Re: Status of the Talysh language

Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 08:58:54 +0300 (EEST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Status of the Talysh language

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>

Re: Status of the Talysh language


Dear MINELRES:
 
I also can confirm that nobody from Azerbaijani officials prohibits or
repress the Talysh-speakers. However, nobody supports this minority
language, too. E.g., the school textbooks in Talysh language were
printed out last time 4 years ago. There also is no official support
of media in Talysh language despite of special decree of Azerbaijani
President of 1992.
 
Main [official] explanation of that (but not justification of course)
is that the schools with Azeri language also are in bad situation, and
textbooks are rare in the country-side and refugee schools. The hidden
motif is a fear that active propaganda of Talysh culture would
provocate a revival of ethnic separatism in the region resulted in
1993 with 2-months existence of self-proclaimed "Talysh Mugan
Autonomous Republic".
 
>From my point of view, most negative factor is passiveness of Talyshes
themselves. E.g., nobody would prevent anybody from re-printing the
same textbooks, and the businessmen from this rich agricultural region
(Lenkaran zone) could deal with that. Also, there is a numerous Talysh
diaspora in many countries which in principle could deal with
financial support of publications, sponsorship of cultural events,
etc. However, they prefer to wait an assistance from the state which
is weakened by war, economic stagnation, corruption...
 
Regards,
Eldar Zeynalov
 
Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
P.O. Box 31
Baku 370000, Azerbaijan
Phone/fax +994-12-977026
E-mail: [email protected]
 
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