From: [email protected]
Subject: Indicator Of A Missing Society
INDICATOR OF A MISSING SOCIETY
Lragir.am
22 April 06
The Indian and Arab students protesting in Yerevan for the death of
their friends were a topic for the people of Yerevan, as well as most
of my colleagues who had arrived there for news coverage, to joke that
if something is ever done in Armenia, the Indian and Arab students
will do. However, the protest of the Indian students would hardly give
rise to jokes. The protest even caused controversial feelings. They
had lost their 22-year-old friend, and the tears were hold back by
their fury against the leadership of the Medical University, the
Police, and the emergency. The students believe that their friend
would not die if the ambulance arrived on time. If the abovementioned
institutions worked properly, as they are supposed to. The Medical
University should have cared about their student, listened to the
protest of their students instead of forcing them to go out to the
streets, where the protest could undergo any provocation. The police
should have been careful towards a dying, as well as a dead citizen,
independent of his or her ethnic identity and nationality. After all,
congratulating the holidays of his subjects several days ago, the
first policeman of the Republic Haik Harutiunyan was advising them to
be guided by this principle. Let alone the emergency doctors. Not only
should they hurry not to let a person die, but they should also hurry
to save a dying person. After all they take an oath.
Everything is logical, however; if law is a trivial thing, what does
an oath mean at all? The doctors who `hurried’ to save a dying person,
are the alumni of a university which is part of the educational system
where a rector is elected on the preferences of the ruling elite,
where rectors are elected, who despite their sex can `fuck off’
students who ask them for help. As soon as one imagines this circle,
it is not a surprise that the student lay helpless under the window
for an hour. The opposite is surprising that he lay helpless for an
hour only. The context of the protest of the foreign students is that
their friend was left without aid because he was a foreigner.
I am not sure, however. The same might happen to an Armenian student
as well. In Armenia ethnic identity no longer determines attitude.
Presently, only the social status of a person dictates the manner and
degree of the society’s attitude towards a person. In those countries
where people”s actions are not guided by the rights and are
not dictated by the duties that are set down in the law, students
living in dormitories are left lying under the window.
The investigation will reveal how the accident of the Indian student
happened, if he fell or was thrown through the window, or if it was a
suicide. It has nothing to do with the subsequent developments that
became known thanks to the protesting foreign students. If it has
nothing to do, it cannot be an excuse or explanation for indifferent
deans, rectors, policemen and doctors. Whereas they have to give an
explanation why they failed to fulfill their duties. A policemen’s
duty is not just enclosing several dozens of protesting young people
in a circle of berets. And if the first policemen of Yerevan had
visited the place of accident, he might not have had to be in
Baghramyan Street.
No matter how discouraging this street is for policemen.
And for street passers-by the protest of the foreign students was
simply a topic for jokes, an exotic happening, the mini model of a
revolution that did not take place. In fact, an indicator of a missing
society. It would be logical if the passers-by, learning about the
protest, instead of leaving the place happy with their jokes, joined
the Indian and Arab young people. It would be real heroism if the
various youth wings of Armenian political parties, student councils
and organizations joined the foreign students. After all, the problem
is important for everyone. An Indian student said if his friend was
left lying helpless in the street, the same may happen to himself.
Therefore, all the Indian and Arab students stood up for their
rights. There was nothing heroic, nothing of a superman. What happened
was humane, for the sake of human dignity. What are our citizens are
thinking about? Or maybe all our society can do is to gather in one
place to get the autograph of Charles Aznavour or to go to the
memorial to the victims of the genocide only.
HAKOB BADALYAN