Independence from Poverty

At the "Ohangaron" market, workers installed a huge slogan on several tractors and cars. This slogan, for which at least a hundred meters of white and red fabric had been used, read: "Long live and prosper the independence of Tajikistan!"

An old woman holding a plastic bag, which likely contained a bunch of grapes, pointed at the slogan and asked us:
"Son, what is this independence? For a month now, all they talk about on TV is independence. In our district, there are at least 10-20 independences: our jamoat (local community) is called 'Istiqlol,' the street leading to the cemetery is also called 'Istiqlol.' My neighbor, who gave her daughter in marriage, named her grandson 'Istiqlol.' My neighbor’s son was accepted into university, yet he walks around the streets. I asked him one day, why aren't you attending classes? I know he doesn’t know much about studying because he’s spent years herding his father’s cattle. I told him, ‘You’re lying, you haven’t been accepted, and you're just wandering the streets under the pretext of independence.’ He swore he had been accepted."

According to this old woman, the young man swore that he had paid nearly 8,000 somoni to get into university. He said himself that 3,000 went for a bribe, and he had paid 5.5 thousand for the annual contract fee. The young man added that he was excused from classes until September 12, because everyone was busy preparing for the Independence Day celebration.
A man sitting next to me turned to the old woman and answered her question:
"31 years ago, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Tajikistan became independent. That means we, the people of Tajikistan, became self-sufficient."

The old woman gave the man a thoughtful look and said:
"Wasn’t the USSR good? Back then, a bag of flour cost 12 somoni."
She pointed to her plastic bag and said:
"Here’s your independence: the price of a bag of flour has become equal to a bunch of grapes. The fabric for this slogan could have been used to sew a wedding dress for a bride. Couldn’t they give it to some poor person? And all this in the name of independence!"
The old woman grumbled again:
"For almost 9 days now, there have been no classes in the universities. All the leaders and employees of government offices are not at their workplaces. They’re all busy with the Independence Day preparations."
"Hey, auntie, what are you saying? Don’t speak so loudly, or God forbid, the government will hear you and accuse you of terrorism, and then throw you in jail. This isn’t just a slogan; we have thousands of such slogans, and millions of somoni are spent on making them for this holiday. And millions more go into the pockets of those who write and install these slogans. The Independence Day celebration is just a way for officials to steal money from the state budget," the man whispered quietly to the old woman, leaning in.

For thirty years, we’ve celebrated this holiday in the same situation: Independence Day, the Melon Festival, the Pumpkin Festival, and so on. Yet people’s salaries and pensions don’t increase. But the prices for goods and food keep rising.
This year, as always, right before Independence Day, gas and fuel prices rose again by 40 dirams. As a result, all goods and food products became more expensive. Why?
After all, the price of gas and fuel in Russia hasn’t changed. What does Russia have to do with Tajikistan’s independence? Tajikistan imports gas, fuel, and other energy products from Russia. Why? There are many such "why’s," but no answers.
Another question: Is it necessary for Tajikistan to celebrate its independence so lavishly every year? From whom did we gain independence? From the Soviet Union, which collapsed on its own, forcing Tajikistan to declare its independence? Tajikistan gained independence from poverty, not through strength or resistance. Can’t we tell people the truth about independence through the media, without spending millions of somoni, and instead give teachers a decent salary, so that students can receive a good education and don’t have to pay bribes to get into universities? So that teachers don’t have to go to Russia to work for higher wages? But…
Every year, students march as if Tajikistan is so independent that no event in the world affects it. But in reality, the country's dependence on foreign nations is growing day by day. What kind of independence is this? I don’t understand.

Hikmati Darvesh