Indian Student Protest Update
Indian Students Protesting outside Parliament, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online 2006
Nanyaar, an Indian studying and blogging in Armenia, has posted a chronological account and more info on the death of his fellow countryman and student as well as a personal account of being questioned by police. He’s also re-posted some of my photos from yesterday’s demonstration.
He was a quiet guy. Never spoke much, confided to his room, small circle of friends and I remember the bargain he had got on an old yellow Armenian guitar on which he used to practice. Just today’s back he had asked me if I was going to sing this time at the Garoon (spring) festival, and that he was planning to. The media had portrayed him as a drug addict and a psychologically affected person which he definitely was not.
[…]
The death comes in as a surprise and the news of the ambulance reaching there after 40 long minutes and the negligence of the hostel warden and dean makes the Indian student body to meet the Rector, Gohar Kjalyan. Students refuse to meet her in the Red hall and demanded for an answer to be given right there, she walks away and then seconds later walks back, abuses the Indian girls to be prostitutes and shows both her middle fingers.
[…]
Finally at 10pm it was decided that they will be meeting in the University Red hall. Questions were raised which only resulted in diplomatic answer by the Vice chairman of the NA. The education ministry tried to come on stage and give a politician’s speech by quoting “don’t you want to know what really happened to your friend?” But all we needed tonight was for her the rector to resign and actions to be taken on the dean who as a doctor did nothing to see her student dying in front of her.
The Rector apologized at 12 midnight, and she still could not understand what we wanted, while she thought she could just walk away. All Madam Ambassador did was to sit next to the VC and give him tips on what to talk.
Meanwhile, ArmInfo has more on yesterday’s protest by Indian students outside of the Armenian National Assembly after one of their own died in what many consider was a direct result of negligence and the inefficiency and incompetence of the Armenian emergency services. It is worth noting that police prevented Indian medical students from administering assistance to their friend and that the Rector of the Yerevan State Medical University was apparently racist and offensive.
FOREIGN STUDENTS OF ARMENIA PROTEST AGAINST LEADERSHIP OF YEREVAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF INDIAN STUDENT
Yerevan, April 20. ArmInfo. Today, dozens of foreign students of Armenia initiated a procession in the central streets of Yerevan, demanding the resignation of Gohar Kyalian, rector of the Yerevan State Medical University, and the pro-rectors.
They action of protest was conditioned by the death of an Indian student, who fell out of the sixth floor of the Zeytoun hostel and died of many traumas and loss of blood, as no medical aid was rendered to him within an hour. The initiators of the rally stated that the emergency car arrived only after 45 minutes and the physicians had no relevant medical equipment with them. Knowing not what to do, the students turned to Gohar Kyalian, rector of the Yerevan State Medical University, who refused to help them in quite rough manners. This very behavior of her made the foreign students protest and demand the resignation of the rector.
The students stated that the policemen, as well as the dean of the faculty of the foreign students, who was present at the place of the accident, took no measures to save the life of the young Indian. While the emergency physicians didn’t try to take him to the hospital as soon as possible, though the Indian student was urging to save his life. As a result, he died in the hospital. His fellow students state that in case the physicians acted properly they could save the life of the young man. Students didn’t exclude that someone threw the young man out of the window and he didn’t intend to commit suicide.
The students said that they are going to boycott the university classes from today until the rector of the university and the pro-rectors resign, and the police reveals the details of the young man’s death. The participants of the rally marched to the edifices of RA National Assembly and the residency of RA President, chanting: “Justice! Shame to the Rector! No Forgiveness!”
Garo (AKA Christian Garbis) at Notes from Hairenik also writes more on alleged discrimination against Indian students and it has to be said that I’ve heard of violent attacks and muggings by Armenians in downtown Yerevan. Apparently, police and/or security guards were given new routes to patrol as a result, but were later withdrawn. Basically, the death of this Indian student and demands for the Rector of YSMU to resign appear to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
After I explained to one of them that discrimination against the students–which undoubtedly exists–may also be a motive for the protesting, he told me that may not necessarily be the case. He added that reverse discrimination occurs in Armenia–outsiders are given special treatment and citizens are secondary.
There is definitely truth in this, but because Indians are dark skinned and are clearly non-Armenian, although probably many speak better Armenian than most Armenians do with all the jargon and Russian words used in conversation, they are discriminiated against. Armenians are prejudice–the same thing happens in other communities.
To add to the larger concern about events, what has been most worrying is the lack of concern from Armenian students and especially those also enrolled at YSMU. No doubt they’re more worried about paying bribes to their professors and then robbing Armenian citizens with “informal payments,” but even so, the lack of solidarity once again represents the pitifully sad, apathetic and useless state of youth in Armenia. There will be no noticeable or significant improvement here until that situation changes.
Indian Students Protesting outside Parliament, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online 2006
An Indian party that was due to take place tomorrow has been cancelled because of recent events. Actually, it should have taken place 2 weeks ago at a club called Margarita but was cancelled a few hours before. Unconfirmed reasons given by some Indian students was that President Kocharian had purchased the club and cancelled all events.
Comment by Onnik — April 21, 2006 @ 12:36 pm
Nessuna tells me there’s an interesting conversation about the death of the Indian student going on in Russian plus some Armenian on a local internet forum. While some local Armenians who I know are involved in governmental structur es appear to be rationalizing the death others are not. On the other hand, someone apparently says that “our ambulance is just a marshutka that drives to morgue.” According to Nessuna, JUJU then says “we, unlike indiands, do not do anything about it” and Davka says that Armenians should have been at the demonstration as well.”
Forgetting the fact for a moment that the Rector of YSMU was apparently racist and offensive as well as the fact that Indian MEDICAL STUDENTS were prevented from administering treatment that could have saved their coursemate’s life, it strikes me that the fact that Armenians were not out in support of their Indian counterparts says a lot about the state of youth in Armenia. Here’s hoping that the coming days will change all of that.
The discussion spread over two pages so far can be read at: http://forum.armkb.com/showthread.php?t=22857
Comment by Onnik — April 21, 2006 @ 7:41 pm
it is good to hear that rector said sorry about all the matter.
but our main aim was to punish the guilty, to boycott the classes till they take necessary action against the guilty in 5 days, but this aim is diverted……………sad. 2nd aim was to force rector to give sorry in the written form, which is now achieved……………………..sad. but whatever it is, now we should be united to achieve these 2 main goals.if we attend tuesday’s class, all our hard work will be ruined.
we should remember some points before going for meeting:—————->
1) rector should say sorry in front of everyone and also in written form.
2) investigation and action against guilty (dean, hostel warden, hospital administration) before friday othervise we will boycott the classes.
3) good medical and first aid facilities in hostel and a good ambulance for students.
if we achieve these three goals, then it is worth othervise there is no use of all what we did.it will be wasted.
think about this…………………………………………..
your friend
indian
Comment by INDIAN STUDENT — April 24, 2006 @ 8:37 am