On April 24… Գարուն ա … Ձուն ա արել…

And though I’m short of time, two things made me write this.

For the last time in Yerevan it has snowed in April 27 years ago, and that was in early April. As long as I remember it has always rained on April 24, the day when all Armenians all over the world mourn the Genocide. And people used to say that even the nature, the sky is mourning along with Armenians. This has always been a sad day and the rain would make the grief canvas even heavier.

I would never think that it would snow in mid Spring, that it would snow on April 24. The day is gloomy. And though it has been snowing heavily, it doesn’t hold people from attending the memorial and placing flowers around the eternal flame at Tsitsernakaberd,
I respect.

But now when it was snowing, the atmosphere is somewhat depressing more than ever. Spontaneously I remember Paruyr Sevak’s words from his “Anlreli Zangakatun” which tingle in my ears and pass on my lips and don’t leave my thoughts throughout the day – and not only. “Գարուն ա… Ձուն ա արել…” (It’s spring and it has snowed)

Խանգարե՞լ, ինչի՞ համար…

Գարուն էր չեկած ամառ`
Փուլ եկավ երկնակամար,
Ձյուն մաղեց մեր բաց գլխին,
Ձյուն մաղեց` կրակի պես…
Գարուն ա, ձուն ա արել…

And one more thing which rose my anger while I was watching news on TV yesterday. Will anyone give any constructed explanation as to why Dashnaks are keeping on burning Turkish flag every time before their march to Tsitsernakaberd, and at the memorial the previous night? And what was yesterday’s march to Tsitsernakaberd about? About claims for the acknowledgment of the genocide or about showing how they hate Turks by burning their flag? About mourning the grief or having fun with kids whistling all over the way? Burning their flag – is it how we say that we are civilized people of high culture and giving the flag to some kids to burn it and then through it into the eternal flame? And what the heck then? Will anyone tell me what that act symbolized – we hate you? We’ll destroy you? We don’t give a damn about you? What?!!! Does it make us, Armenians, any better? You don’t like when your flag, the symbol of your country, is being burnt by them or anyone else, do you? And does anyone think that hatred for each other will give the solution or will make the Turkish government recognize the genocide? Or is it the policy of aggression that Dashnaks will maintain once at power? Armenians, and not only, rose for Hrant Dink, we admitted him and his ideology, which was, incidentally, against any kind of disrespect between the two nations, is it of any importance to the flag burners?

Then let me say that today during a gathering while watching that news on TV I asked for opinions of several different people – lawyers, heads of ngos, some party members, a cab driver, a head of a police department and houswives among them – and NONE of them approved the act of burning the flag and the buzz of the march. And while I have nothing against the idea of the march, as it seems good to me, or against Dashnaks, nonetheless I must admit outloud that I was deeply disappointed about it, extremely disappointed.

I will welcome any kind of answers.