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KAJARANTS DIARY: PSEUDO-INTELLECTUALS IN DEFENSE OF STATE INTERESTS
By Artur Grigoryan
hetq
11:53, December 22, 2011
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia has seen a growing
bond between a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals and the oligarchs that
run roughshod over the country.
These self-proclaimed intellectuals periodically appear, as if on cue,
on the social stage to sound off on the hot issues of the day. Why
they deem it necessary to make such appearances remains a mystery
for, disguised under the cloak of patriotism, most merely defend the
interests of the state and the concept of eminent domain.
Such a show happened recently in the Syunik village of Kajarants. A
group of us activists had heard that the residents were waging an
uphill battle with the Kajaran Copper-Molybdenum Combine; a majority
owned German firm. We rushed to lend the villagers our support.
Early that morning, we went around to all the houses in Kajarants,
one by one. The story that we heard was the same.
~SWe will not hand over our village to anyone and we won~Rt accept
any compensation to do so.~T
The villagers were adamant ~V no one was ready to pack up and leave,
despite official pressure to make way for mining interests.
Kajarants residents told us that they could never leave their village
and their deceased loved ones lying in the local cemetery.
We've shed blood to defend and keep this village. How can you put a
price on blood," was their unanimous battle cry.
The same afternoon, we were told that Syunik Governor was to visit
and that he wanted to talk to us.
There was a person in the Syunik delegation that introduced himself
as an intellectual.
The man had written an article, alleging to be unbiased, that appeared
in the Aravot newspaper.
There's a video clip going round the internet showing what this
intellectual and the Syunik Governor had to say to the villagers.
According to them, the villagers trusted their provincial officials and
had agreed to accept compensation in return for abandoning Kajarants.
For the moment, we'll cool our desire to pass judgement on this
intellectual wearing the black fedora.
Let the people judge him and the values he represents- this holdover
from the Soviet period who speaks out in the name of lofty state
interests and shows his face from election to election.
Thank God there are true intellectuals coming out of the ranks of
the post-Soviet generation.
These are the people that we can join with in the work that lies ahead.
(An environmentalist who visited Kajarants)
By Artur Grigoryan
hetq
11:53, December 22, 2011
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia has seen a growing
bond between a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals and the oligarchs that
run roughshod over the country.
These self-proclaimed intellectuals periodically appear, as if on cue,
on the social stage to sound off on the hot issues of the day. Why
they deem it necessary to make such appearances remains a mystery
for, disguised under the cloak of patriotism, most merely defend the
interests of the state and the concept of eminent domain.
Such a show happened recently in the Syunik village of Kajarants. A
group of us activists had heard that the residents were waging an
uphill battle with the Kajaran Copper-Molybdenum Combine; a majority
owned German firm. We rushed to lend the villagers our support.
Early that morning, we went around to all the houses in Kajarants,
one by one. The story that we heard was the same.
~SWe will not hand over our village to anyone and we won~Rt accept
any compensation to do so.~T
The villagers were adamant ~V no one was ready to pack up and leave,
despite official pressure to make way for mining interests.
Kajarants residents told us that they could never leave their village
and their deceased loved ones lying in the local cemetery.
We've shed blood to defend and keep this village. How can you put a
price on blood," was their unanimous battle cry.
The same afternoon, we were told that Syunik Governor was to visit
and that he wanted to talk to us.
There was a person in the Syunik delegation that introduced himself
as an intellectual.
The man had written an article, alleging to be unbiased, that appeared
in the Aravot newspaper.
There's a video clip going round the internet showing what this
intellectual and the Syunik Governor had to say to the villagers.
According to them, the villagers trusted their provincial officials and
had agreed to accept compensation in return for abandoning Kajarants.
For the moment, we'll cool our desire to pass judgement on this
intellectual wearing the black fedora.
Let the people judge him and the values he represents- this holdover
from the Soviet period who speaks out in the name of lofty state
interests and shows his face from election to election.
Thank God there are true intellectuals coming out of the ranks of
the post-Soviet generation.
These are the people that we can join with in the work that lies ahead.
(An environmentalist who visited Kajarants)