CC BY
12
education institutions of the republic in order by common efforts to raise the level of culture in society of Dagestan.
"Dagestanskiy vostokovedchecky sbornik", Makhachkala, 2011, pp. 57-66.
Yu. Azikova,
Political analyst (The Social-Humanitarian Institute of Kabardino-Balkaria State University) STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO DE-POLITICIZATION OF "CIRCUSSIAN QUESTION"
For study of the de-politicization strategies of "the Circassian question" it is possible to single out two approaches.
The first approach is presented in declarations and publications of representatives of the opposition's Adyg public organizations and of experts, who express the same point of view. To their mind, the Circassian question from the beginning was raised as a political problem, and therefore the attempts to de-politicize it are doomed to failure.
The second approach reflects the reaction of the official Russian structures and political analysts and experts, who support the government; this approach aims at de-politicization of this question and exclusion of unpredictability of further development of the situation and the risks connected with social and state security. To their mind, the problem connected with "the Circassian question" may be regarded from the point of view of humanitarian aspects of the problem without obligatory politicization.
Just in the way of the second approach it is quite lawful to raise the question about "strategies of de-politicization of the Circassian
question". Given the multitude of approaches to the Adyg question and different accents in the definition of its essence for all Circassian organizations, the most urgent and problematic are the following its aspects:
the official acknowledgement of the character and consequences of military actions of the Russian Empire in the course of the Caucasian war (CW) of the XIX century as a genocide of Adygs (Circassians);
the questions connected with repatriation of Adygs and provided for them preferences, which correspond to the moral and material damage for the years forced-voluntary resettlement;
the establishment on the territory of the RF of the united "Adyg" subject.
The above mentioned questions have acquired at present the political meaning connected with radicalization and escalation of tension of the public-political situation in the Caucasian region CR) coincided with increased external impact alien to strategic interests of Russia.
The Caucasian war and its results became the ideological framework of the contemporary "Circassian question", and its history should be described since the 1980s-1990s. The crisis of the Soviet state and ideological basis of its existence, gradual democratization, restructure, "parade of sovereignties", disappearance of community "Soviet people", the further need to define its own identity and its place in the world - in all these factors one should look for "beginning" of the Circassian problem.
For the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s the Adyg movements started to proclaim their existence. Their emergence on the historic arena was connected with perceiving by Adygs living in various countries of their ethnic, cultural and language unity. The idea of repatriation and unification of the nation in their historic Motherland
becomes for many Adygs an attractive national idea. The International Circassian Association (ICA) and member-organizations express this idea. The ICA as its main tasks regards as follows: study and solving common problems of Adyg-Circassian peoples of different countries of the world; keeping the native language and culture: restoration of the genuine history of Adygs; ensuring freedom of religion; keeping national identity and establishment of friendly relations with Adygs of various countries of the world; rendering assistance to Circassians wishing to come back to their historic Motherland etc. The first president of the ICA Yu.Kalmykov in his report pointed out that the Association "is not occupied with political problems" and that its activities are directed only to the rebirth of the Adyg people. The questions of establishment of "the Adyg" subject of Russia were not raised. He spoke also about impossibility of infringement of any other national interests to please only aspirations of Adygs in multinational republics Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachai-Circassia and Adygeya.
In view of the mentioned directions the key point of "the Circassian question" - the need of official acknowledgement of genocide was put in the agenda in connection with the need of creation of the sanctioned basis for adoption of laws on citizenship and repatriation. For the 1990s the powers of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic and of the Adygeya Republic recognized the fact of genocide the Circassian people. As the starting point for intensification of activities of Adyg public organizations in this direction was the widely cited Appeal of the President of the RF B.Yeltsin to peoples of the Caucasus in connection with the 130 years date of termination of the Caucasian war (1994), which contains the moral appraisal of the results of the CW and admits its tragic consequences. Further there were sent many appeals to the central and local authorities, to European organizations with proposals to make their appraisals of the
consequences of the CW and to recognize genocide. At the same time, the open discussion of the theme in the spirit of democratic principles supported by B. Yeltsin was reduced for the period of escalation of the Chechen conflict.
The West also paid its interest to "the Circassian question". The General Secretary of the ICA took the floor at the 53 session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. In 1998 T. Kazanoko, the representative of the ICA raised the question on genocide of Circassians and the problem of repatriation of the Circassian Diaspora at the IV session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
In 1997 the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) adopted special resolution on situation of the Circassian people, which recognized the fact genocide of the Circassian people, asked Russia to make its acknowledgement and to satisfy the demands of the Adygs. The date of 6 October 2010 was declared by UN as "the national Circassian day". The declaration of the Secretary General on this matter contained the assertion on allegedly existed in the XIX century of the all-Circassian statehood and on the justified present demands of the Circassians to rebirth it. For the period of 2007-2008, three conferences and some seminars took place in the USA devoted to the theme of "Circassian genocide". The parliamentarians of Georgia recognized the genocide of the Adyg people after the conference on this matter. As a result of these discussions in some cases there were pronounced declarations about justified pretensions of Adyg public organizations and either direct or indirect incrimination of Russia of neglecting justified demands of minorities, Adygs in particular.
In this "war of conferences" started by the West to some extent Russia lets its opponents have advantage. On 24 March 2011 the conference took place in MGIMO "The Circassian question: historic memory, historiographic discourse, political strategies"; the conference
discussed the historic components of the "Cirkassian question" and contemporary realities. In June 2011 the discussion was arranged by the Public Chamber of the RF on the theme "Separated Peoples: Legal Statusand Trans-border Cooperation". In this case the concrete measures of assistance to the Circassian people were discussed. The dialog was not quite constructive, but some hope exists that the proposals of representatives of the Adyg public associations will be analyzed by the corresponding structures. In October 2011 the round table was held in the Southern Federal University; it discussed the theme "Urgent measures for arrangement of counteractions against use of the so-called "Circassian question" to escalate tension in the South of Russia on the eve of the Olympic Games in Sochy in 2014". Thus, the federal power by means of various structures demonstrates its interest in solving the Circassian problem.
