Azernews.Az

By Imamverdi Ismayilov

Member of Parliament, Milli Majlis

This article is dedicated to over one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs who became homeless as a result of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.

***

These hearty, resolute words echo in my mind as the sacred will of great statesman Heydar Aliyev: "The aggressor forces of Armenia should not think that everything will remain as it is. Absolutely not! Our compatriots, forcibly displaced from regions of Azerbaijan will return to their lands, their homes... The issue of Garabagh is our main problem, our painful problem, our heart-ache..."

The great leader did everything to prepare us for this mission, mobilized the scattered and confused society, put them on their feet, showed the way, gave the direction, named the issues of IDPs and refugees as the country's number one problem, and made the solution of these issues as daily priority of the government, voiced them during international conferences and local events, exclaimed about them loudly...

As I recall the moments I had witnessed, I am thinking that Heydar Aliyev's attitude to IDPs and refugees was not merely a statesman's care for fellow citizens in need of special attention, in reality it was a FATHER's compassion, sensitivity, warm love and support to his child who needed his care and help...

Heydar Aliyev took the Motherland and land-related worries of Azerbaijani citizens as his own worries, and he took these pains as his own pains...

Heydar Aliyev founded the tradition of exempting IDP children's university tuition fees to help them earn their bread through higher education - and these were the children who took their books and notebooks as the most valuable possessions when fleeing their homes, who continued to learn even in most unfavorable conditions, who read and wrote on mud floors or on their knees instead of study desks...

The government took upon itself supplying them with food, covered the payment for communal services used by IDPs, continued payment of average monthly wages to about 11,000 IDPs who had previously worked in state budget-funded enterprises and organizations but who had to lose their workplace due to reasons beyond their control and still unemployed.

I remember Heydar Aliyev's speeches, rich with hope, delivered in international conferences, in more than 20 meetings with refugees and IDPs, during trips to tent camps, at openings of new settlements for refugees. I remember him, in one of such meetings at a settlement, happily cutting freshly baked, hot village bread as a symbol of our displaced people keeping their drive for abundance, for honesty and for tastefulness; and I remember the wedding ceremony of four IDP youth, temporarily settled in camps in Bilasuvar district, right before Novruz Holiday, on March 19 of 1999 - the FATHERLY blessing given by Heydar Aliyev at that wedding warms my heart with its sincerity.

The national leader was very touched by our citizens living in tent settlements were not fallen into pessimism, despite all their sufferings, by people's spiritual health, by their finding strength to live their joy and love, and their wish to marry their sons and daughters, even amidst pain and sadness. His open heart that shared the joy of the happiest moments of four youth also guided the memories about this legendary life: "Throughout my life I have attended almost no weddings. This has been my life. Maybe I did attend weddings in youth, but then I did not have such chance due to my involvement in state affairs. Today I want to confess you that even when my son and daughter got married, I could not host their weddings either. Not because I did not have the means. It's just my work environment was such that I figured they would build their families and become happy even without me in their weddings. Today I can say with joy that even though I did not host their weddings, they do have beautiful families, now I have grandchildren, they live happily..."

At that wedding the great leader also shared his memories about engagement to his wife, beautiful lady Zarifa khanim, and when I read those treasured words under the hearty voice of that great person, under the light of kindness and sincerity of his bright eyes, smile of his clear face, I get a share of that smile too: "It was for two or three years that I wanted to marry with my now late wife Zarifa khanim. But we did not have any conditions. ...I did not have a house. So we had to wait for two years until I could get a house. Then I obtained a two-room apartment. That is, the wedding was possible. But there was a political nuance then, which is too redundant to explain here. That time - in early 1950s, it was the toughest period of totalitarian regime. Some political circles were not granting permission for our wedding. So we had to wait longer. In 1953 Stalin died, then the political situation in the country changed, and in 1954 I got married.

But how did I marry? We were walking Baku city. There was a Voroshilov Street then, now it bears the name of Yusif Mammadaliyev. We approached and saw that there was ZAQS (civil registrar's office) branch there. We entered the office. There was no witness or any other person. There was nobody. One woman was sitting in the office and we told her we wanted to be wedded. She said, fine, come and sit. We did not even have a ring. We sat down. There were no celebrative speeches as here. That woman asked us, do you consent to build a family? We said, yes, we do. She said, then sign here. We signed. They gave us our wedding certificate. I asked what we should do now? At that time there was a shop near "Nizami" Cinema and that shop sold good candies. You may remember that at that time there was "Mishka" candies, which was but expensive. We went to that shop, and I bought a kilo of "Mishka" candies. Then we walked to seaside. Zarifa khanim's family lived there. We visited their house. We told Zarifa khanim's mother and relatives that we were already wedded. I said that we brought the kilo of "Mishka" candies to sweeten our mouths..."

Heydar Aliyev's blessing at that wedding should always be remembered as a wise FATHERLY ADVICE to all Azerbaijani youth across all periods of history, aiming to maintain the family institution as the most precious value in times of globalization, to protect it through millennia-old traditions, to deliver to future generations as most valuable legacy: "I wish you, first and foremost, to be sincere with each other, to help each other, throughout your lives. My chief advice is to love each other, be faithful to each other, do not forget your parents, be faithful to our lands, our country, our state..."

It is likely that for the first time many people in Azerbaijan, like myself, saw the great leader spreading his arms and dancing. I remember vividly how Heydar Aliyev slowly danced with the four young grooms who were at the threshold of a new life, he danced like all elderly fathers would proudly dance at their child's wedding, forgetting all troubles, all sorrows, he blessed the four grooms and through them the entire Azerbaijani youth with his warm words, with pride on his face, with warm smile, he was convincing all of us that the bad days would not last long...

