Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan<\/p>\n
Black January is the day of \u201cMartyrdom\u201d for the people of Azerbaijan which changed the course of history and geography too. On January 20, the people of Azerbaijan pay tribute to its all martyrs. It was a state terrorism and crime against humanity on part of former USSR. It was marked the beginning of the end of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan.
\nBlack January has paramount socio-economic, geo-political and geo-strategic importance. It instrumented to downfall of former USSR. It changed the history and geography of the region and beyond. It was the beginning of new era of self-determination. It paved the way of greater self-respect, political autonomy, socio-economic prosperity and above all strategic connectivity.
\nDespite difference of faiths, sects, societal strata, political affiliations and economic priorities, Azeri people were united by \u201cGrief, Black January\u201d during which innocent children, weaker factions of the society and men were massacred by the Soviet Troops. It was an act against humanity. It was gross violation of basic human rights. It was battel between tanks and think-tanks, riffles and political resolve, deadly weapons and self-determination, guns and gravels, military force and martyrdom and ultimately human spirits became victorious. It was blood of so many people which subsequently succeeded to defeat beast. It was collective act of courage, bravery and determination. It was the turning point in the national and political history of Azerbaijan and subsequently it achieved ultimate goal of independency.
\nGrief united Azerbaijanis and its cemented its rich diversity which it still holds as an ideal hub of \u201cmulticulturalism\u201d in the region as well as world. Martyrs included a young Azerbaijani boy, a teenage Jewish girl, an elderly Russian man and many others from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. The tragedy united the people of Azerbaijan into a community of citizens of an independent nation and strengthened their resolve to achieve that independence.
\nIt is one of the bitter lessons of the human civilization that naked power has had been inflicting defeats against people strive to achieve independence. History repeated again in case of Azerbaijan. The Black January proved a \u201cturning point\u201d in the national history of Azerbaijan. The massacre did not alter the will of the people of Azerbaijan. Despite being subjected to military, political and moral aggression, Azerbaijani national movement succeeded to stand against Soviet challenge, and Soviet troops eventually had to withdraw from Baku. Subsequently Azerbaijan declared its independence on October 18, 1991.
\nJanuary 20th bears rich symbolism for many in Azerbaijan and throughout Eurasia. On that day, the majority of the people of Azerbaijan lived through the personal transformation of burning Soviet identity and becoming citizens of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan at the time when such independence still seemed unreachable.
\nAzerbaijani people still remember the tragic day of January 20 as if it happened yesterday. Hundreds of civilians were crushed or injured by the Soviet troops in Baku on January 20, 1990, on an order from the USSR leadership that was trying to maintain the Communist regime in Azerbaijan and strangle the national liberation movement but they miserably failed to do so.
\nAlthough the Soviet government attempted to rewrite history, claiming the massacre was a measure to protect Russians and Armenians. The sole objective was to maintain the rule of the Communist party in Azerbaijan and make this an example to the organisers of resistance movements in other republics. It is day in which hundreds of Azerbaijanis stood up to communist rule. After black January, every effort to keep Azerbaijan under Soviet Rule proved worthless.
\nThough the Azerbaijani people suffered military, moral and political aggression, they showcased their ability to maintain the traditions of historical heroism and resist the cruelest attacks for the sake of the freedom and independence of their motherland, even at the cost of losing their lives. The sons of the motherland perished on January 20, 1990 while defending the freedom and independence of Azerbaijan and with their bravery made history.
\nThe date of 20 January is written in blood for Azerbaijanis across the world. The suppression was brutal and uncompromising. Altogether, 133 Azerbaijani civilians were killed and approximately 700 were wounded.
\nTo be continued
\nThe victims included elderly people, women, children, and even medical personnel. The killings were indiscriminate, with the slain including Azerbaijanis, Russians, Jews and Tartars. In addition to the massacre in Baku, killings took place in the Lenkaran and Neftchala regions of Azerbaijan, claiming the lives of 26 people.
\nMikhail Gorbachev on 27 April 1997 commented that: \u201cProclaiming the state of emergency in Baku and sending an army to the city was the biggest mistake of my political life.
\nPresident of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev paid a tribute to 20 January shahids in Martyrs\u2019 Lane on this National Morning Day. He visited the graves of shahids and laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument. Government officials, foreign diplomats and members of the public visit Martyrs\u2019 Avenue, where the victims of the 20 January tragedy are buried. A variety of events conferences, round tables, photo exhibitions and documentary screenings were held in many countries.
\nAt the same time Azerbaijani media published articles dedicated to the January 20 tragedy. Azerbaijanis living in countries throughout Europe held a variety of events dedicated to the January 20 anniversary.
\nIn 1994, the National Assembly of Azerbaijan approved a full political and legal report evaluating the Black January events. On 16 December 1999, the former President Heydar Aliyev declared that all victims of Black January would be awarded the honorary title of 20 yanvar s?hidi \u201cMartyrs of 20th January\u201d. The memorial called \u201cMartyr\u2019s Lane\u201d was constructed to preserve the memories about those who lost their lives. Every year Azeris come to lay flowers and remember the struggle for independence.
\nHeydar Aliyev came to the Azerbaijan SSR’s office in Moscow and fiercely denounced the bloodshed. The father and former President of Azerbaijan stood against all odds and condemned this attack as crime against humanity while even living in Moscow at that time. He extended his support to people. He fought bravely for the independence of his beloved country and ultimately succeeded to achieve it.
\nHis defiance helped to inspire the Azerbaijani people and Aliyev became a leader of the struggle for liberty. The force could not stop the people of Azerbaijan from seeking their freedom. In fact, it only increased their resolve to re-establish a free and independent Azerbaijan. His defiance helped to inspire the Azerbaijani people and Aliyev became a leader of the struggle for liberty.
\nThe journey of Azerbaijan people towards independence and preserving of the territorial integrity of their country began in 1988 and eventually developed into a national liberation movement. The failure of the USSR government to envision renewed Armenian claims on Azerbaijan\u2019s territory, and separatist activities in Nagorno-Karabakh, further bolstered the people\u2019s national liberation spirit. Thousands of people protesting against the policy of the USSR held demonstrations all day long in the central square and the streets of Baku. The leaders of the Soviet empire perpetrated the Jan. 20 massacre in Azerbaijan, a republic with strengthening tendencies toward independence.
\nJanuary 20, 1990 symbolizes the superiority of human traits over state terrorism. It upholds the true pictures of heroism and horrendous crime. It projects the purity of self-determination over the power of destruction. It values the importance of sacrifice and courage in order to achieve larger than life goals i.e. independence. Today, Azerbaijan\u2019s freedom is solid and irrevocable which is the blessing of departed souls of January 20, 1990 martyrs
\nBlack January showcased Azeri people\u2019s supreme human values which enforced former USSR to withdraw from their soils and ultimately they got independence. It was the bloods of so many innocent people which blasted the military supremacy of the former USSR. Humanity won and horrendous crimes defeated and destroyed.
\nLife has totally changed and it is because of its visionary leaders and hardworking people. Now Azerbaijan stands for socio-economic prosperity, diversification, culturalism hub, and above all investments. It is now city of arts, hospitality, dialogue, diplomacy and development.
\nConcluded<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan Black January is the day of \u201cMartyrdom\u201d for the people of Azerbaijan which changed the course of history and geography too. On January 20, the people of Azerbaijan pay tribute to its all martyrs. It was a state terrorism and crime against humanity on part of former USSR. It was marked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10247","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article"},"yoast_head":"\n