CC BY
16
Rakhmon Ulmasov,
Political analyst
TAJIK MIGRATION: HISTORY, CONSEQUENCES AND LESSONS
In time of the Soviet Union the following meaning was spread: Tajiks are slow to start and do not leave their place of origin, the youth leans to parents, while parents stick to traditions of the generations. For the 1970s-1980s it was a very hard work to send the youth to all-Union shock Komsomol construction sites. The title nation with rare exception left the republic for work, leaving aside women altogether. The real historic cause of this situation did exist.
For the XX century the Tajik people endured three stages of migration, emigration and re-emigration. Given the number of refugees, labor migrants, political migrants, forced migrants, victims caused by repressions and the people killed, wounded and mutilated in time of the Great Patriotic War, a great number of victims in the years of the senseless civil war, - it should be said that in these circumstances not each state could survive and not all people could exist as a nation. For the last century, the Tajik people every period of 5-10 years tempted its fate. At present, Tajiks live in various parts of the globe: in Asia, Africa, Europe and America. The number of Tajiks living in other states surpasses by seven times the number of Tajiks in the Republic of Tajikistan, in view of the professor Mansur Babakhanov. It is possible to say that the XX century will be marked as a century of forced migration in history of the Tajiks people. This is the question of a special study. It was very difficult for the small nation to survive, and not every people could be able with dignity to find the way forward from this complicated situation. Each of these stages left its mark in life of every Tajik family.
The first stage of migration started in the period of history after the October revolution in 1917, for the years of struggle against basmatchs, which was marked by gross violations and which caused mass emigration of the population from the republic. Due to unjustified persecution poor peasants jointly with rich peasants left abroad creating difficult situation in the republic, leaving only 5% of the population in many border villages. At the same time, basmatchs plundered the country and only for the period of 1924-1925 forced the people to collect 3 million gold coins for the family of Amir living in Afghanistan. Several hundred thousand people died in the course of the civil war after the October revolution. Only in East Bukhara as a result of military actions 4418 persons were killed, 3835 people were wounded and 2409 houses were demolished and burnt. Only 5 kishlaks and only 450 (13%) out of 3500 households were left. For this period the emigration of Tajiks was directly caused by the activities of the Soviet state. The number of forced migrants exceeded by several times the official data, according to professor Mansur Babakhanov. In 1936 the number of refugees left for Afghanistan attained 120 thousand families and 600 thousand people. Most probably, these numbers were approximate. For that period the statistical data could not be considered quite correct. Regretfully, mainly historic materials relating to Afghanistan were studied by historians. Up to the present time, historians lack the full information on the forced migration of Tajiks to Pakistan, China, India, Turkey, Iran and countries of Europe.
For the short historic period, particularly before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (1941) the Tajik people endured the most complicated stage of forced migration. The fear of "read Bolshevism" forced Tajiks to leave the Motherland, and for the 1930s the repressions resulted in liquidation of the pick of the nation. Many people left the country, while a large part of the population was deported to Siberia.
Thus, the conclusions cited below may be made. The population of the Tajik ASSR accounted for 747 222 people. Approximately every third resident had to emigrate. Before the Great Patriotic War, for a short historic period, the situation was stabilized. A great number of refugees returned home from Afghanistan and started their new life. Like all peoples of the Soviet Union, the Tajiks made their contribution to the defeat of fascism, and 260 thousand people were mobilized and went to the front, hundred thousand people worked at industrial enterprises of Ural. More than 70 thousand people, who went to the front from Tajikistan, fell on the field of battle for the happy life. The Great Patriotic War actually caused the hardest distress for residents of Tajikistan in its history. The victims, the economic losses, the new orientation of industries, demolitions and chaos, migration processes and other negative consequences may be cited for a long time. A lot of different and contradictory information on this terrible time becomes evident also at present.
The second stage of migration for the XX century was called by historians inter alia as "the century of refuges". After establishment of sovereign states in the XIX century the notions separation and hatred acquired a new quality: "erroneous faith", "incorrect" ideology, "wrong" nationality - those, who are "not ours", should take to flight following their noses, if they succeed. The century of ethnic purges started.
The civil war in Tajikistan started just because of daily issues and grew into the civil war. After disintegration of the Soviet Union the only republic, marked by the start of the civil war, was Tajikistan; the civil war lasted for five years and left the worst traces of hardship in history of the Tajik people. For the years of the civil war over 100 hundred thousand people were killed, 600 thousand refugees left the country, over one million forced migrants appeared in the country, the
whole damage surpassed $ 7 billion, and over 300 thousand Russian speaking citizens, including scientists, qualifies workers, professors, teachers, doctors left the republic. Hundreds of women remained without husbands and homes. The war not only resulted in the misfortune and suffering of residents of the country, but it also caused a vast loss in economy of Tajikistan. The government of Tajikistan and international organizations took all needed actions to bring refugees back to the Motherland. Every fourth resident of the republic became a forced migrant or a labor migrant.
The third stage of migration of the population of Tajikistan started after the civil war. The number of labor migrants from Tajikistan is estimated by the figure from 750 thousand people to 1.5 million people, according to the preliminary data. The total number of Tajik labor migrants living abroad is unknown. For evident reasons, illegal labor migrants are not registered by the official statistics, and therefore the experts have to make some approximate evaluation of the situation. The state structures and the international organizations present different estimations of the number of labor migrants.
