“I do not consider the work of our government agencies appropriate that it does not matter whether they will rest for ten or eleven days”,- so responded Inga Zarafyan, Head of “EcoLur” NGO to Aravot.am’s question whether she considers 11 days holidays of the Republic on New Year holidays appropriate. To recall that Hrant Bagratyan expressed an opinion that having a long rest, people get accustomed to collective idleness. “Can you imagine a poor country that has a problem of surviving and somehow ekes out its miserable existence …. rests for 11 days. How irresponsible, care-less and stupid one should be to arrive at such decisions. We collectively learning to be idle. We do not need to work, our work is not necessary, too.” To the observation of learning collective idleness, Mrs. Zarafyan responded as follows, “A question arises, if you’re working, and not resting, do you bring benefit to your country? This will happen when you have specific government agencies that are working in favor of the development of the country. I do not see an agency in our country. If I do not see the work, then the question of the rest becomes secondary.”
Sculptor Levon Tokmajyan does not consider resting for a long-term and notes, “My son lives in Canada with his family and says that they are going back to working schedule after January 5. The same for Ukraine. Why do we need this luxury? I do not know. I am also against resting so long. People are dying of boredom. People above need to be more reasonable. People get stupid after so many days of rest.” As per Tokmajyan, it also incurs from the Armenian mentality when the Christmas holiday turns into “a holiday of eating and drinking.” Renowned sculptor got vexed. “We are Armenians and we love eating and drinking. There is Paganism in it, and I am against it. Then, it is not me and you saying, it is decided from the top.” To our reversal of who should take the public opinion into account, Mr. Tokmajyan responded, “Let them take it into account, what can I do, and what can you say? Indeed, we should not rest so long.”
Suren Zolyan, former Rector of Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov, member of Public Council, opines that the country can only benefit from long-term rest of the government agencies and details, “Bagratyan will know our economic system very well that the majority of the population of Armenia is unemployed, and they are accustomed to the idleness long ago. On the other hand, less the government agencies work, more benefit for our country, because they would not lose much in those days as on working days. Should Bagratyan’s words refer to the country with normal economy and government agencies, he would be correct, but he forgets where he is living, that the majority of the population is unemployed, and it is better if a large part of government agencies do not work.” Our interlocutors also noted that although the government agencies rested so long, nevertheless, they have worked.
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
