by T.Goshu
1. I attentively listened to the news on the decision by the Council of the Amahara Regional State to establish an autonomous administration of Qemant. ESAT broadcast the news referring the statement released by the government communication office on March 12, 2015. Given the very evil-driven political agenda and practice of TPLF/EPRDF for the last quarter of a century, I was not surprised though I should say that I found the news something that rings an extremely alarming call to the people of Gondar in particular and the people of Ethiopia in general. Moreover, given the growing frustration within an ethno-centric inner circle of TPLF/EPRDF deeper and serious than ever, it is not unexpected to see all kinds of craziness such as this very latest dirty and deadly political drama of the “autonomy of Qemant.”
Needless to say, this latest political drama would gather very poisoned clouds in the sky over the people who used to live together to the extent of unable to tell the difference between Qemant and the rest of the society (Amhara). It is the right thing to say that it is not wrong to argue that this historical assimilation was and is the result of not only natural and positive process of assimilation but also politically motivated coercion by the ruling elites of the time. I sincerely believe that this is a healthy and legitimate argument as our political history has had its own ugly part to play in this regard (coercion instead of persuasion and consent). And I think although it is not as challenging as the discontent of other ethnic groups, the case of Qemant should not simply be denied and ignored. However, it would be a very terrible mistake to over exaggerate the problems that could wisely and amicably be dealt with, and be used to make the social fabric of the people of Gondar much more cohesive and productive.
It must be under-scoured that trying to bring back a story that has already become a thing of the past for the sake of perpetuating an evil-driven political power should be challenged and rejected without any reservation. It would be terribly wrong for the genuinely concerned Ethiopians not to stand together against the continuation of the politics of sowing seeds of hatred, divide and rule. We now are witnessing the move by TPLF and its cronies to destroy a historical and socio-cultural and psychological bridge that has been built for a long period of history within the people of Gondar.
What and how TPLF/EPRDF has done for the last two decades in this regard is of course self-explanatory. But what this very latest political orchestration (the case of Qemant) to implant hatred and create a politically motivated rift is no doubt an unprecedented move. Believe or not, destroying a very socio-cultural and historical life line that has developed through a long period of time within the people of Gondar is the latest desperate political attempt of TPLF to perpetuate its ethno-centric tyranny. To this end, it has worked hard to manipulate and to get organized those individuals who either are its parasitic cadres, or to find and to organize those who are badly obsessed with their interests to become the extended arms of the inner circle of TPLF (tyrannies within tyranny) in the name of “Qemant autonomy.”
It goes without saying that the very evil-driven political conspiracy of TPLF starts at its very inception and coming into being. I say TPLF, not EPRDF because it is self-evidently true that the other three members of so-called EPRDF have no their own life-lines to breath by themselves and to sustain their own existence. Simply put, they are the brain-children of TPLF as such. And that is of course the most painful part of way of doing politics in our political history.
Don’t Qemants really know how the people of Gondar have built a very desirable and strong togetherness despite all the challenges they had come across for very a long period of time? I strongly believe they do know. Graham Hancock, the author of a book, THE SIGN AND THE SEAL: THE QUEST FOR THE LOST ARK OF THE COVENANT (1993) says the following what he heard about Qemant during his first hand research trip to Gondar at the end of 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s. He informs us that the single anthropological paper about Qemant was by an American scholar, Frederic Games in 1969. Surprisingly enough, a Qemant man by name Muluna Mersha was the man who Games met and talked with him was alive during the research trip of Hancock. And he was lucky to get someone who helped him to bring the only Wambar (‘High Priest in Qemant language’) from his remote village and meet him in Aykel and talk with him. Hancock has noted when the Wambar through the interpreter (Amharic and English speaker) said, “Our religion has become a thing of the past .Almost nobody practices it today. The Qemant are now Christians.” And not only from my readings but also as an Ethiopian who was born and grew up in that part of the country (though not in the areas where most Qemants live), this process of assimilation is also true in terms of language. I strongly argue that it is this kind of strong sense of togetherness that has made TPLF very uncomfortable, if not deeply frustrated. As the result, it had to come up with a very wicked political conspiracy that has been employed throughout its political life.
As I stated earlier, it is the right thing to admit that if there are things that went wrong (intentionally or unintentionally), they must be dealt with positively and constructively. Those undesirable but not abnormal historical and socio-cultural elements should not be exploited as ways and means for devilish short- term political agenda and fulfilling beast-like self-interests. Needless to say, TPLF’s political history is essentially characterized by all kinds of ugly and deadly conspiracies.
