Seta Kabranian Melkonian

Recently, during an online discussion, Armenian intellectuals spoke about the situation in our country. In these times of the epidemic, I sometimes have participated in such discussions as a listener. The issue is always the same. The question is always the same.

"How did we get here?"

Often, the lack of competent people is discussed. There was a time when Armenian ambassadors sent abroad were well educated and intelligent people. Some were my professors during the Soviet years. With some of them Monte had long discussions at the Academy of Sciences. It seemed to us that every devoted leader would coach the nation’s next generation of representatives. People who, with intelligence and vigilance, could build Armenia’s strong public opinion. An area we lost in the last war and continue to stagger.

There are bright people in the homeland, who have graduated from different universities. But where are the mentors? I recently heard about two gifted women who graduated from European universities. After completing their education, they returned to Armenia to serve their homeland. Both were given secondary, low-level jobs, perhaps also with the expectation of making coffee, as an old acquaintance mentioned to me. My blood boils in the face of the unhealthy, male-dominance atmosphere.

Helplessness is a crushing feeling. The fact that we know where the problem is. We even have an idea how we got here. The critical issue is how to get out of this situation. We go round and round like a caged beast and gnash our teeth.

One thing is clear. It’s impossible to continue this way. We can endlessly dig into the past mistakes and not get anywhere. We can scream, shout, blame and slander and not get anywhere. We can be full of ourselves, boast, brag, put ourselves above everyone else and not get anywhere. We can lament and wail, we can howl in pain and tremble from loss and not get anywhere.

This situation is not new in our national-political life. Monte and I have had many discussions about the above issues. It is no secret that till the end Monte remained true to his progressive ideas. It seemed to us we could fix the many Soviet mistakes and create our dream homeland of equality and righteousness. So, on 5 October 1988, a very anxious Monte Melkonian wrote from prison:

“Today I read a lot of extremely depressing news. I really wished it wasn’t true, but I’m sure that at least the vast majority of the information was either true or a part of the truth. A French journalist got back from a 15-day visit to Erevan, and she wrote 5 long pages (accompanied by big photos) on the events there. Oh man! The confusion there has really gone to extremes! For the first time since February of this year (i.e. for the first time ever) I have gotten the impression that at least a very important part of the movement there has gotten extremely counter-productive and in some ways even dangerous. Of course, these are still only impressions I have and not definitive ideas. I can’t really have definitive ideas on something I don’t know much about yet. I prefer to always study things in detail (and see things on the spot if possible) before really coming to conclusions. Nevertheless, according to what I’ve heard up til now and especially according to what I read in this latest article I have the strong impression that during the past few weeks there has been a terrible degeneration in the level of political consciousness among many of the most active people over there, including the students.

The article said that 100,000 Armenians at the Opera Square yelled in unison “Independence, independence.” That shocked me and made me seriously reconsider the ability of at least those 100,000 (I hope to God that the other 3.3 million people of Soviet Armenia don’t agree with them, but… my hopes may not be warranted) to correctly assess the present situation and clear-mindedly make decisions. I hope that they don’t really believe what they’re saying. However, even if they are only doing this out of an emotional outburst, it shows that they are incapable of making responsible political decisions. Serious responsible people are the masters of their emotions, especially when they know they must stay perfectly calm and clear-minded while deciding what steps to take at such critical moment in our people’s history.

I know very well that such people do not mean to aid the enemies of our people, but in practical terms they are serving the interests of Evren, Demirel, Ozal and even Turkey, they are asking for what Talaat Pasha would dream of if he was still alive. I can’t believe it. 100,000 people said that in Erevan?! I remember your old letters where you wrote that the schools over there were rather good, that people got better education there than in, for example, Lebanon. You wrote that in general their level was rather high. When I read all of that I was really happy. Education is extremely important, and I was extremely pleased to hear that our people in our homeland were well-educated. I felt that would strengthen our people to prepare them for our future, our struggle. But now I ask myself: What sort of education have these compatriots had if they fail to understand the most simple, basic and elementary interest of our people?

Oh Seta, a lot of the best impressions I’ve had over the years have been shattered. Even more pedagogical work– more political education– than I thought is still needed even in Soviet Armenia. I thought that at least in a country struggling for socialism for 68 years the ideological education of students would be decent if not good. Someday you will have to describe to me their lessons in scientific communism and ideology. I know you yourself have had such courses. I must get a better idea of what exactly they’re teaching over there. Of course, I know that there is no such thing as true political education without practice. Our people over there have very little experience, so surely this adds to the confusion, but something so basic and simple as avoiding collective national suicide really doesn’t demand much experience or education. I hope they accumulate experience very quickly and correct their mistake as soon as possible. (Even certain people here who know only a minimum about our people found the latest slogans in Erevan totally incomprehensible and unrealistic.) Making such “demands” both hurts our struggle in the long run (if they don’t correct this mistake) and in the short run it strengthens the positions of chauvinists like Aliyev, Bagirov and other anti-internationalist/antisocialist Azeri officials, thus they are directly hurting our compatriots in Artsakh who initiated the demands and who are really the most important people in this whole affair. Furthermore, even if they just “forgot” about the danger of Turkey, even if they just “ignored” the limited economic potential of an independent S. Armenia, even if they really thought such a thing as independence were possible, do they seriously think Artsakh (or Nakhichevan or Akhalkalak or any other region) would ever be reunited to this “independent Armenia.” In other words, have they just “forgot” about Artsakh and our compatriots there, too?

Seta, I too am now confused. You will have to explain at lot of things to me. I want to understand what’s going on. I don’t want to have incorrect ideas about this movement and about large number of our compatriots. You know very well that this subject is something I wish to dedicate my life to, so you must understand how I’m anxious to get a clear idea of things. Somehow the movement in Artsakh and Soviet Armenia must continue, but it must regain the clarity it had and the political maturity it had in the beginning. It must truly become a solid vanguard force, and not let emotional outbursts and frustration quickly veer them into reactionary counter-productive tangents. Our people and our homeland are at stake: no one has the right to abuse those.

My Dear Seta, you know I really don’t feel right writing such things. Not yet, at least. Before criticizing other people I would like to do a profound self-criticism of myself and my own errors. When we’re together I will do this with you. I, too, have made many mistakes– both big and small– and I prefer to first explain and correct my own errors, before talking about those of others. It is only after such self-criticism that one can honestly talk about the errors of others. We will help each other correct our errors. This will make us strong– extremely strong. It will also allow us to live and work with an open, comfortable mind. It will simply make us better people.

…When I look back over this letter, I see how many sad and bitter subjects I have filled it with. Seta, this is also a part of life, and when I see it all, I just want to struggle more because I realize an even greater effort is necessary.”