From the Heroism of Sardarabad to the Surrender of Kars , From the Liberation of Artsakh to …

By Harut Der-Tavitian

-July/August 2010: Non-combat shootings in the Armenian Army claim the lives of 9 soldiers, highlighting chronic abuse and corruption within the army.
-September 11, 2010: The surfacing of aYouTube video portraying the hazing of two conscripts by an officer of the Armenian Army.
-September 21, 2010: Armenia celebrates its 19th Anniversary of Independence.
The above mentioned prompted us to dwell on our path as a nation.
When a tiny nation like Armenia endures for thousands of years despite all the calamities it faces, while much powerful ones disappear from the face of this world, it shows that it possesses strong characteristics. But what is it that keeps it from growing and becoming a strong and powerful nation itself, when much younger nations have managed to grow in number and power?
We remain to wonder as to what those attributes are that make us endure, yet they don’t lead us to quantitative and qualitative achievements? Why were we able, when in feeble and desperate conditions, of accomplishing the heroic battle of Sardarabad, but two years later, when we were in a much better condition, we abandoned the strategic fortress of Kars to the enemy without a fight? Why were we able, with small volunteer units and armed with hunting rifles, of liberating Artsakh, but instead of building on that success, we seek to emigrate from those lands?
Is it true that the achievements gained through the sacrifice of the idealists are plundered by opportunists devoid of any nationalistic ideals, and by usurpers who treat the country as their personal fiefdom, thus enriching themselves but spreading disillusion among the general population? Otherwise how can one explain the downfall from the apex of Sardarabad to the abyss of the surrender of Kars, or from the heroic liberation of Shushi to the inglorious state of today? “Yerp chi mnoum yelk ou jar, khentern yen kdnoum hnar” (when there remains no egress and remedy, the foolhardy find means). But the opportunists and usurpers squander those means, preventing the development and the growth of our country. Thus we drag an existence until the next cycle.
Probably this explains the attraction of Lord Byron to Armenians, his brief sojourn with us, his learning of the Armenian language and his disillusioned departure after concluding that the Armenians of his time were unworthy of their ancestors. Could it be that one of the main reasons of our current unenviable state is the departure of disillusioned Armenians and their assimilation into other nations?
Do we realize that at this pace the liberation of Artsakh is heading the way for another Kars fiasco? Let’s dwell on these questions and find the means of change.