Saturday, September 12, 2009

GRIEF OF MY HEART by Khassan Baiev

The very first reference i came across referring to the Chechens was in Alexsander Solzhenitsyns Gulag Archipelago in the mid 80s.In it Solzhenitsyn describes his time as a schoolmaster in a Chechen village whilst serving exile as part of his sentence of 3 years imprisonment in a workcamp and 5 years exile two autonomous republics from his home territory.

From the very beginning he realises the Chechens are a complete breed apart and will never accept Russian hegemony.Solzhenitsyns watches helplessly as the Chechens in the village deal with a local miscreant in an age old custom of internecine settling of feuds that even the local Soviet law enforcing agents are powerless to interfere without themselves being targeted by the all-encompassing clamour for revenge.

To his credit he proposes that the Russians must get out of Chechnya and allow them to deal with their own issues independently and without any interference.

A Few years before Solzhenitsyn had made his way to the region Adolf Hitler has taken a shine for external foisting of wills in the area as it was a central plank for Soviet Oil and gas supplies.It is worth bearing in mind that the capital Grozny is a major locus for several gas pipelines converging in the town , hence we have a strategic mineral wealth interest in the area.

The Chechens have had the lovely pleasure of having been ethnically cleansed by the Russians on three separate occasions , hence why the relations between the Chechens and the Russians are somewhat strained.The first time was in the time of Catherine the great when the Russians entered the region as invited guests of a "protectorate" ; the second was in the time of Stalin when , taking advantage of nearly all the male population of fighting age was serving in the Soviet army in eastern Europe , liberating among other places Leningrad , and pushing towards Berlin , where the component of the Soviet army was so ethnically diverse that commissars were obliged to communicate orders in seventeen different languages , the divisions of the NKVD state police moved into the area and deported the whole population to Siberia , where they were to be joined by the very fighting Chechen soldiers once they had been de-mobilised from the front when the real fighting was over.

And the third occasion being the brutal merciless War in which Baiev was the only doctor in Grozny administrating to 80,000 civilians and many Russian soldiers as well.Until the events of 9/11 and the repositioning of the world order in either being for or against the Bush Doctrine US foreign policy , a circumstance in which not a few almost biblical tyrants found themselves being lauded as frontline standard bearers of civilisation and the cultural values of the freedom and Hope , the Chechen war was studiously ignored by Governments and Media alike.

Baiev spurned a life in cultural encouraged and state supported field of sports , where he overcame early physical illnesses to become an award winning expert in the martial arts of judo , he was also to become a World Champion at Sambo.Baievs decision to become a doctor was a lead to many and varied tribulations and privations as he struggled to gain in an academic world riddled with obstacles to students of Caucasians backgrounds.He spent the first six months of his residence in medical college sleeping rough in the local train station.

After many hard experiences he ultimately became a specialist in cosmetic surgery in Moscow.But the forebodings of War in his native land coupled with a profound sense of duty lured him back where he sensed his valuable skills will be required to serve his People.

Strictly observing the Hippocratic oath he assisted not only his fellow Chechens , but also helped many Russian soldiers as well , inviting many charges of treason , as well as death threats from all parties in the War.In very debilitating and harrowing circumstances , without even a semblance of any medications or clean equipment he motivated himself with the childhood pledge " I am not afraid.I an Strong.I must be an example to others.".The most vital help he garnered were brave and courageous nurses at his side " 60% of an operations success depends on the assistant.".

Khassan decided to go on pilgrimage to Mecca , on page 212 he relates a very important undertaking to be made when one leaves " before a pilgrim leaves for Mecca..you must clear up your debts, resolve quarrels , ask for those you harmed forgiveness.".

Ultimately he managed to flee an increasingly dangerous and alarming situation , finally ending up in the US.Having toured the US and Europe explaining his story and the plight of the Chechens to captivated audiences throughout the world , including a visit to Glasgow when i had the honour of hosting him , he went on to make a documentary for the Witness Programme on Al-Jazeera about a visit back to Chechnya.
It is a must see chronicle of suffering ; bravery ; defiance and the Human Will to Survive.



You can keep abreast of the latest developments in Khassan Baievs lifework and the ongoing plight of the Chechens in his remarkable website

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