Recollida de signatures per la oficialitat de la llengua tàtar a Rússia
Diversos grups juvenils reclamen un major reconeixement del poble tàtar, la 'minoria' més nombrosa del país · A part de les reivindicacions lingüístiques, demanen que Moscou respecti la sobirania de la República del Tatarstan, amb més d'un 50% de població tàtar.
Diverses organitzacions tàtars, la comunitat més nombrosa a Rússia després de la majoria russa, han començat una campanya per demanar a Moscou un major reconeixement de la seva llengua i el respecte a la sobirania de la República federada del Tatarstan. Segons informa RFE/RL, l'organització Uzebez (Nosaltres mateixos) i el Fòrum Tàtar Juvenil han llançat una iniciativa de recollida de signatures per aconseguir que la Duma, el Parlament federal rus, debati la possibilitat que el tàtar esdevingui la segona llengua oficial a la Federació. Aquestes associacions argumenten que la seva és la segona llengua més parlada, i posen l'exemple del reconeixement de la llengua sueca per part del Govern finès.L'expert en minories ètniques i religions a Europa i Àsia Paul Globe, en un apunt al seu bloc, veu en aquesta campanya un intent de la comunitat tàtar perquè no només l'Estat reconegui la seva llengua com a idioma estatal, sinó per “revertir retallades recents pel que fa al tàtar fora del Tatarstan” -la república on la llengua sí que està reconeguda. Globe diu que la recollida de signatures servirà tant per sensibilitzar tots els tàtars del país com per posar pressió sobre les polítiques de Moscou en matèria d'educació.
D'altra banda, el mateix article de RFE/RL informa d'una declaració publicada per una altra organització, la Unió Juvenil Tàtar Azatliq (Llibertat), que critica la “pressió” de Moscou sobre el Govern de la República del Tatarstan, l'únic territori de la Federació on la comunitat tàtar és majoritària. El grup assegura que aquesta pressió està posant dificultats a la sobirania de la República.
Els tàtars, un poble d'origen túrquic repartit principalment entre Rússia, Kasakhstan i la península de Crimea a Ucraïna, a més d'altres estats caucàsics i asiàtics, són més de cinc milions i mig només a Rússia. Allà representen la principal minoria ètnica i lingüista i, com diu Paul Globe, juguen també el paper de pont amb la resta de pobles túrquics asiàtics. Avui dia només la llengua russa té l'estatus d'oficial a la Federació.
Via Nationalia
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Um importante passo para o reconhecimento deste povo que já foi o mais poderoso da região, rivalizando com os Russos e tornando a conquista da região bastante difícil no passado para os Eslavos.
Em 1990, o presidente da Rep. Autônoma do Tatarstão, Mintimer Shaymyiev (que continua no poder até hoje) anunciou a soberania da região que foi confirmada em 1992 através de um referendo regional com a aprovação de uma nova constituição, aprovada por 62% da população que reconhecia o Tatarstão como um Estado Soberano, sujeito da lei internacional, associada com a Federação Russa por base de um tratado de delegação mútua de poderes.
Copio a declaração original.
Declaration on the State Sovereignty of the Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic
The Supreme Soviet of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Social Republic,
-realising the historical responsibility for the fortunes of multinational peoples;
-expressing respect to sovereign rights of all the peoples, inhabiting the Russian Federation and USSR;
-realising the incapability of the status of the Autonomous Republic, and the interests of the future political, economic, social and spiritual development of the multinational peoples;
-ensuring the inherent rights of Tatars, of the whole population of the Republic to self-determination;
-aiming at the creation of legal democratic state,
1.Proclaims Tatar state sovereignty and reforms the Autonomous Republic into the Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic - The Republic of Tatarstan.
2.The land, its natural resources and other resources on the territory of the Tatar SSR are the exclusive property of Tatar people.
3.Irrespective of nationality, social origin, belief, political convictions and other differences, Tatar SSR guarantees all the citizens of the Republic equal rights and freedoms. Russian and Tatar are the state languages and are equal in the Tatar SSR, the maintenance and development of the languages of other nationalities are ensured.
4.In the future the official state name in the Constitution and in other legal acts and in state activity is "Tatar Soviet Social Republic" ("Tatar SSR" or "The Republic of Tatarstan").
The Republic's Supreme body of power shall be named "The Supreme Soviet of the Tatar SSR" and its enacting acts shall be named the acts of the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar SSR.
5.The present declaration is the basis for the creation of the Tatar SSR Constitution, for the development of the Tatar legislation, for the collaboration of the Tatar SSR in the creation and signing the Union Treaty, for agreements with the Russian Federation and other republics, for the presentation of the most important questions of the formation of the Tatar SSR and its relations with USSR, the Russian Federation and other republics for the consideration of its people.
The Constitution and the acts of the Tatar SSR shall be supreme on the territory of the Tatar SSR.
