Chechnya: Chaos
to Continue in the Caucasus
News reports from
the tiny, war-ravaged republic of Chechnya on the
southern fringe of Russia have always been of death,
destruction, acts of terror and, sometimes, of uncanny
valor and perseverance of a small community of one
million standing up to the mighty power of Russia
- a David challenging the Goliath. But, a fresh
report coming from that remote area speaks of a
peace overture by the rebel leader, Aslan Mashkhadov.
He is said to have ordered his field commanders
to observe a unilateral ceasefire till February
23, 2005 and has appointed an emissary to hold talks
with Moscow for an amicable settlement of the conflict
on the Chechens' claim of autonomy.
The warlord and rebel legend, Shamil Basayo, has
confirmed that he would abide by Mashkhadov's orders.
President Putin and his commanders in Chechnya have
rejected this offer with disdain saying that the
Chechen rebels should surrender unconditionally
as they are non-entities and represent only themselves.
Ironically, Russia has offered an award of $10 million
for the capture of these very "non-entities". This
will merely accelerate the cycle of the arrogance
of a mighty power unleashing severest punishment
on an unyielding community pushing it to utmost
desperation. And, desperation never fails to breed
extremism. After 9/11, the international community
is poised against acts emanating from extremism.
Rarely one looks into the raison d'etre of the acts
or the severe violations of human rights that prompted
them. The rebel leaders have set February 23 as
the deadline for talks, for two reasons. For the
Russians, it holds significance as the date in 1918
when the Red Army was formed and it is still observed
as the Army Day. For the Chechens, it marks the
beginning of their deportation to Kazakhstan by
Stalin in 1944. Once this deadline passes, the Chechen
rebels might resume their terrorist activities.
Tens of thousands of them have already been killed
over the past ten years - most of them women and
children. How many more innocent lives will be wasted
before the stalemate comes to an end? A study of
the history of the obstinate Chechens leads one
to believe that they might literally fight to the
last man.
Individually they are Kamikazes, suicide-bombers,
and collectively they constitute a potential "Light
Brigade". Who are these strange people? They are
tribal highlanders like the Balochis of Pakistan
in whose scale of values honor tops the list and
their tribal chief is a demi-god. The adversary
relationship between the Chechens and the Russians
goes back centuries. In early nineteenth century,
Czar Nicholas I invaded Chechnya but met fierce
resistance. Tolstoy fought with the Russian army
and described how difficult it was to subdue the
hardy mountain-men. Chechen leader, Imam Shamil,
too earned laurels for his valor in the fights lasting
for quarter of a century. Shamil has since become
a favorite Chechen name. Chechnya, one of a necklace
of states that fringe the North Caucasus Mountains,
has always asserted its independence like its other
brotherly Muslim neighbors.
Following the Russian revolution in 1917, Daghistan
and Chechnya declared their independence. Soviet
forces re-occupied them in 1923. But, they were
declared autonomous regions to keep them within
the Soviet fold. In 1944, Stalin deported a majority
of them to Siberia and Kazakhstan on suspicion of
their collaborating with Germany. Thousands froze
or starved to death. Khrushchev allowed them to
return to their homeland in 1957 and re-establish
their own state. In 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed,
all the component republics were given the right
to secede from the Union, The Baltic, Central Asian
and the republics of the Caucasus elected to be
independent. The President of Chechnya declared
his territory's independence, but President Yeltsin
of Russia refused to recognize this and sent a large
army to occupy the state. Oil reserves of Chechnya
make it a special possession of Russia.
Then, there have been plans for an oil pipeline
from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea port of Novorossisik
that has to pass through Chechnya. The Russian effort
to re-impose its control over the region led to
a brutal war for two years 1994-96. Over 70,000
casualties were reported. Russian economy was at
that time in a tailspin. President Yeltsin decided
to withdraw in 1996 despite the obvious humiliation.
The peace agreement granted virtual self-rule to
the Chechens. Vladimir Putin who succeeded Yeltsin
as President picked up the Chechen issue to perhaps
bolster his own image as a courageous leader, apart
from protecting the oil interests mentioned above.
He sent into Chechnya 100,000 troops to pulverize
the tiny republic that had a population of a million
and an area of 600 square miles, smaller than many
a county of California.
While confronting this mighty army as best as they
could, young Chechens resorted to terrorist acts
-hijacking of planes, hostage takings, and suicide
bombings to attract world attention to their cause.
In October 2001, 53 of them traveled 1,500 miles
north to reach Moscow and seize the famous Moscow
theatre. This was perhaps the first time that young
women, widows of Putin's invasion of their state,
18 out of a group of 53, were participating in a
deadly guerilla operation. Media called them 'black
widows' as they were dressed in black. Unmitigated
arrogance of Kremlin, of Putin in particular, did
not admit of a negotiated settlement. Security men
injected poisonous gas into the theatre killing
not only the hostage takers but also hundreds of
spectators.
What happened at the siege of the Beslan school
was but an encore of the theatre tragedy. Hundreds
of innocent children died in this incident too.
Kremlin's adamant refusal to negotiate with the
leaders of the insurgency has radicalized the Chechen
youth further. They have experienced nothing but
death and destruction. The type of life they are
reduced to has totally deprived them of joie de
vivre. Kremlin might be well advised to take advantage
of the offer of the rebel leaders to settle the
future of Chechnya through negotiations, through
give and take, so that the conflict and crisis yields
to peace, progress and harmony.
The experience of the United States in Iraq provides
many a lesson to world powers. In the 21st century,
the battle for the minds of the people cannot be
won by force alone. The Bush administration has
had to constantly review its strategy with changes
in the scenario. The mood of "bring them on" has
yielded to a spirit of reconciliation. President
Putin too would be well advised to soften his stand
and let the tiny republic have a place under the
sun. Kremlin surrogates are not acceptable to the
freedom-loving Chechens. Why not handle them with
kid gloves when the real objective of Kremlin can
be easier served that way? arifhussaini@hotmail.com
Feb. 10, 2005.