The specter of key points of "the Circassian question" and consequently of different variants of de-politicization may be classified minimum by for positions. The radical-nationalist wing of the Adyg public organizations, for instance, "Cherkessian Congresses" of Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachai-Circassia and Adygeya, "Molodezhny Adyge Khase" of Karachai-Circassia put uncompromised demands of recognition of genocide, full freedom of sel-identification, free repatriation, restoration of the ethnic Circassian statehood, refusal from holding the Winter Olympic Games in Sochy in 2014 etc. This uncompromised program of preservation of Adyg identification and unity foresees, with its admittance by the Russian party, the complete de-politicization of "the Circassian question" for the RF, since it will be realized on the way of separatism and, consequently, outside political, social, economic and cultural sphere of Russia.
There exists the opposing position, which refutes the truth of demands raised by the Adyg public organizations based on the far-
fetched problems. Within the framework of this approach all opposing views are misapprehended painfully, and the people with different opinion are easily considered as dissidents, marginal persons and separatists.
The less radical variants of the developing situation are placed between the two above mentioned extreme points of view. The question is the Circassian moderate-national and official positions. There are different styles of raising political problems. If the political problems are considered as the issues of life or death and are evaluated at the unattainable moral height, they become the issues of little use.
At the same time, the productive response to the challenge posed by "the Circassian question" is impossible without a compromise. The dialogue is possible only between moderate parties ready to make concessions. For instance, the CIA and the World Adyg Brotherhood may be considered as the moderate wing of the Adyg public organizations. Some political analysts and experts consider the CIA as a semi-governmental organization financed by the authorities. Actually, the question on financial assistance rendered to any Adyg public organization may cause negative remarks on the part of opponents. But the appraisal of the activities of the Association and the Brotherhood from the pint of view of the program directions, the ability for dialogue and demonstrated pliancy shows that these two organizations are quite comparable. These organizations are being guided by quite pragmatic considerations in fulfillment of their tasks. They do not fix unrealizable aims determining achievement of the claimed result even at the expense of destabilization of the public-political situation.
Under the existing situation of elaboration of strategic directions in de-politicization of "the Circassian question" on the basis of an efficient public response to the Adyg challenge the federal authorities may take the following steps described further.
The tragic consequences of the Caucasian war for Adugs should be recognized and not hushed up without polemics with the radicalized part of the Circassian movement on the issue of applicability of definition "genocide" to the outcome of the war. The views expressed by some leaders of "the Circassian Congress" that the RF is the successor of the Russian Empire and, consequently, should be responsible for its "crimes" do not stand up to criticism.
It is necessary to bring to public consciousness the truth that contemporary Russia was built by efforts, hard time and victories of all nationalities living in it. It is extremely important to educate the young generation of all regions of the country in respectful attitude to another (not alien) culture on the basis of teaching the corresponding subjects, to arrange a public dialogue with moderate Adyg organizations drawing them in public processes of the state scale. In the RF the concern for public welfare and observance of the citizens' rights includes the observance of interests related to preservation of national originality and culture. Therefore the dialogue is possible and preferable in the sphere of protection of civil rights of Adygs but not in providing preferences for someone by the state, which torments itself over the complex of guilt. Opposing the artificially created and acute aspects of "the Circassian question", it is significant to remember that the Circassians have the right to keep their cultural identity and to participate in taking administrative decisions concerning territorial changes of Adygs settlement.
The proposals of the Adyg public organizations on the alleviated repatriation of Adygs to their Motherland should be considered. The objective review of historic events and the wish to help people are quite sufficient to realize the resettlement of any number of Circassians to their historic country of origin. (However, there are not so many Circassians, who wish to come to Russia, as it is often said).
Russia should come forward as a "peacemaker", impartial arbiter in regulation of disputes and differences between Kabardins and Balkars, between Circassians and Karachais with comprehension that the majority of the Adyg population lack perception either of "the Circassian question", or of "the Grat Circassia".
The artificially constructed problems incorporated in the space of Internet are widely discussed in the West as the urgent problems of every member of the Circassian ethnic community. In this respect, the West tries to occupy the place of the leader in the sphere of "protection of human rights and interests" of Circassians-citizens of Russia and Circasians - not citizens of Russia, who have the common Motherland I Russia. This situation with not single meaning excludes a chance for ignoring the Circassian question: "rehabilitation" in the eyes of the Adygs for the inattention (deliberate or accidental) revealed in the course of presentation of history of Sochy to the IOC. The presentation lacked any mention on the Circassians, who lived before the CW on the shore of the Black Sea. This event turned out to create despondency in the minds of thinking Adyg public circles. The Adygs, like all Russians, who are interested in history and sport, will be thankful for the respected attitude to their history and deserving attention to their history and worthy presentation of the Circassian cultural heritage at the Olympic Games in 2014.
In conclusion, it should be said that the genuine de-politicization of such question may realized by means of democratic de-politicization, if all points of "the Circassian question" will be pronounced as a point of view, which is subject to a free discussion. Only the genuine democratization will let de-politicize this great multitude of identities on the territory of Russia.
"Nauchnaya myslKavkaza", Rostov-na-Donu, 2012, N 2, ,pp. 109-113.