Just to mention one, it is a fresh memory that it was this political gang that worked hard in search of mass graves of tens and thousands of victims of the Red Terror (EPRP members and supporters) and used their remains for its extremely cheap political propaganda. It was an extremely disturbing insult to the sacrificed compatriots, to their families and to all the people of Ethiopia to witness this horribly painful political drama. Was it not TPLF that demanded EPRP (EHASE – Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Army) to leave Asemba (Tigray) without any condition as if it (EPRP) was a political entity in exile? Was it not TPLF that declared war on those freedom fighters of the time who fought under the banner of freedom for all Ethiopians? Was it not TPLF that murdered those EPRP members who continued their political struggle against the military junta in the north-west Ethiopia on its way to Addis Ababa (Arat kilo palace)? To underscore once again, it is this political gang that had used the remains of those tens and thousands of Ethiopians for its dirty political propaganda immediately after it took political power and made those families and friends of fallen EPRP members painfully mourn once again after more than a decade? Now, we are witnessing the same devilish political agenda in a different form of application. To be clearer, it is TPLF that terrorizes all Ethiopians regardless of their ethnic identity who not only explicitly oppose its political agenda but also express their genuine concern about the way it (TPLF) behaves and acts. They (the people) are being terrorized regardless of their religious affiliation/background. And the case of Qemants is not an exception at all. Now, we are witnessing TPLF shedding its crocodile tears on behalf of Qemants and offering them “autonomy” that will definitely poison the real sense of togetherness that has been developed through a very long period of history among the people of Gondar.
Needless to say, working hard to dig out and bring back those things of the past and use them as Trojan horses of a dirty political agenda is an absolute stupidity, if not a seriously political crime against the people of Gondar in particular and the people of Ethiopia in General. Sowing and cultivating seeds of hatred within the people of Gondar in particular and of Ethiopia in general as a means of ethic –based political manipulation and socio-economic domination is getting worse and dangerous from time to time. And this latest move is an extremely alarming stage of a political madness. We desperately need to stay focused on the question of how we as political groupings, as civil right activists, as genuinely concerned communities, as individual citizens and as a people in general must stop this total and dangerous madness before it causes serious if not catastrophic consequences. Yes, if we are serious enough about making a difference in this regard, there is a desperate need for us to go beyond political rhetoric, making press releases after press releases, calling for meetings after meetings, staging protests after protests, etc… I am not saying these activities are not helpful. What I am saying is that if we are on the same pages of reading the danger we continue to face, it is absolutely necessary to interpret our common understanding and concern into collective action, and stop this monstrous political move.
There is a need for all genuinely concerned people of Gondar in particular and the people of Ethiopia in general to remind ourselves that the coming into being of a country or any society has never been simply a matter of either this or that type of process .It is an ABC of the history of any societal and political development that there is no any country or society that has come into being with either absolute persuasion or absolute coercion. The nature and level of the influence of these two elements of societal and political development may differ from time to time and from political system to political system. Have the existing togetherness of Qemant and the rest of the society in Gondar gone through these two processes? Well, I am not a student of sociology or anthropology or history. But I strongly believe that whatever might have happened in the past, Qemant and the rest of the society (Amhara) as a people have found themselves where they are now ( peaceful and a real sense of togetherness). Are there any lingering elements of the past such as cultural, religious and linguistic factors that should be treated wisely and amicably? I would say yes. Because these kinds of elements are not something unexpected in even any democratic society leave alone in Ethiopian which is the homeland of the people who are so diverse in terms of ethnicity, culture, language, and of course psychological makeup. And what is also true is that we have never had a political environment (system) that could advance the very essence of living and progressing together in the context of the real sense of unity within diversity.
Needless to say, most of our ruling elites have used and continued to use the politics of divide and rule in one way or another. Do not get me wrong that I am questioning the patriotism of some of our past rulers as patriotism in this case refers to protecting the country they loved from external enemies or invaders. I am particularly referring to a real sense of nationalism which goes beyond fighting against external enemies and intruders. Yes, a real and genuine sense of nationalism is characterized by a political system that is truly legitimate, responsible/accountable, a good and vibrant citizenship, and above all the sovereign power of the people. I do not believe those rulers who treat their own people as their mere subjects deserve to be considered as nationalists in the real sense of the term. And that is why a country with a very rich natural and human resources continues to suffer from severe disgrace from one regime to the other, particularly in this twenty-first century. Creating an “autonomous entity” within a part of a country (Gondar) in which the people have gone a long way to make their common identity much stronger than their differences is the most disgraceful reality we are facing. To this end, the inner circle of TPLF/EPRDF had to orchestrate its project in order to get its “autonomous political child” being born. The people of Gondar in particular and the people of Ethiopia in general have been “congratulated” on March 12, 2015 that they will have a newly born baby of TPLF/EPRDF by next year. Will we witness and celebrate the would-be born political baby of the ethno-centric tyranny? I do think nobody would have an answer to this question for sure. But one thing is true .And that is unless the ruling elites of TPLF/EPRDF are forced to stop their deadly political madness by any legitimate and justifiable means, there is no any reason not to see the continuation of the politics of hatred, divide and attack and rule.
2. I listened to the interview conducted by kasahun of ESAT with Ato Beyne of “the Gondar Hibret’, and Ambassador Zemene Kassegn of “the hard working committee for establishment of Qemant autonomy.”
