park named after Roudaki today evening.

The State Language Day had been celebrated annually on July 22, the anniversary of the designation of Tajik as the state language in 1989, until 2010, when on July 21 President Rahmon amended the date to October 5.

A new law on official languages that went into effect in Tajikistan in October 2009 removed Russian as the “language for interethnic communication.”  The new law states that all official papers and education in the country should be conducted only in the Tajik language.  However, the law also says that all minority ethnic groups in the country have the right to choose in which language they want their children to be educated.

President Emomali Rahmon congratulated citizens of Tajikistan on State Language Day yesterday.  In his message of congratulations posted on the presidential website, the head of state, in particular, calls on Tajik nationals to use native language correctly and do all in their power to promote further development of the Tajik language.

Tajik poet Nizom Qosim, who is also deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), considers that the law on state language, adopted on July 22, 1989, had stopped meeting the requirements of time.  “Many experts, however, consider that that law was more democratic and along with the Tajik language, it also protected languages of ethnic minorities living the country,” Qosim said.

According to him, the new law on state language that went into effect in October 2009 “has created a new atmosphere of use of the Tajik language.”  As an example he cited president’s statements in Tajik from the UN tribune and use of the Tajik language by many state officials.

At the same time, he expressed regret over the fact that many media outlets do not observe Tajik spelling rules.  He offers to set up the Public Council to control fulfillment of the requirements of the language law.

Tajik known poet Gulnazar Keldi the law on state language just began to fulfill its function.  “This law is not for one day, this law is for decades,” said Keldi.  “The law will fulfill its function – all citizens will know state language and all documents will be conducted in the Tajik language.”