19 March 2024, Tuesday, 7:11
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

Send Drazdy Dwellers On 'Hiking Tour' Around Belarusian Regions

30
Send Drazdy Dwellers On 'Hiking Tour' Around Belarusian Regions
Picture by: caricatura.ru

It's cheap and easy, and makes one come to senses.

The Charter97.org summarized the results of the outgoing protest year 2017 together with activist of the "European Belarus" civil campaign, representative of the Belarusian National Congress in Brest Andrei Sharenda.

- One of the most discussed events of the week is the rebellion in the village of Yakimava Slabada, Svetlahorsk district, where the residents protested against the functioning of the harmful pulpmill. The hoodwinked investors of the Tambaz also held protest in Minsk. The residents of Kalodzishchy protested against the construction of the Amkodor plant recently. How would you comment on the series of local rebellions?

- In the civilized countries, such issues are resolved in court. Unfortunately, this institution is totally absent in Belarus. The people who get into trouble have no other option but a public protest. They cannot convey their problems to the authorities any other way. The gap of misunderstanding between the people and the officials is growing.

If we take a look at the geography of such protests, we will clearly see that these are not separate cases, but a tendency. I can give you an example of Brest, where the hoodwinked investors came out to protest. The crisis made the people in the regions extremely vulnerable. If in Minsk there is an opportunity to survive somehow, then the people in the peripheria can only hope for themselves.

I can give a good advise to our authorities: fire all sociologists and analysts. The regions are the litmus paper of the moods of all Belarusians. I would send our officials on a hiking tour to the countryside. This is cheap and easy, and makes one come to senses quickly. I would send all the Drazdy dwellers on such a tour. The people in the regions are simple,quick on the draw, they would tell them the whole truth, many interesting things. However, as Kandrat Krapiva used to say, "truths and roses have thorns about them", our authorities seem to dislike the vox populi.

The people got used to the stupidity of the officials, but I cannot put up with the lightheartedness with which some managers fritter away the people's money. I would give you an example of forestries. Whole forest areas are sold, as it was with the forest in the Lahoisk district, which was sold to the Arab sheiks. The forest is our national wealth. Such an attitude was observed during the occupation, when the forest, minerals, works of art were taken out of Belarus by wagons. Although it's no secret to anyone that we are now living in the days of occupation.

- We are all aware that the year 2017 passed under the sign of protests. What are the "hottest" events of the year that you would like to point out?

- Of course, the event #1 is the Outraged Belarusians' Marches. I participated in them personally, and I can tell you that it was something unforgettable. I don't know what kind of a genius advised Lukashenka on this initiative,but there's certainly some jumble in that head. Such laws can win the Ig Nobel Prize.

The decree on "parasitism" wounded Belarusians for the quick. First it was Minsk, and then the regions intercepted the protest torch. Frankly, I am very happy that my native city of Brest also proved worthy in the events of this spring. It was nice to see new faces that had not previously taken part in the protests, in the streets.

Another highlight was the protest against the military exercises West-2017. This September, a real threat loomed over our country and we were one step away from losing our independence. Only thanks to the public resonance in the media and the brave Belarusians who went out to protest, we forced the West to pay attention to the problem of the Russian aggression.

But most of all I was surprised by something else. The threat of occupation forced many people to become interested in Belarusian history, the military exploits of our ancestors, the Battle of Vorsha, the insurrection of Kastus Kalinouski, Tadeusz Kasciuszka. Nobody expected such a reaction.

Another event which left no one indifferent was the death of conscript soldier Aliaksandr Korzhych in Pechy. Belarusians reacted to the lawlessness in the army very sharply, as this problem concerns every family. However, if it wasn't for the public resonance, the authorities would have dropped this crime also.

The sharp and quick reaction of the Belarusian society to similar events proves one thing - the golden era of the monopoly of the BT propagandists is over. The people started looking for the information in the independent media, where they can find true and actual information, not some tales about the battles for the harvest and increase of milk yeild.

- What would you like to wish Belarusians in view of the upcoming New Year?

- I would like to wish Belarusians unity. You know, people have been fed with the tales about some "paid" opposition, which wanted to organize a Maidan and destroy the "island of stability", for a long time.The year 2017 showed that the opposition is a pensioner who lacks money for medicines; a mother with a child, whose husband works in Russia and got listed as a "social parasite"; a MAZ worker; a Kalodzishchy resident who came out to protest against the construction of a new plant. The opposition is the entire Belarusian nation. They have been trying to divide us for many years, but they failed. I hope that the year 2018 will finally bring us the long-expected freedom.

Write your comment 30

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts