Komsomolskaya Pravda: “Putin raises the ethnic issue”
Presidential candidate Vladimir Putin, as promised, continued presenting the main tenets of his presidential program through a series of written articles. Today's article, the second in the series, is called "Russia: the Ethnicity Issue." You can read the full version on the website kp.ru or Putin's campaign site putin2012.ru.
The "melting pot" is breaking down and giving off smoke.
"We can see what is happening in the world, what grave risks are piling up... Nationalism and religious intolerance are the ideological base for the most radical groups and movements...
The "melting pot" of assimilation is breaking down and emitting smoke, it cannot cope with the ever increasing scale of the flow of migration. This is reflected in the political arena by multiculturalism,... which enshrines the inalienable right of the minority to be different, but without balancing this right out, in relation to the indigenous population and society as a whole...
Despite all the outward similarities, our situation is fundamentally different. Our ethnic and migration problems are directly linked to the collapse of the Soviet Union...
Historically, Russia has never been a nation state or an American "melting pot", where everyone is in one way or another a migrant. Russia originated and has evolved for centuries as a multi-ethnic state...
The self-determination of the Russian people - is as a multi-ethnic civilisation, underpinned by a Russian cultural core. And the Russian people have confirmed this choice time and again, and not through plebiscites or referendums but with their blood. Throughout its thousand-year history...
One hundred books that shape a man
Civil peace and interethnic accord is not a picture painted once, and forever frozen in time. It is the result of the hard work of the state and society... The priority should be to emphasise the importance of subjects like the Russian language, Russian literature and Russian history in education, of course, within the context of the global wealth of all ethnic traditions and cultures...
Let us conduct a poll of our cultural figures of authority and put together a list of 100 books which every Russian school leaver should read...
State policy should set out the necessary requirements in the field of culture. By this we mean in television, cinema, the Internet, mass culture on the whole... I stress: no one is encroaching on artistic freedom, we are not talking about censorship or "official ideology", but about the fact that the state has a duty and a right to focus its efforts and resources towards resolving the social and public challenges it has identified...
We need a national policy strategy based on civic patriotism. There is no need for anyone living in Russia to forget their religion or ethnicity. But they should identify themselves primarily as citizens of Russia and take pride in that. No one has the right to put their ethnic or religious interests above the laws of the land. At the same time, national laws must take into account the specific characteristics of different ethnic and religious groups...
On the "national oppression of Russians"
When the rights of Russians in Russia, especially in those historically Russian areas, are being violated, it means the organs of government are not fulfilling their primary purpose, that of protecting the life, rights and security of its citizens. And since most of these citizens are Russians, the opportunity presents itself to talk about the "national oppression of Russians"...
On tightening the registration rules
We have to improve the quality of the state's migration policy... Illegal immigration can never be stamped out entirely, anywhere, but it should be kept to a minimum. And for this we have to strengthen the direct police functions and the powers of the immigration authorities...
Anyone coming to the regions with a different culture and historical traditions should respect the local customs. The customs of the Russians or any other people of Russia. Any aggressive, defiant or disrespectful behaviour should be met with a legal, but harsh, response... I am talking about breaking the law by violating immigration and registration rules... I think the rules and the sanctions for breaking them need to be tightened up. Of course, without prejudicing the constitutional right of citizens to choose their place of residence...
We cannot have isolated ethnic enclaves, where often there is no rule of law but one of gang culture. First and foremost this violates the rights of immigrants themselves, both from their own criminal bosses and from corrupt officials in power...
We have lived together for centuries. Together we won the most horrific war. And we will continue to live together. And anyone who wants to or tries to divide us, I have only one thing to say - don't hold your breath...
