(MENAFN- AzerNews) By dnd (a Pakistan based news
website)
By Shazia Anwer Cheema
While watching the beginning of a documentary about“Black
Saturday”, I thought that it could be impossible for Azerbaijanis
to rise again for demanding Independence after facing so a strong
and brutal response from foreign rulers. However, the ending scenes
of the documentary were showing children, women, and men
celebrating the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Baku–the capital
of Azerbaijan.
The Black Saturday or the January Massacre shall always be
remembered in the history of genocides when former General
Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Mikhail Gorbachev used the
military against the Azerbaijani independence movement to overthrow
the Soviet Azerbaijani government.
Official figures indicate that 147 civilians were killed and the
number of injured persons was over 800. Azerbaijani had been
fighting for true independence for years and they sacrificed their
lives more than anybody in the Caucasian region they got
independence more than once in past but subjugators snatched it
away from them and one of the last battles to my understanding was
the“Black January”.
Snatching independence from the former Soviet Union was only
possible because the Azerbaijani nation even under the rule of the
Soviet Union had a savior, who had been teaching them, that time is
not far away when every Azerbaijani would enjoy independence and he
was of course Heydar Aliyev who was elected as the leader of
Azerbaijan on July 14th, 1969 under Soviet Regime.
Under his command, in the 1970s, Azerbaijan's
national industry, and industrial production got more than doubled,
the productivity of labour also increase as doubled, agricultural
production increased by 270%, and the national consumption of goods
tripled.
If we read Azerbaijani history carefully, we can understand that
Heydar Aliyev had been moving Azerbaijan toward independence step
by step since 1970, when he was selected as Head of the Azerbaijan
State.
Since language is the identity of any nation, therefore, Heydar
Aliyev tactfully got the acceptance of the Azerbaijani language in
the framework of the state in the 1978 Constitution (under the
Soviet era) and he trained Azerbaijani youth to work in every
sphere of prosperity from the construction of the industrial plants
and factories to get the best education in Humanity sciences. I
believe he was very clear that every step is taking his nation
towards full independence later or sooner.
"Heydar Aliyevism" is a mix of good governance with a
focus on nationalism, legal and administrative reforms, national
identity and moral values, social justice, and humanity and
internationalism while protecting indigenous
civilisation."
Under his command, in the 1970s, Azerbaijan's national industry,
and industrial production got more than doubled, the productivity
of labor also increase as doubled, agricultural production
increased by 270%, and the national consumption of goods
tripled.
Giving this background of the Soviet era was important for me
because I want to tell my readers that leaders are always visionary
and they visualize how to uplift their nations even under foreign
rules.
Today what makes Azerbaijan a prosperous and confident nation is
the outcome of the vision of Heydar Aliyev's philosophy of
Azerbaijanism, also known as Aliyevism. That philosophy was a
triangulation of history, culture, and national identity and that
provides the principles of national independence, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity.
Overall, Heydar Aliyev's philosophy of Azerbaijanism was
embodied by allegiance to national unity, economic development, and
a strong, independent Azerbaijan. His legacy continues to shape
Azerbaijani politics and society today. This year Azerbaijan is
celebrating the 100th birthday of Heydar Aliyev on 10 May 2023.
To my understanding,“Heydar Aliyevism” is a mix of good
governance with a focus on nationalism, legal and administrative
reforms, national identity and moral values, social justice, and
humanity and internationalism while protecting indigenous
civilization.
Heydar Aliyev had a vision for Azerbaijan that was focused on
modernization, economic development, and national unity. He
believed that Azerbaijan had the potential to become a prosperous
and powerful country, but that achieving this goal required
significant changes in politics, economics, and society.
One of Aliyev's key priorities was to build a strong,
diversified economy that could support the needs of the population
and compete in the global marketplace. He focused on developing
Azerbaijan's energy sector, particularly its oil and gas resources,
and pursued policies aimed at attracting foreign investment and
promoting trade.
In addition to economic development, Heydar Aliyev also
emphasized the importance of national unity and social solidity. He
wanted to overcome ethnic and political splits within Azerbaijan
and to promote a purpose of shared national identity and
perseverance. Aliyev's policies included actions to improve
education, healthcare, and social welfare, as well as efforts to
strengthen the rule of law and promote democratic reforms.
Heydar Aliyev believed that the Philosophy of Azerbaijanism is
(was) key to resolving the challenges, Azerbaijan was facing
internally and externally, it could be an interesting case study
for other nations to decipher how a single philosophy provided a
road map for all future courses of action and was powerful enough
to build a strong prosperous nation. This philosophy provides
tangible solutions internally and externally, Internally, Heydar
Aliyev saw Azerbaijanism as a means of promoting social harmony and
political stability within the country. He believed that by
emphasizing the importance of Azerbaijani national identity and
culture, he could overcome ethnic and political divisions and
create a sense of shared purpose and pride among the Azerbaijani
people. He documented every martyr of the nation and the same
legacy was transferred to his son who is now President of the
country and whose doors are always open for the families of martyrs
and who looks after families of martyrs as their father.
Externally, Heydar Aliyev saw Azerbaijanism as a means of
asserting Azerbaijan's autonomy and independence on the surface of
external pressures and challenges. He believed that by promoting
Azerbaijani culture and history, he could counter endeavors by
neighboring countries to influence or dominate Azerbaijan.
Former President Heydar Aliyev provided a framework for national
rhetoric, which is sound, solid, and wholistic in nature and is
focusing all fractions. To my understanding, the five-point
approach made Azerbaijani a strong and successful nation and they
are as follows:
Promoting Azerbaijani national identity: Heydar Aliyev
emphasized the importance of Azerbaijani national identity and
culture as a unifying force for the country. He promoted the
teaching of the Azerbaijani language and history in schools and
encouraged the celebration of national holidays and festivals.
Addressing regional disparities: Heydar Aliyev recognized that
there were significant economic and social disparities between
different regions of Azerbaijan, and he sought to address these
through targeted development programs and investment.
Encouraging political participation: Heydar Aliyev encouraged
political participation and representation for all groups within
Azerbaijan, including ethnic minorities. He worked to create a more
inclusive political system, and appointed members of minority
groups to positions of power and influence.
Strengthening the rule of law: Heydar Aliyev recognized that a
strong, independent judiciary was essential for ensuring political
stability and social harmony. He worked to strengthen the rule of
law and reduce corruption within the government and legal
system.
Pursuing peaceful resolution of conflicts: Heydar Aliyev recognized
that conflicts with neighboring countries, particularly Armenia,
were a major source of tension and division within Azerbaijan. He
pursued a policy of peaceful negotiation and dialogue to try to
resolve these conflicts, while also strengthening Azerbaijan's
military capabilities as a deterrent.
Overall, Heydar Aliyev's foresight for Azerbaijan was based on the
thought of building a strong, independent, and modern country that
could meet the needs of its people and play a stellar role in the
region and the world. His strategies and ideas helped to lay the
groundwork for Azerbaijan's development and success in the years
following his presidency.
The philosophy of communication which is my discipline of
studies teaches me that the transferring of thought is based on the
clarity of the message the receiver can get the message with its
connotations and denotations. The doable communication process
between the sender and receiver of the message is the most
important factor in human communication and understanding. One of
the most important qualities of a leader is that he is
well-understood and well-received by his nation and this is
possible when a leader talks about what the public wishes to listen
to. Heydar Aliyev shall always remain one of the greatest leaders
for Azerbaijanis because he provided them with what they wanted for
centuries and that was Independence from foreign rulers; a
respectable place in global politics; a strong nation and an
undefeated country in the heart of the Caucasian region.
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