“People from Karabakh-Armenians” topic has been discussed numerous times, but mainly in oral conversations. Sometimes this widely spread and distressful topic is talked about in written form as well, but very briefly and much more politely than in oral conversations. If someone writes in their article that people from Karabakh have captured Armenia, everyone will attack the writer and say that it drives wedges between our people.
Meanwhile, in oral conversations, a lot of people say that and no one dispraises or blames the other for it. In fact, in terms of responsibility, our oral and written words are very different from one another.
Moreover, not only within this topic. But because this is one of the most sensible and urgent topics, a lot of people are wary when it comes to writing about the topic. And they are right to do so, because not only is this very difficult, but also an ungrateful thing to do.
Here, right now I’m doing that difficult but ungrateful work. And I am sure that however, I write, there still will be people kicking me, because it won’t be acceptable for a lot of people. Anyways, it’s not right not to talk about a topic, about which we talk every day and every minute. If we talk about it and we think we don’t drive wedges, then it’s possible to also write about that topic of people from Karabakh and Armenia without driving a wedge.
If Karabakh were not declared an independent republic, but were conjoined with Armenia and were included in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, of course, this mentality, that in our opinion is completely artificial, wouldn’t have existed just like there is not such a mentality when it comes to people from Aparan and Armenians, people from Gyumri and Armenians or other mentalities.
It’s true, that we belong to the same nationality, but today, in fact, we are different countries and even though we are two ally countries that are too dear to each other, still we are different and even though in the most important and main issues our interests coincide with one another, nevertheless, in some questions we can disagree with one another and have different opinions that can become the reason for this Karabakh- Armenian mentality. Before Karabakh became independent, we already knew that people from that country are exceptional and talented. They are talented in every aspect, but especially in science and military science.
The whole Armenian nation has been and is proud of academicians, marshals, and generals that are from Karabakh. I’m writing Karabakh and people from Karabakh instead of Artsakh, because, despite Azerbaijan, Karabakh is already an international term and if Azerbaijani arrest those figures that go to Karabakh, then with that they prove that they too recognize Karabakh as a territory and a country that is separate from Azerbaijan. But let’s go back to the mentality and spinning of people from Karabakh and Armenian. It’s true that we have always been proud of the geniuses and talented people from Karabakh, but still, the mentality about people from Karabakh and Armenians is completely new and it arose after the independence of Armenia and Karabakh.
More accurately, since the moment people from Karabakh began to hold the most important positions in independent Armenia. Especially when Robert Kocharyan became the president of Armenia. However, the person who held the first highest position in the independent Armenia wasn’t Qocharyan, but Levon Ter-Petrosyan. We say this because Ter-Petrosian and PANM came to power due to Karabakh movement, the slogan of which was “struggle, struggle till the end”, and which had everything to do with Karabakh and the copyright of which belongs to Ter-Petrosian. Thus, the three presidents of Armenia were participants and presenters of the Karabakh movement. As for independent Armenia, then some people here take the extended nature of people from Karabakh occupying the highest positions negatively, but some people take it positively too.
And most people think that actually, there can’t be a problem and a conflict concerning people from Karabakh and Armenians, and that voicing this problem out and moreover discussing it, is a betrayal and that people who do that are driving wedges. The people that think this way, actually consider people from Karabakh the talented presenters of our nation and that by occupying responsible posts, they contribute to the development and prosperity of Armenia. Your humble servant like this too, but I also think that all parts of our nation are talented and if a talented person from Gyumri or Aparn becomes a minister in Kharabakh, then he’ll help to build Kharabakh too. But I also think that the topic of people from Kharabakh and Armenians are a difficult one and it has to be referred to carefully. You are a witness of me doing just that and maybe that’s the reason I couldn’t answer the question I’ve raised, which was whether there is a Karabakh clan. I will try to do that the next time.
Voskan YEREVANTSI