***

Truly, the bad days did not last long... Works done to resolve issues gave their fruits. With the purpose of rapid response to and central management of social issues of refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan, there were established the posts of Vice Prime Minister at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Head of State Committee on IDP/Refugee Affairs, the work of the relevant department at the Administration of Cabinet of Ministers was improved, the scope of work was expanded. On December 6, 1999, the Social Development Fund for IDPs was established, with relevant legislative base being finalized. Professional administrators, competent personnel with direct experience were promoted.

Upon signing the "State Programme on Resolution of Problems faced by the Refugees and IDPs" on September 17, 1998, Heydar Aliyev promoted the idea of abolition of tent camps in his characteristic resolute manner and ensured consistent steps towards it. In 2001 the first resources of State Oil Fund were channeled to improving the accommodation conditions of refugees and IDPs.

Thus, with the will of the great leader, 5 out of 12 tent camps in Azerbaijan had disappeared by 2003, like the healing wounds cast by time on our lands...

...The documentary, yet unscreened, about the works of the great leader towards refugees and IDPs. We are watching it together at Ali Hasanov's office - the Vice Prime Minister and the Head of State Committee on Refugee/IDP Affairs. Scenes recorded from a helicopter rekindled our burning desire for homelands. We are watching the scenes, recorded with huge efforts, with excitement and sensitivity...

While watching the quickly changing scenes, I am thinking, our state was not as rich then, the country had many problems piled onto another, and the government tried to simultaneously solve these problems, whose root causes were the absence of funds. I cannot help my amazement about how Heydar Aliyev managed to resolve so many challenges, how the needs of refugees and IDPs were met, and how ten thousands of residents of 5 tent camps were accommodated in new apartments. There was eternal love between Heydar Aliyev and his people and sometimes this love turned the impossible into possible...

I remember the grandiose speech of Ali Hasanov in New Azerbaijan Party's Congress years ago and I keep highlighting one moment from his speech: "All people say that there can be no Garabagh without Shusha and no Azerbaijan without Garabagh. But we say, there can be no Azerbaijan without Garabagh and Aliyevs!.."

The topic of Shusha is the eternal subject of our language!,,

"Heydar Aliyev came to Shusha for the opening of Vagif's mausoleum; it was the January of 1982, if I am not mistaken..." The warm memories wipe the sadness and languor from Rafail's eyes for a moment, with whom we've been conversing. "It had snowed heavily. When passing near the Khan Gizi spring, the vehicle's tires slipped, and people picked up the car, together with the man, and carried till Bazarbashy Square. Heydar Aliyev got out of the car and met with the people - he was so deeply touched by people's love and respect... For the first time I saw the man, who had the awe of a mountain about him. But he was so kind, so sincere... You see, that's the way for true leader's simplicity and for people's love for true leader..."

As I visit these people's new apartments, as I listen to their conversations behind a tea ceremony, I get a feeling that Heydar Aliyev was not simply a statesman who administered the country, who took upon himself their troubles, he knew these people name by name, he met with them, he became their friends, because everyone I talked to had some sweet memory about Heydar Aliyev, some happy photo eternalizing an unforgettable moment of life...

"...You see, this is Mr Heydar Aliyev, and this is me... do you see?!" Mother Nigar, a martyr's mother from Gadan village of Fuzuli region, proudly points at a photo on the first page of family album, and hides her white hair falling on her forehead under kerchief... "I was born in 1939, I am a mother-hero, I have raised four daughters and six sons. I have 6 brides in my house! When fleeing, our possessions did not fit in two "Kamaz" trucks. We had a wine factory in Alkhanly village. May the fate be blind, we had a happy life. At that time, when Heydar Aliyev visited our region, we went to greet him with all our family. Then, when we met at these times of damned refugeedom, I told him, Mr Aliyev, you were the one to give me this gold star on my chest. He laughed, you see, so we got this photo..."

Then our conversation smokes like the slowly brewing samovar. Suffocating sadness piles in our throats... "We are two sisters, each of us sacrificed one son for our lands. Oh, my son," - she says - "Azrail has many souls to take, my heart has many mountains to carry..." Her voice disappears as if into a well. Mother Nigar calms herself. Like all village women, her decent, wise and healthy self is in place. "Thank God for our today. Every door was receiving a martyr's body. Those times are no match for these times, now you can walk with gold on your head..."

Love in these working people has no boundaries.

The honored teacher Rahim Rahimov also met with Heydar Aliyev. In 1973, at an All-Republican meeting of honors students...

Having seen all troubles, Rahim can't help joking about all those who keep groundlessly claiming for public positions. He says, if it was possible to collect together all red ribbons used for opening the building erected by Heydar Aliyev, we could make nice clothing for everyone who does not appreciate the grandeur of this historical personality...

This bright-faced, wide-wristed man has features of a true mountain man; it seems like the roads of Sirik village of Jabrayil district, where he was born, pass through his deep eyes. Glaring into nothingness, he speaks about the "KHARIBULBUL" flower that his daughter planted in their rich garden: "...Every time the Armenians began to shell us with "Grad" rockets, my daughter would flip a bucket onto the flower, so that it would not be damaged. Now we have planted this flower in our yard - to find some consolation when we look at it..."

...During conversations I pay most attention to the eyes of these people - the anguish for homeland in their eyes is the SHARED MISFORTUNE uniting them all...

It is impossible not to notice the light flickering behind their anguish.

It is the light of the LAMP OF HOPE, passed on from Heydar Aliyev, on the road to development, stability, reconstruction, like a BATON to his worthy political successor, Mr Ilham Aliyev...

I am relying on the light of this LAMP in my next, second essay, where I talk about the current conditions of my compatriots, who shared the ill-fate of refugeedom and who now have moved into comfortable apartments after years of suffering...