Shavkat Mirziyoyev: ‘Gaining Independence Was Not Easy’

On August 31, early in the morning, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the alley «Shakhidlar Khotirasi» (‘Memory of Martyrs’) Square.

The elders and the public representatives gathered to honor the memory of the victims of repression. The holy Surahs from the Quran and supplication were recited in memory of the deсeased. A memorial pilaf (‘Uzbek national dish’) was served.

There is a deep meaning in the fact that the country pays tribute to the memory of the patriots of Homeland during the celebration of independence. This is another proof that serving the people is never forgotten. The freedom and peace of our country are invaluable.

Since 2001, August 31 has been celebrated as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Political Repression. The work continues to perpetuate and study their lives and heritage. The Museum of Memory of the Victims of Repression was reconstructed last year. Such museums were established in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and in all regions.

This year, the museum has organized an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of sending of Jadid students to study in Germany.

The President visited the museum and got acquainted with the exposition.

«It is not for nothing that we come here every time and honor their memory. It was not easy to gain the Independence. Although the Independence was gained 31 years ago, our grandfathers tried to do it more than 100 years ago. 100 thousand of our countrymen were repressed, 13 thousand were mercilessly shot. Why? Since they were our greatest heroes, the heritage of the nation. They knew 2-3 languages. The regime had an understanding that they were able to liberate our Motherland, bring it to the prosperity. In this place it seems as if their voices can be heard», Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said.

Speaking about this, the President recalled a verse from the Holy Quran. In the 169th verse of the Surah «Ali Imran», it is said: “Do not in any way consider those who were killed in the way of Allah as dead. No, they are alive and receive their share from their Lord”.

The memory of our ancestors – the martyrs who gave their lives for the freedom of our people, truth and justice will live forever.

The President stressed that this period of history has not been fully studied and research on identifying the victims of repression and restoring their memory should be continued.

-«I have given an instruction to find - even if it is a piece of paper - documents concerning the fate of these people, allocate as much money as necessary for this», the President said. «As a result, the names of many victims of repressions have become known in recent years. We are restoring the memory of our heroic ancestors for the sake of justice. Over the past year, 235 of our compatriots have been acquitted by the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan. We create the museums and schools named after our grandfathers. They built a school for Abdullah Kadyri and erected a monument to him in the center of Tashkent. Why? So that people, passing by, look and think about who their ancestors were, to know their works. Or how many difficulties were there with the restoration of the memory of Chulpan? Today we say: go down, go to the people, because our strength is in the people. Chulpan said the same. These good deeds cannot be stopped. The new books and films need to be released».

The President expressed gratitude to scientists and intellectuals working in this direction. It is emphasized that the life and work of the Jadids should be conveyed to the youth through the television and social networks, as well as this topic should be widely covered at the school lessons. An initiative has been put forward to create a department for the study of the spiritual heritage of our enlightened ancestors at the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan.

As it is well-known, the totalitarian regime was not limited only to the destruction of the Jadids. Back in the 1980s, thousands of our compatriots were thrown into the prison and persecuted under the various slanderous pretexts.

«On the way here, I thought about it. If we say that the events of the 30s are a distant history, then what about the «cotton» case?! They have come up with false accusations to suppress our leaders. What, there were no shortcomings in other republics? Such painful events can never be forgotten. On holidays and peaceful days, like today, we should pass this through our hearts and convey it to our youth», Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said.

It is also noted that the world is becoming more and more anxious, as well as in such a situation it is necessary to be alert and act carefully.

«As you can see, competition and threats are increasing in the world. To be ready for this, you must always remain vigilant. We should be gratitude for our present peaceful and free life. We need to strengthen our foundation for the future. How to strengthen? Through the knowledge. Having inspired by the greatness of our ancestors, if we improve education in all areas, we will not be inferior to the most developed countries in anything. If we teach our children well, the result will be better than we expect. Our independence will be unshakable and eternal», the President has noted.

The holy surahs (‘chapters’) from the Quran were also recited next to the symbolic grave in the memorial complex. A supplication was made for the deceased, as well as for the peace and prosperity of Uzbekistan.