6.Before the adoption of the new Constitution of the Tatar SSR, other acts and normative documents of the Tatar SSR on the territory of the Tatar SSR, the acts of the Tatar SSR, the Russian Federation and the USSR, unless they contradict the Declaration on the state sovereignty of the Tatar SSR, remain valid.
The present Declaration is valid since the date of its adoption.Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar Soviet Social Republic
M.SHAIMIYEVKazan, August 30,1990
Circula pela internet uma declaração de independência do Tatarstão, datada de 20 de dezembro de 2008, e que remete à declaração original de 1990. Copio abaixo:
Por fim, uma análise sobre a região, um pouco antiga mas ainda válida.THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF TATARSTANThe Tatar people have already spent 456 years in slavery to Russian colonialism, which was as brutal as ever was known in the history of humankind. During this time many rulers of Russia came to power, as czars, emperors, first secretaries and presidents. Also, the social structure of this country changed: feudalism, capitalism, socialism, etc. Only one thing remained unchanged during all this time: a policy of forced conversion to Christianity, Russification, inhuman exploitation and physical elimination of the Tatar through permanent and goal-oriented genocide. At the beginning of the 18th century, according to a Census taken by Peter the Great, there were 5.5 million Russians and 5.5 million Tatars, and yet by the end of the 20th century there are 120 million Russians and the same 5.5 million Tatars.
At the end of the 1990s, Tatars in their final despair rose up to struggle with Russian colonialism and adopted a Declaration of Tatar State Sovereignty. They organized a referendum with supervision of foreign observers, including some form the USA, during which 61.4% of Tatarstan\’s population approved a claim for independence from Russia. Moreover, Tatarstan refused to participate in the referendum on the modern Constitution of Russia and to sign the Federative Agreement on the creation of the Russian Federation, confirming by this its illegitimacy. There are not any legal treaties whatsoever on the joining of the later to the Russian Federation.
The first president of Russia B. Yeltsin agreed to give to the Tatars as much liberty as they could handle. Unfortunately, this was the same kind of deceit as before, aimed only at pacifying Tatars and buying time. Whereas Russia was forced to agree to the escape of 14 colonies from their domination, it categorically refused to recognize the independence of Tatarstan, and it made its rule over this colony more severe, by the destruction of elementary rights of its people, including the right to have local legislative bodies and to select the president of Tatarstan. Right now, the Kremlin is appointing its Vice Roy from Moscow. Moreover, the Kremlin has deprived Tatars of the right to use the Latin alphabet as their own and has forced them to use the Cyrillic alphabet which is entirely unsuitable for the Tatar language. Recently it has deprived the Tatars of the opportunity to teach their children in Tatar.
Muslim Tatars are subject to severe prosecution, torture and many years of prison for refusal to worship in the mosques that are under the supervision of mullahs appointed by the Vice Roy administration, and for having Muslim books written in Arabic in their homes. At the same time the merciless robbery of the national resources of Tatarstan is continuing. The Kremlin is taking 85% of all the revenues from the sale of Tatarstan\’s oil for itself, and by this way depriving Tatarstan of their vital means for survival.
All of this is happening at the same time that the Russian Federation cynically and hypocritically recognized the independence of the Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. One can only ask what is the difference between the rights of the aforementioned republics and Tatarstan - a Russian colony? It is absolutely clear - there is no difference. The truth is that Russia practically enslaved the people of these republics by converting them into their citizens. Consequently, for Tatars there is no hope any more for the good will of the Russian colonizers to accomplish any kind of decolonization whatsoever.
Expressing the will of the Tatar People and in order to save them from entire elimination the Milli Mejlis (Parliament) of the Tatar People is:
1. Declaring support for the Declaration of State Sovereignty of August 30, 1990 and confirming the illegitimacy of including the Republic of Tatarstan into the Russian Federation without its consent.
2. Asking all governments and the United Nations to recognize the Independence of Tatarstan.
3. Creating the Government of Tatarstan in Exile for the protection of the interests of the Tatar People.
4. Calling all Tatars around the world to organize a permanent mass campaign in support of the Independence of Tatarstan before their governments and societies.Adopted at a Special Meeting of the Milli Mejlis of the Tatar People on December 20, 2008.
Inside Putin's Russia: State within a state
BBC diplomatic correspondent
Inside Putin's Russia is a series looking at life outside Moscow. In the fourth part of the series, Bridget Kendall travels to Tatarstan - a republic inside the Russian Federation whose distance from Moscow means it is the local leaders who hold the most sway.
It was our first day in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. And we had come, of all places, to an Acqua Park, an indoor water amusement centre.
In front of us delirious children shrieked and splashed as they feverishly tumbled down the water slides, dodging the heaving artificial waves in the biggest pool, ducking to swim through tunnels into smaller grottos.
A slightly distorted loudspeaker voice informed us this was the biggest amusement park of its type in Russia.
"The Pearl of Tatarstan," declared the voice before being drowned out, rather incongruously, by a shaky recording of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake music.
