Javakheti region in our neighboring Georgia is one of such places where people are not allowed to study in their mother tongue.
Javakheti is inhabited by ethnic Armenians. Like the people of Ajaria, Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia’s 3 officially “autonomous” regions, the people of Javakheti have not been able to exercise their cultural and linguistic rights since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
What follows are excerpts from an interview with Mr. Stepan Markarian, the Vice President of Javakheti’s Hzor Hairenik (Powerful Fatherland) party, who can hardly be accused of separatism or nationalism. The interview was published in Hayots Ashkharh dated 2 September 2008 [my translation]:
I believe the biggest issue that we have in Javakheti today is its isolation; its isolation from Georgia’s social, political and economic life. I think we should somehow help that the Javakheti region integrates completely into the Georgian life but for this to happen a serious issue needs to be addressed.
In Javakheti, a simple citizen may not be able to articulate clearly why he or she resists the process called integration. There is however a widespread dissatisfaction among the population, which leads to the following question, “how may Georgia’s national security get hurt by Armenian language courses?”
I don’t think anyone can present a convincing argument to show that Georgia will be ruined if Armenian is recognized as the regional language of Javakheti.
… As a result of such a stance on the Armenian language, Javakheti’s population resents learning Georgian. This is the attitude that they have adopted, “if you forbid our language, then why should we lean yours?”
However, speaking Georgian is a necessity. If you live in Georgia and do not speak the language, you are unaware of the laws, decisions, and are separated from the country’s social life.
… What are the ways to learn and master Georgian? I think you lean a language at school, at university, and not in the market. Armenians proposed to the Georgian authorities to establish a joint Armenian-Georgian university … but they refused.
… How can we believe them when they claim they don’t mind our studying Armenian? If they don’t mind, why don’t they create favorable conditions? [legalizing the instruction of Armenian]. In Javakheti 95 percent of the population is Armenian and there are few Georgians, and even they speak Armenian.
1 comment:
This particular article is quite different from what I have seen on the blog. Apart from other major flaws some of the statements are simply false.
The statement that "Javakheti region in our neighboring Georgia is one of such places where people are not allowed to study in their mother tongue” is not true. The language of instruction in Armenian schools is Armenian. As for the number of Armenian schools, the majority of 124 Armenian schools are located in Javakheti, but there are Armenian schools in other cities, towns, and villages as well.
We might also want to consider governmental efforts of integrating Armenian students into Georgian higher education sector. I will bring only a few of many reform initiatives.
1. HE admission tests in minority languages (Armenian, Azerbaijani, Russian): As you might know, admission to HE in Georgia depends on the scores students receive in National Examinations run by the state. Since 2007, the Ministry has administered General Aptitude Tests in Armenian. The goal of this initiative was to widen access to HE to students who graduate from Armenian schools.
2. HE grants for students who graduated from minority language (Armenian, Azerbaijani) schools has been offered since 2005 and cover tuition costs for students who are enrolled in Georgian HE institutions.
There are many other initiatives you and your audience might want to know about. I would be more than happy to give contact information of local and international experts working in the field. They are actually on my friends’ list on facebook. They would be more than happy to chat with you.
Rarely do I take the side of the government in any argument. But what they have done in terms of providing opportunities to Armenian (as well as other minority) students, does not sound something like a “nationalistic and undemocratic” state would do. I don’t think it would make things any better if your audience is misinformed.
As for the Armenian-Georgian university, can you tell me of a country that has a university in a minority language?
By the way, I am myself originally from Adjara and referring to Adjarians as a separate linguistic or cultural group is not only factually inaccurate, but also rather insulting.
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