Ambassador Zmene informed us that he and his ‘committee’ members had relentlessly worked hard for about ten years to get the self-governing of Qemant materialized; he told us that the government (TPLF) has acted accordingly. He argued that the question of self-government was raised because the government (TPLF) did not allow Qemants to be registered as Qemants during the past census. Does not this sound terribly hypocritical? I am sorry to say but I have to say that it is politically unrealistic to expect not to see individuals including fairly educated and experienced ones siding with tyrannical regimes for their own voraciously selfish aspirations. Needless to say, our political history has never been, is not and cannot be immune from this kind of unfortunate attitude and behavior. But, given the untold sufferings and dehumanization the people of Ethiopia have gone through, the way those individuals behave and act is deeply disturbing. I strongly believe that we need to challenge them rationally, resolutely, and straight –forwardly. Their hypocritical and deceiving ideas, not their very personal characteristics must be appropriately and constructively attacked and defeated.
I want to be clear that it is from this perspective of mine that I want to pose a couple of comments of mine in the form of questions about the points of argument by Ambassador Zemene which I found them terribly clumsy, if not very deceiving: a) Couldn’t this question of being registered as an ethnic group be treated and resolved without the idea of demanding for ‘autonomy” that orchestrated by the ruling elites aimed at spiriting and antagonizing the people of Gondar in order to make sure that there should not be any unified struggle for freedom and justice ? Do Qemants really believe that it is better to have a puppet or pseudo self –governing body of TPLF by tearing apart the common identity they built as genuine parts of the society (the people of Gondar)? How and why TPLF which forces all Ethiopians to identify themselves as members of this or that ethnic group not only during census but also whenever they fill up any official or business paper (form) could deny Qemants’ demand to do the same?
Ambassador Zemene repeatedly told us that the decision is the result of the demand by Qemants, not the conspiratorial political drama by TPLF/EPRDF. He tried to justify his statement by mentioning demonstrations organized by Qemants. Really Mr. Ambassador? Has a ruling party that terrorizes and dehumanizes those Ethiopians who simply demand to exercise their natural/human and political rights showed its magnanimity and recognized the demand of the Qemants? Don’t you think that trying to tell or preach that those who organized “demonstrations” were and are neither parasitic cadres nor instructed by TPLF/ EPRDF is a disturbing insult to the people of Gondar in particular and the people of Ethiopia in general? Are you telling us that this kind of ugly political drama (using parasitic cadres and forcing others) has never been and is not the day-to-day experiences in our country? You repeatedly tried to say that your effort to get the approval from Bahir Dar (pseudo council of the regional state) is a matter of survival, not seeking any other interest. Are you saying that splitting the people of Gondar who have come a long way and developed desirable assimilation is the best and the only way to deal with any concern that might be brought forward? Are you saying that Qemants must be pushed back all the way down to history by destroying all what they achieved as Gondares in particular and Ethiopians in general, and restart from scratch? I would argue that there is no doubt that this kind of highly hypocritical and damaging move should emanate from a state of mind that unfortunately has become the victim of the political thinking of “the end justifies the means.” I wish given the experience he gained through time and occupation, Ambassador Zemene could not be one of the victims of this dirty political agenda and practice. Unfortunately enough, those individuals who claim themselves as fairly educated, as seniors in terms of age and work experience such as Ambassador Zemene Kasseggn have become victims of this latest monstrous political orchestration. Now, we are witnessing this evil-driven political weapon being used for tearing apart the people of Gondar who have built a real and strong sense of common identity throughout a very long period of history. Will this unfortunate way of doing politics have its own negative impact on the struggle for freedom and justice with a real sense of unity of purpose? Yes, it will. But, one thing is true. And that is those who choose to continue playing this dirty political game as long as they satisfy their voracious material interest will undoubtedly be defeated. And the very wicked political conspiracy being orchestrated on the people of Gondar in particular and the people of Ethiopia in general will not be different.
Before I conclude my comment, I want to say that Ato Byene of “Gondar Hibret” deserves appreciation for his well-articulated and rational way of argument. I sincerely believe the challenges we face desperately need multitude of genuinely courageous, rationally critical, reasonably straight-forward, optimistically courageous, and decisively forward-looking. It is fair to say that the moment we establish our thinking and argument simply on the basis of which ethnic group we belong to, we do make things terribly messy and extremely difficult if not impossible to get them right. I have to say that as long as the very purpose of “Gondar Hibret “ is to make public awareness in general and to help the people of Gondar not to be victims of a very dangerous political hypocrisy , it should be encouraged and supported. But, I strongly argue that it is desirable not to give an impression that ‘the Hibret” is to act like another “Moresh Wogenie Ye Gondar Derejet /Hibret” which I believe is a very bad sign of going backward if we are honest enough with ourselves. I am not saying people do not have the right to organize themselves in any way they may want. What I am saying is that the way we organize ourselves and to get things done should be incremental or developmental and make a meaningful difference that brings Ethiopia out of the general (political, socio-economic, cultural, moral/ethical and even religious) crises she found herself.
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