25th Anniversary of Armenian Independence celebrated in Chennai

22 October, 2016

On October 21, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Chennai hosted the official reception dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia. The representatives of state administration of Tamil Nadu, diplomats, businessmen and journalists attended the event.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to India Armen Martirosyan and the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Chennai Shivkumar Eashwaran welcomed the quests. During the reception, Ambassador Martirosyan met with the Indian participants of the Armenian-Indian Business Forum held in Yerevan on September 28-30, 2016 and discussed plans related to future cooperation.

I would like to start my welcoming statement on the occasion of Armenia`s Independence Day with the words of 18th century British cleric Charles Colton, who once said “Liberty does not descend to people. The people must raise themselves to liberty. It is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.” Having read this profound declaration many years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see them engraved on the wall of the government building at the South Block in New Delhi. As ancient nations deprived of statehood centuries ago, Armenians and Indians comprehend the meaning and value of these words as well as anyone can hope to.

Celebrations of the Independence Day of the Republic of Armenia in Chennai hold a particularly resonant meaning. Madras is where the first Armenian merchants from Julfa had settled as early as 1666, and is the center of gravity around which the vibrant saga of Armenians in India famously unfolded. What is more, the theoretical foundations of Armenian republicanism were laid down in this very city 244 years ago.

As the Seljuk conquest of Armenia in the 11th century and the loss of the last Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia in 1375 established the foundations of the Diaspora, a group of Armenians in Madras designed a theoretical basis for the independent Armenian state of their dreams.

One of them was Shahamir Shahamirian, a philosopher and wealthy merchant, whose vision of Armenian political philosophy and statehood, published in 1772, became what is today considered the first Armenian Constitution. That’s right, this is the same 1772 that was 15 years prior to the creation of the American Constitution. The Armenian thinker vigorously promoted his vision of a state, which was a revolutionary idea in 18th century Armenian circles. Taking advantage of the printing press created by Reverend Harutyun Shmavonyan in 1789, Shahamir Shahamirian published a book entitled ‘The Ambition Trap’, where he elaborated further on his political philosophy of the future Armenian state.

For the first time in Armenian history, Shahamirian called for a “constitutional republic” as the best solution for maintaining democracy and equality in the Armenia of his dream. The author delved into details explaining how a “President should be elected by the people for a three year term and the President should be the head of executive power.” He went on to say that the future Armenian republic should “guarantee freedom of conscience, and make every effort to separate church from state.” Addressing his readers, Shahamirian says: “Fellow civilians, do not interfere in the affairs of the church. Clergy, do not interfere in the affairs of the civilians.”

Turning to administrative matters, he calls for “all top government officials to be elected by the people. The country must have a 90,000-strong permanent army, and the state budget should come from various forms of taxation, based on the principle that the rich will have to give more than the poor.

”Elaborating his vision of human dignity, Shahamirian declares that “Every human being, whether Armenian or of some other race, whether man or woman, born in Armenia or brought there from another country, shall live in equality and shall be free in all their occupations. Nobody shall have the right to enslave another person and workers should be paid like in any other kind of job, as is laid down in Armenian legislation.

”In 1991 the dream of a thinker from Madras came true. The rebirth of the Armenian state 25 years ago was a glorious moment, and it remains so despite many hardships along the way. In the meantime, we are aware that these are by no means times for celebration only.

We have learned that building the infrastructure of freedom and rule of law is an easier-said-than-done endeavor and that it is the only acceptable path to building a safe and competitive state. The liberty offered by democracy and supplied by markets has won the hearts and minds of my fellow Armenians. We are expanding and enhancing our institutional infrastructure, as is required of a modern state. We not only stopped the economic decline resulting from the recent global financial crisis, but also managed to ignite and sustain positive economic growth since 2011. For us, this is a time to roll up our sleeves and work hard to the benefit of our young state, which as the custodian of our venerable history is responsible for protecting our interests and realizing our goals.

The revival of Armenian statehood 25 years ago has opened new avenues for cooperation between our nations. I’m glad to be able to say that today Armenia and India enjoy friendly bilateral relations and are engaged in a fruitful cooperation in various multilateral organizations. My government has been a persistent supporter of India’s aspirations for a permanent membership to the UN Security Council, motivated by the belief that the voice of the rising global power that is India should be better heard on the international stage.

We believe that there is great potential in pursuing a more active economic relationship between our countries. Besides available economic potential, the existing institutional arrangements, and namely the presence of the honorary consulate of Armenia in Chennai, Tamil Nadu could play a leading role in promoting Indian-Armenian bilateral economic ties. In this regard I hope that the joint efforts of FICCI and the Armenian consulate in Chennai will bear fruit soon. Let me assure you that the Embassy of Armenia in New Delhi is looking forward to mutually beneficial cooperation with the business community of this beautiful state.

Allow me to thank you once again for being with us today. I`d like to express my special appreciation to Honorary Consul of Armenia Mr. Shivkumar Eashwaran and his noble wife, for making this memorable evening possible. Dear Meenakshi and Shivkumar, I`m grateful to you both for your valuable contribution to the development of Armenian-Indian relations. God bless you all.

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