13 November 2003, 16:39
Abkhazian public organizations discuss problem of return of Abkhazian Mahajirs' descendants to historic native land
A round table discussion was held in Sukhum on November 11 on the initiative of the non-government public organization "Center for Humanitarian Programs". It was devoted to the problems of return of descendants of Mahajirs - who were forced to leave their native land in the 19th century as a result of the Caucasian War - to Abkhazia.
Parliament Speaker Nugzar Ashuba, Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Zantaria, Deputy Head of the State Committee for Repatriation Erkan Kutarba, Chairman of the State Fund for Abkhazian Language Development Tali Djopua, deputies of the National Assembly and repatriates participated in the discussion.
Besides, problems of adaptation, social and ethnical integration of repatriates were touched upon during the discussion.
"The return of our compatriots to the native land is important for us. This process takes place not only in Abkhazia, but in Russia, Adygeya and other countries," said director of the Center for Humanitarian Programs Batal Kobakhia.
It is worth noting that, according to different sources, from 0.5 to 1 million people who are descendants of Abkhazian Mahajirs ("Mahajir" means a "forcedly displaced person") live in foreign countries today. The majority of the forcedly displaced Abkhazians live in Turkey.
Only some hundreds of repatriates live in Abkhazia now.
Author: Anzhela Kuchuberiya, CK correspondent Source: Caucasian Knot
