08 March 2017, 21:38
Rally in Nalchik demands complete rehabilitation of Balkars
A demand to the authorities to fully rehabilitate Balkars, including a transfer of four villages under the jurisdiction of Balkar districts and the return of historical names to a number of villages, was voiced out by the participants of the rally in Nalchik, dedicated to the 73rd anniversary of the violent eviction of Balkars.
The mass deportation of Balkars was undertaken on March 8, 1944, when in 14 trains at least 37,713 Balkars were transported to places of settlement in Central Asia.
The participants of the today’s rally in Nalchik have commemorated the victims of political repressions against the Balkar people by a minute of silence. After that, flowers were laid down to the memorial of victims of political repressions of the Balkar people, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.
After the official ceremony, a rally was held, organized by the Board of Elders of the Balkar people. According to organizers, it was about 200 persons strong.
Ismail Sabanchiev, the Chairman of the Council of Elders, spoke at the rally and blamed the "Stalin-Beria regime" for the deportation. In his opinion, Balkars "must unite and achieve their complete rehabilitation, otherwise they may cease to exist as an ethnos."
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Author: Lyudmila Maratova Source: CK correspondent