Actually, one member of every Tajik family is the labor migrant. For the last 15-20 years Tajikistan has become the country, which depends of the foreign money remittances, which resemble narcotics. The experts should study the perspectives of development of migration situation and the future of Tajik migrants both in Russia and in other countries. The Tajik authorities should make conclusions and work out the strategy for the next decades in connection with the changes of migration policy carried out by the European countries.
Thus, what conclusions may be made on the basis of the tragic forced migration in history of the Tajik people? In terms of cruelty, human and material losses the XX century has no equal period in many-century history of the Tajik people. Probably, it is determined by
a number of the mutually connected factors. These factors differ in character and meaning. Therefore the overestimation of some of them and underestimation of other factors is not admissible.
The Seven Lessons of the Tajik Migration are as Follows
1. The most significant lesson consists in the conclusion that the policy in pure form does not exist. It is viable only, if in organic unity it takes into account the whole complex of factors ensuring security of the country and of the nation: political-diplomatic, economic, ideological, informational and last but not the least defense factors. The state officials, irrespective of their functions should use the mechanism of reverse connections with labor migrants by means of Internet and social networks for the study of migration situation both in the country and outside its borders. Those, who themselves endured migration and came back, should be occupied with problems of migrants. In the nearest future, Internet and social networks will transform into a real force, which is exactly the reverse channel of communication and which should be used.
2. The second lesson, first of all, concerns the activities of strategic ministries and offices, meanings of experts, conclusions of scientists, more precisely, their ability to foresee the coming changes of the political and economic situation in the country and abroad. Both in the past and at present, the might of the state was not utilized in full measure. The lessons should be taken for the present time. Hence, the important conclusion for the present time is as follows: by attainment of the character of the situation it is impossible to proceed from "modern" ideological directives, old stereotypes and abstract principles, and it is significant to comprehend the essence of the going on processes. On should draw attention of the compatriots in order to ensure the
situation, when they observe and do not violate laws of the host country and understand that observance of law is advantageous, interesting and displays the level of culture. The common task is to educate respect to observance of Russian laws.
3. The third lesson consists in organization of strategic governance of migration processes. It should be based on the knowledge of the going on events. However, glancing back to the past, one has to be surprised that for all these years not a single textbook on the migration issues has been published, that no large scale sociological studies have been made (the research arranged with the support of international organizations does not tell on the actual situation). As a result, the migration processes represent a spontaneous movement governed by nobody.
4. The fourth lesson concerns the need of the study of the labor market in Tajikistan and abroad. It gives the answer to the question about the need in qualified cadres and on the way of training them. On the basis of the responded information the following decisions should be taken: creation of the infrastructure of the state regulation of labor market, including the complex of organizations and offices; working out proposals for raising mobility of labor resources; determination of directions for territorial movement of labor resources; creation of the Russian labor exchange in Dushanbe and regional centers of Tajikistan; rendering assistance to Tajik citizens in getting employment connected with their departure to another country by invitation of Russian and other foreign companies.
5. The fifth lesson relates to formation of the system of vocational training of the youth, which is a significant stabilizing factor in the social sphere. It is needed to restore the professional-technical schools, and for this sake the expedient action should be taken to adopt the state program of support given to vocational training schools (VTS).
It will be necessary to create joint VTS with participation of Russian employers and simultaneously arrange the practice of sending for training and doing practical work at the enterprises in Russia. The main aim of the vocational training system is raising the level of competitiveness and professional mobility of citizens in labor market and in the market of professional services ensuring guaranteed employment. The employment services for arrangement of vocational training should be guided by the needs of both the unemployed people and of foreign employers.
6. The sixth lesson relates to the application of scientific approach to the study of migration processes. The scientific governance of migration is of great significance. The collected data, irrespective of their negative substance, should be objectively analyzed, summed up and worked out, separating actual data from fictitious information, and this data should be given to the leadership taking decisions in the migration sphere. The thorough analysis of the situation and skillful application of the conclusions based on this analysis are the must for ensuring efficiency of the taken decisions and actions.
7. The human losses of Tajikistan for the mentioned years force to think that the actions and the policy based on the ideological slogans actually turn out to result in big number of victims. The contemporary appeals contain more hidden elements of demagogy and speculation than genuine care for people.
First, the Tajik should themselves critically evaluate their own past experience. In this respect, it is necessary to cultivate and to educate exactingness to the utmost.
Second, it is necessary to size up that the preservation of people shall be achieved not by abstract wishes and appeals.
The new generation of leaders should critically give a meaning to the past experience and utilize it with creativeness. At least, the present
leaders should with equal success achieve the tasks of the country as the older generation succeeded to do it. Any public and political figure is obliged to take into account the existing meanings.
The migration services as well as the Tajik Diaspora abroad, primarily in Russia, should keep in the focus of their attention the problem of migrants' security as well as the problem of preventive measures against criminality and unlawful actions of migrants. Every migrant should know his rights and liabilities. The main question is not the laws but the observance and application of these laws both by the officials, who are charged with application of the laws, and by Tajik citizens.
"Mezhdunarodnaya migratsiya naseleniya na post-Sovetskom prostranstve: Dvadtsat let udach, oshibok, nadezhd", M., 2011, pp. 161-169.
A. Chuliyeva, Political analyst (RUDN) THE ACTIVITIES OF WESTERN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA
At the present stage the international relations are subject to dramatic changes marked by decrease of the state power's role, while the impact of international norms and institutions rises. As a result, as a decisive factor becomes subjection to international decisions and ensuring of their implementation. They become the building materials in the system of global governance, and therefore the list of spheres of activities in need of cooperation with non-governmental organizations and civil society has greatly enlarged. The need of efficient management is growing. But the West as a whole in the field of
