By Artur Grigoryan

Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia has seen a growing bond between a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals and the oligarchs that run roughshod over the country.

These self-proclaimed intellectuals periodically appear, as if on cue, on the social stage to sound off on the hot issues of the day. Why they deem it necessary to make such appearances remains a mystery for, disguised under the cloak of patriotism, most merely defend the interests of the state and the concept of eminent domain.

Such a show happened recently in the Syunik village of Kajarants. A group of us activists had heard that the residents were waging an uphill battle with the Kajaran Copper-Molybdenum Combine; a majority owned German firm. We rushed to lend the villagers our support.

Early that morning, we went around to all the houses in Kajarants, one by one. The story that we heard was the same.

“We will not hand over our village to anyone and we won’t accept any compensation to do so.”

The villagers were adamant – no one was ready to pack up and leave, despite official pressure to make way for mining interests.

Kajarants residents told us that they could never leave their village and their deceased loved ones lying in the local cemetery.

“We’ve shed blood to defend and keep this village. How can you put a price on blood,” was their unanimous battle cry.

The same afternoon, we were told that Syunik Governor was to visit and that he wanted to talk to us.

There was a person in the Syunik delegation that introduced himself as an intellectual.

The man had written an article, alleging to be unbiased, that appeared in the Aravot newspaper.

There’s a video clip going round the internet showing what this intellectual and the Syunik Governor had to say to the villagers.

According to them, the villagers trusted their provincial officials and had agreed to accept compensation in return for abandoning Kajarants.

For the moment, we’ll cool our desire to pass judgement on this intellectual wearing the black fedora.

Let the people judge him and the values he represents– this holdover from the Soviet period who speaks out in the name of lofty state interests and shows his face from election to election.

Thank God there are true intellectuals coming out of the ranks of the post-Soviet generation.

These are the people that we can join with in the work that lies ahead.

(An environmentalist who visited Kajarants)