The citizens of Armenia crowded at the Covered market, the Armenian people are divided into two hostile camps, and voice all possible and impossible coarse invectives to each other.
The reconstruction of the market, of course, took place through violations of the law. The municipality, as well as the other, as they say, “relevant” government agencies do not show the public and the media the documents based on which the restructuring has taken place. Apparently, there are no such documents.
Whether it is possible to conclude that people presenting the two camps who gather are crowded near the Covered market are “Turks”, in other word, by the folk etymology, are cruel, vampire beasts. If not, why do they throw similar charges to each other’s face. Civic activists, who oppose the reconstruction of the Market, argue that Samvel Aleksanyan’s hired people are standing in the opposite side of the barricades, and, therefore, being materially interested, they do not express their own opinions. Apparently, it is so: from the manners and vocabulary of these people (especially, women with loud ringing voice), it was clear that they are not Spinozas at all, they are simple traders who are engaged in trade in the structures of this oligarch, and make their bread.
But, no one has entered the brain of the civic activists and conducted a study whether the motivation of each of them is as clean and pure as the snow on Mountain Masis. Whether all of them are expressing their own opinions. Aren’t here political interests? If the market owner’s name was not Samvel Aleksanyan, but, for example, Samvel Karapetyan and the same violations of the law occurred, will the movement have the same impetus?
Of course, these activists are mainly wonderful young people, and it is with them that our society should cherish hopes. But, when there are two partied, it seems to me that it is wrong to idealize one side and consider the other as the embodiment of evil. And, right from this perspective, it is important to help the parties reach some kind of compromise, to motivate them to make a certain step back so that Armenian people are not found in different trenches.
As to how it is possible in this case, I do not know yet. But, I would like to bring one small example from my own experience. When, in 2010, the government putting its two feet into one shoe would not allow the ANC to make rallies in the Freedom Square, I suggested, as long as the government, apparently, fears that the ANC will build tents after the rally and create permanent center of tension, maybe they would agree to hold rallies, but not to build tents.
Responding to this idea, one of the then most prominent figures of ANC wrote what kind of scum I am to suggest such a compromise when they need only a fight, fight to the end, until the final victory, until total and unconditional capitulation of the regime. But time shown that the government-opposition relations, in the future, developed approximately with my scenario: dialogue, and so on.
Now, the activists and their supporters can resent “how can you compare us, embodying the fair demand of the society, with Lfik’s merchants, how can you put us, as angels, and those illiterate quarrelsome on one dimension.” (The opposite side may hardly read this article; otherwise, they would have come to the Editorial, and would have gouged my eyes out). But, in real life there are no angels and monsters. And, there are citizens in the state with equal rights of self-expression. We just have to make sure that their self-expression does not turn to hostility and conflict.
Aram Abrahamyan
