“A1+” in the framework of ” Postscript” program retrospectively shows my old interviews one of which was conducted in autumn of 2000 with a famous publicists and translator Armen Hovhannisyan. He was one of those intellectuals who was also actively engaged in the public activities and in 1999-2000 was next to one of the most radical oppositionist of that time, Arkadi Vardanyan. Wealthy businessman Arkadi Vardanyan had come from Moscow, had started impetuous political activity including demonstrations of many thousands, and of course, with the demand of Robert Kocharyan’s resignation. The second president visited cruel retribution on the opposition figure, the latter was imprisoned for several months and then was actually deported from Armenia.
And Armen Hovhannisyan was giving an interview to “A1+” when Arkadi Vardanyan was imprisoned. He expressed many valuable and up-to-date thoughts during that interview, for example he considered it useless “This one go away, that one come” method, with which many oppositionists were leading their struggle both before Arkadi Vardanyan, and after him. But perhaps his most noteworthy expression was the following, “Arkadi Vardanyan is not substantial, but the most horrendous is the escalating resentment, expression of protest, and even antagonism. That thought refutes that propagandistic thesis that there was not resentment, protest or antagonism towards the authorities 15 or 20 years ago. The most important is that those feelings are the axes which the opposition activity goes around for within the last 25 years.
It is not important you are a member of Dashnak , NDU (National Democratic Union), you are Ashot Manucharyan , Artashes Geghamyan, Arkadi Vardanyan or Arthur Baghdasaryan. It is important that you stand in front of a microphone, you get around you people who are peevish and full of antagonism and defame the authorities with the brightest expressions. The latter if felt a danger may imprison that orator and break the bone of that movement.
The members of “Karabagh” committee were also imprisoned but the movement did not died away. Have the current oppositionists thought about it, or why? Perhaps because besides scourging, those leaders had formulated a certain idea, which people believe. Staking only on antagonism, resentment and protest and not reaching fast success causes deep disappointment, stagnation and most importantly distrust towards such orators.
Now it the moment of stagnation. But in two-three months such orators will go to the square. When they start speaking about shooting, burning and tearing, remember the repeating scenarios after which these figures do not get a second chance.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
