PUBLIC SHOCKED BY FEAT AND EXCITEMENT OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 06 April 2015, 12:21
The social networks were shocked by the photos of Republican women
taken in Tsitsernakaberd, during their group visit to the Genocide
Memorial. Those are pictures of laughing and smiling ladies headed
by the business woman Hermineh Naghdalyan. They are posing for photos
in front of the Memorial to Genocide Victims with faces gleaming with
admiration, waving their carnations above their heads as if they had
gone to Tsitsernakaberd for group fitness rather than for honoring
the victims.
These photos of the Republican women have angered people. People
wonder how one can make fun out of a visit to the Genocide Memorial.
However, we have to admit that the Republican Women’s Council is not an
exception. It is part of a chain spanning over many years when masses
of people visited the memorial to spend their day off, to make time,
to take photos, to demonstrate themselves and to gaze at others.
Or they visit because it is a visiting day, like a majority of people
of the Armenian society have a special day to visit the graves of
their relatives. In other words, consciousness is replaced by a plan.
As a result, the respect for the memory of genocide victims is left
for the end of the day, in case any time is still left. For example,
on the 90thanniversary of the genocide Aghvan Hovsepyan’s Nig-Aparan
Organization of Compatriots took to Tsitsernakaberd a huge globe made
of flowers with countries which have recognized the genocide. As soon
as the globe appeared in Tsitsernakaberd, the purpose and motivation
of the public visiting there changed to photographing with the globe
with a face that would make a good ad for a dentist.
The fact that a major part of the Armenian society goes to
Tsitsernakaberd on April 24 out of inertia or custom or crowd effect
is illustrated by the litter around the place on that day. Because
a person, an individual who visits the genocide memorial with the
awareness will hardly litter around.
The problem is that April 24 has been de-individualized over decades,
the stress was on collective, mass commemoration or mourning and
the more elaborate the mass ritual became, the lower the level of
consciousness dropped. They do not decorate themselves only during a
holiday. They decorate themselves in times of grief when they focus
on the external expression.
Armenia and its society are mostly focused on the appearance of grief
on April 24. This is the martyr complex to look miserable to arouse
pity in others and draw attention to them and achieve recognition
because it has failed through life, work, achievements and creations.
In the latter, the Armenians were distinguished individually, in
different spheres, in different countries.
Collectively, only sacrifice and robbery were a success with a
significant causal relationship. The collective martyr complex
requires quest for another victims for self-assertion. However,
looking for victims in the world is a complicated thing because the
world has changed drastically in the 20th century and competition is in
creativity. And different wars have become a means rather than a goal.
In this situation, the elites responsible for the collective behavior
of the Armenians who are absolutely deprived of a creative nature
adequate to the dynamics and content of competition have chosen the
most convenient option for their own people and their collectivity.
Hence, robbery started flourishing, covered with the armor of patriotic
slogans. As a result, the targeted patriotism occurred.
In other words, patriotism occurred as a goal of collectivity. And
since patriotism has become a goal, an internal competition started
for the most luxurious and colorful presentation. Currently this
competition is going on in the ruling system because the system
does not have other purposes of state, public importance aside from
patriotism. The other purposes are personal, of family, friends
and cluster.
What is happening on the centenary is the result of the internal
competition in the ruling system, and the Republican women were
simply excited.
From: A. Papazian