Welcome, Navruz! The Ocassion of the People of the Happiest Country in the World!!!
Preparations for Navruz, one of the most popular holidays in Uzbekistan, took a lot of time, nerves and people’s manual power. However, it’s not a disturbing fact for high ranking people - Islam Karimov and his apparatus, diplomats and honored guests - who had an honor to celebrate Navruz at the Alisher Navoi square on March 21.
Navruz, just like other popular holidays in Uzbekistan, Navruz requires lots of “sacrifices”. Every year, thousands of students are forced to clean the streets and moldy territories during Navruz eve, to wave colored flags during concert, participate in theatrical shows. It takes them so much time that they have to skip their classes at their colleges and universities. This fact also doesn’t bothers political elite.
Back to the colorful event – the concert, the whole action repeats every year: boring national dances, songs of praise to the President, panegyric from the President to the nation and “all those who makes our life beautiful”. Impressive statistics, happy faces of the youth, rejoicing expectancies would make all of us be the happiest and not to take no account of time and enjoy our life in Uzbekistan under the rule of the wisest President.
All this stuff repeats every year, but one point is especially emphasized - the quality of living standards in Uzbekistan is increasing. Does Islam Karimov believe in his own words himself?
The main mouthpiece of Presidential propaganda, UzA agency, says that
“Navruz was revitalized by the head of state, President Islam Karimov, before Uzbekistan gained the independence. During the years of independence the contents of Navruz was enriched, new sides became apparent: humanism and charity feelings became stronger.”
Honestly, I didn’t know that people of my country were less humane, less charitable, and I had no clear idea of my President’s activities while being Moscow’s communist governor-general and his underground activities on the way to the independence. Something really new for me and should be written down by annalists and propose another toast for Islam Karimov.
President, in his speech, said:
“During Navruz our ancestors rushed to help orphans, lone elderly people, provide aid and charity to them. Nowadays, their descendants demonstrate standards of good and generosity.
During the years of independence these beautiful qualities came out of and are spread among our people… One of the principles of “Uzbek model” [of market economy], recognized all over the world, is providing strong social policy. In 2007 53,8 % of the sate budget was aimed at social sphere, in 2008 this indicator will achieve 54,6 %. Such figures are rare for other countries.”
My indignation and misunderstanding is raising! Does Mr.President compares these statistics to the African states or other Third World countries? Or I don’t know something that others are able to see and feel?!
I don’t want to continue rubbing salt into your wound and become another mouthpiece of Presidential propaganda. That’s why I call you to analyze and to demonstrate skepticism when listening and reading President’s speeches. Maybe after that our people will take off rose-colored spectacles and think more realistic and will be taught to be the change they want to see Uzbekistan…
on March 22nd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
BTW, Nawruz mobarak to you and all of good faith.
It’s only a pity that a meaningful Central Asian celebration has been recuperated and turned into a hollow carnival by the Kafirov regime.
“Does Islam Karimov believe his own words himself?”
I wonder sometimes about this too. Ceaucesu, Romania’s equivalnet of Karimov and Turkmenbashi at the time, was totally disconnected and isolated from reality by his wife and ad and entourage of apparachiks who did not wanted or dared to tell him the truth.
But Karimov, like Milosevic and Saddam, is not stupid to that extent. He (and his daughter) are evil. Probably they are convinced that their subjects and the ‘international community’ are so stupid to buy into the rethoric and that they can take them for a ride as they wish. To a certain extent, they (esp. foreign diplomats, IFI reps, etc… ) do.
on March 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 am
First it was picking cotton in the heat and now it is scrubbing the streets?!? What the hell, Karimov? These are a schoolchildren. Instead of making them do your dirty work (literally), let them go to class and learn, so they can be productive members of society.
“During Navruz our ancestors rushed to help orphans, lone elderly people, provide aid and charity to them.” I think Karimov and his cronies should follow this themselves….
on March 23rd, 2008 at 10:51 am
Karimov’s habit to follow his own stupid ideas became smth like sweet illusion he believes himself and doesn’t want to realize, that everything he had done for “his country” is nothing but stealing people’s property in the way of forced obligation
i don’t trust him anymore
on March 23rd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
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Navruz, just like other popular holidays in Uzbekistan, Navruz requires lots of “sacrifices”. Every year, thousands of students are forced to clean the streets and moldy territories during Navruz eve, to wave colored flags during concert, participate in theatrical shows.
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Come on guys, don’t lose your sanity, there is nothing wrong with cleaning up the streets!!! The US embassy is organizing an event to clean up a park in Tashkent!
Students do all kinds of activities in all countries throughout the world! Students used to do this during the Soviet times too. Students in Uzbekistan miss more classes to play a computer cames than cleaning up the streets.
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Back to the colorful event – the concert, the whole action repeats every year: boring national dances
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Did you expect some Russian pop stars to perform for you in our national holiday? For Gods sake, if you don’t like our national songs, national holidays that involves cleaning the streets, just ignore it live your own life. You don’t have to whine about it.
Instead of just outpouring your emotions give some arguments about why do you disagree with, for example students should not clean streets, or the stats you quoted from the presidents speech is wrong. Why did you quote his speech if you can’t give one reasonable argument?
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n 2007 53,8 % of the sate budget was aimed at social sphere, in 2008 this indicator will achieve 54,6 %. Such figures are rare for other countries.”
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If I were you, I would have written:
What constitutes the ’state budget for social sphere’ in Uzbekistan? The huge chunk of it goes to pensions, student stipends, and maintanance of various cultural ministries and agencies. It also includes education and health care and therefore it makes such bulk of total budget. The other states do not have so big percentages because:
1. Most of services are provided by private companies or maintained privately or classify them under different budget lines.
2. The actual per capita share of their expenses on ’social expences’ by far exceeds the Uzbek per capita share even though the Uzbek total budget share is 50% and theirs might be no more than 20%, because the Uzbek budget is tiny. That would make an argument….not just whining like a….
on March 26th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Uzbek From the Valley, i do appreciate your intertest and criticism, but its how we understand the event. we’d be hapy to have your own opinion and more analytical approach.
on June 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
was babur the invader of India a Uzbek? or turkish-mongol? How do you remember babur? In a good or bad way?
I se epictures of uzbeks and they look like mongols/chinese? Is this how most uzbeks look like? Why do you celebrate persian festival of nauroz? what is the standard foods you eat? any recipes?