Lately, Norat Ter-Grigoryants, an Artsakh war hero, Lieutenant General, made a statement that he agrees with Zhirinovsky that Karabakh should be included in Russia. He has said to 1in.am, “Generally, I think that the whole Armenia together with Artsakh should hold a referendum and enter into the composition of the Russian Federation. We should not be dealing with autonomy here.” In this regard, Aravot.am asked the “Shushi” battalion commander Jirair Sefilian how he estimates the general’s statement. Jirair Sefilian responded, “Our real domestic enemy is our distrust of our own strength, the fear to be free, and the doubt about the possibility to be independent. We have seen lots and lots of Armenian-origin Soviet officers in Artsakh who in their fights against the external enemy were useful and powerful, but become weak-willed and useless when facing the Imperial servility. Norat Ter-Grigoryants has accomplished his task, we are thankful. We all have done our job, good or bad. However, today our job is to release the new generation from old chains, to throw the servility off the Armenian people. He who is unable, let him not interfere. Thousands of Armenian soldiers faced their death in Artsakh so that we do not deface their memory and graves 20 years later, from Martakert and Martuni to Yerablur pantheon. We have repeatedly stated that the need for change of generations has come. It refers to the qualitative change and not the age. In other words, it is required to establish a new political class in our country, which, first of all, unlike its predecessor, should be free from servility. In this sense, General Norat Ter-Grigoryants’ phrase hurts me. Unlike other “Generals”, we had considered his a major military figure.” Jirair Sefilian called on the young generation not to get confused from the statements of Norat Ter-Grigoryants and others. “The new generation is filled with enthusiasm to live independently. The new generation is imbued with creation and preservation of a sovereign country, rather than with molar seduction to surrender to this-or-that Empire. Stay in this position and boldly protect your beliefs. I think that overwhelming majority of people living in Artsakh and Armenia accepted this statement very painful. At the same time, I am convinced that in case of danger, a sufficient number of Armenian sons are ready to defend their country’s sovereignty and will not allow recurrence of the events of the last century.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
