ONLY SUCH A REVOLT WILL HELP
Lragir.am
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12:28:55 – 10/08/2009
Interview by Siranuysh Papyan
-What is the civil stance of the intelligentsia today? What is the
intelligentsia for you?
-I think that each one may be an intellectual. Like each person
maybe an artist. This means that if a person has self- consciousness,
in other words, if they realize that they live, if they realize the
problems they have, the kind of the society they live in, this means
that they live. And this is the most important characteristic for
each citizen. There has always been the tendency to separate the
intellectuals from the citizens, to make them higher, but I do not
like it.
Today, only those, who are not among intellectuals, have civil
stances, because the intellectuals avoid any stance. It is a little
incomprehensible for me the reason why they hide their stances or
they if have interests, why they hide them, I cannot understand if
they are ashamed of it. But I notice cowardice in them. I think one
of the advantages of intellectuals should be the courage.
-When did the cowardice of the intelligentsia become evident to you?
– From this point of view, March 1 is a bright example. In many
countries, when there are rallies, the first row is composed of
representatives of intelligentsia. In our case, just the opposite
happened; the great part of those people joined the government. And it
was again proved that those people do not do what they would like to,
but what they are instructed to do. Since the Soviet times, they have
been deprived of independent activities.
And those intellectuals who say that they are neither pro-governmental,
nor pro-oppositional, I think they would be able to express this idea
if they lived in a civilized society, at least in Europe, where many
questions are settled. When people in Armenia express such ideas,
it is at least absurd, because we live in a country, where people’s
rights are not defended, where there is no freedom and one has to
have clear stances.
One has to know what to struggle for and what they do. If one does not
say anything, it means mediocrity. Such kind of ideas, I would say
that are even dangerous for our country. If many of us were abroad,
they would see that there they struggle everyday, against cigarettes,
for animals. In a country, where solders commit suicide in the army,
when pensioners have a miserable pension, where children and women
are beaten, in other words in our country, one may not struggle for
serious things, because they will be beaten up and killed.
-Do you think we have strong opposition today?
-In my opinion, the society wants to see that it weakened more that
it did in reality. When you talk to different people, you see that
they are in a situation, when they think that nothing can be dome
today. People are in depression, they do not believe in anything
good. The youth is important to participate in the struggle,
because today’s youth is led by nationalistic ideas only, which is
ridiculous. I get surprised, when youths try to wear modern clothes,
but they speak about their ancestors.
-How do you imagine society’s waking up?
-For example, there are many active youths among "Hima", who think
that there is great need for changes. But the government does not let
all these forces unite, because naturally it is not expedient for it,
otherwise, everyone will understand that we are slaves in our country.
-Do you believe the HAK affirmation that by the time of the next
presidential elections, we will have extraordinary presidential
elections?
-I want to believe that we will have, because in my opinion, the
president of our country does not want to be the president. He is
forced, he is in a game and I think he would prefer being far from it.
I would like very much the president of our country to be a woman. But
the characteristics of our country is that a woman would have to play
with the same rules as a man.
-Many of us speak against democracy, while you think that we will
have changes little by little.
-I think the person, who is against democracy has to be trialed. All
of them have to bear criminal punishment. All of us have to strive
for variety, the more the society is varied, the richer the country
will be.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
