In response to a letter published in our newspaper in which a pensioner-reader has expressed her perplexity that Lavrentiy Beria’s photo was found in one of the calendars, another reader has expressed anger on how such a brilliant person as Beria can be decried. The problem is that hundreds of thousands of people of the former Soviet territory are thinking in this way. I’m sure that it is not only a matter of the attitude towards our historical past, it is also a value system that gives rise to new Berias and Mughdusis. It is an atmosphere of “understanding” towards oppressing the human mind and individuality, the waves of which we feel not only in Armenia and not only in the former “Soviet”.
Recently, I was taking part in a conversation with the same content but with “softer overtone”. A man was explaining why now people do not talk about treachery. (In reality, of course, it is talked a lot, the label of treason is one of the most widespread). My interlocutor’s logic was as follows: since liberal values are imposed on people now and the personality is appraised, every person can think the way he/she wants, therefore, the term “treachery” is eliminated. Yes, the person can think, speak and act as he/she wants and the only restriction that he/she encounters is the state laws, including the state treason. But the politicians and publicists must not throw words like this at each other’s face.
Here, I also see the Soviet “NKVD” (People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs) psychological imprint. First and foremost, our law enforcement entities and the courts bear this impact, but by and large, the whole society and the “leaders of the public opinion”, politicians in the first place are infected with this.
Recently, there are lots of talks about the fact that new faces must appear in the politics. I think that the change in faces will not solve the problem. We need to have people with new thinking, people who do not emphasize their personality and ambitions, devoid of paranoiac skepticism, restrained and tolerant to everyone, expressing their opinion peacefully and in a non-aggressive way. I insist that it is not a manifestation of just an external conduct but also the state of mind, which is based on love and respect, forgiveness and giving everyone freedom to think and act.
The political and public figures can outwardly curse Lavrentiy Pavlovich but be his faithful followers.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