Suddenly, round the corner, we sensed the approach of the Tatar leader, President Mintimer Shaimiev. He moved forward with the quiet, regal manner of a leader who has no need to raise his voice to command attention.
And behind him came the inevitable retinue of grey-suited official courtiers. We were told the entire presidential apparatus and most important ministers of his government were here for this grand opening.
All looked slightly uncomfortable in the clammy swimming pool heat, and all were dutifully shod, as required by hygiene rules, in bright blue plastic shoe covers.
Perennial paradoxes
Tatarstan is a state within a state, a republic inside the Russian Federation. But it is also a signatory to a unique treaty which in 1994 gave the Tatars equal sovereignty alongside Russia and considerable control over their own laws and - crucially - tax income from their oil fields.
President Shaimiev knows the wisdom of keeping the broad mass of the population happy
Bridget KendallBut then President Putin took office and changed the rules, once again putting Tatarstan's status under the spotlight.
So is Tatarstan an integral part of Russia or not? It is a key question in the sometimes tense negotiations going on at the moment between Moscow and Kazan as they endeavour to clarify what Russia's federal system should mean in practice.
This, after all, is one of the perennial paradoxes about Russia. It is true that everything ultimately depends on the federal authorities in Moscow. But on the ground, it often seems that it is the local mayor or governor - or in Tatarstan's case, president - who is the feudal overlord, holding court and dispensing favours, too far away ever to be really under Moscow's thumb, however tightly the Kremlin tries to keep a grip on what is happening.
According to President Shaimiev's political adviser, Dr Rafael Khakimov, Tatarstan's independence has already been curtailed.
"Take the police," he said. "These days they take their orders from Moscow, so do all the security services. There used to be parallel ministries, so we could also have a say. Now they want to run everything from the centre."
'We live in paradise'
But ask the women who invited us to break the Muslim fast of Ramadan with them in a Tatar village and they will say it is President Shaimiev who rules them.
As the former local Communist party chief and an experienced political survivor, he knows the wisdom of keeping the broad mass of the population happy.
Women break the fast of RamadanHence the Acqua parks, and the newly asphalted roads and the gas pipes being run out to villages to give them instant hot water. Not a bad perk for Tatarstan's citizens. In many other parts of Russia, villagers still traipse through the snow to the well to get water.
"We remember times just after the war when we were eating nettles and green potatoes," said our hostess, as she finished prayers and invited us to a table laden with steaming bowls of soup, newly baked pies and piles of fruit. "Now we live in paradise."
But the economic relationship with Moscow is only one part of Tatarstan's story. The other is the revival of a language and culture which 15 years ago Tatar intellectuals were afraid was in danger of extinction.
Language laws
Across Russia as a whole, the Muslim Tatars are the largest ethnic minority - at least five million strong. But in Tatarstan, they account for just 50% of the population and mixed marriages are frequent.
I well remember visiting Kazan in early 1991 and being impressed by the sense of urgency among Tatar writers who were driving the nationalist movement. In those days their immediate goal was to harness the new power of computers to their cause and launch a concerted programme of Tatar desktop publishing.
"If we don't do something soon to save the language and literature, it will be gone. Everyone will speak Russian," they told me.
Muslim Tatars account for just 50% of the population in TatarstanA decade later, new Tatar grammar schools have been opened in Kazan, Tatar language has an equal status with Russian in the republic, and Muslim Tatar women have sued and won a court battle with Moscow to be allowed to wear headscarves on their passport photos.
At the parliament in Kazan, we were told of plans for a new law to require local businesses to pay 15% bonuses to workers who could speak both languages; or, in other words, to pay less to those Russians who do not speak Tatar.
Not a move that Moscow is likely to tolerate.
Already, the Russian parliament has overruled one Tatar law aimed at switching the written language from the Russian Cyrillic alphabet to the Latin script. The Tatar Government has quietly postponed the move, concerned not to jeopardise negotiations with Moscow.
But outraged Tatar nationalists say the Russian ban infringes their constitutional rights, and warn they will go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to fight their corner if necessary.
President ShaimievMeanwhile, sitting in his lavishly restored Presidential Palace in the Kazan Kremlin, President Shaimiev smiles his benign grandfatherly smile and tells us there is no conflict with Moscow.
"When Putin said he wanted more vertical control, I was one of the first to support him," he said. "Had I been president of Russia, I'd have done exactly the same."
But surely what this wily former Communist chief means is that firm control over his own people is something he also needs, in order to pursue his delicate negotiations with Moscow. So he keeps the lid on dangerous dissent - whether from Islamic radicals, or Tatars nationalists, or disgruntled Russians.
"Of course we have freedom of speech here. The press criticise me all the time." But he adds: "They just have to show responsibility."
Another paradox: of all the places in Russia we have visited so far, this seemed the least open. Little Tatarstan, positioning itself as a beacon of democracy in Russia, a test case for Moscow's tolerance. Yet, on our journey at least, where local political control seemed most in evidence.
