The first deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan Dauren Abayev believes that it is unfair to speak of the infringement of the Russian language in the Republic against the background of the situation with the so-called language patrols, and such precedents are unacceptable and outrageous.
Earlier, a number of mass media published reports that biased persons had organized checks of the use of the Kazakh language at some commercial facilities in the republic and, based on its results, had posted information on one of the channels on YouTube. In the published videos they insulted the representatives of non-indigenous nationalities of the republic.
"Without a doubt, such precedents are unacceptable and outrageous. Therefore, law enforcement agencies will give a fair legal assessment. Not because Russian deputies were outraged, but because in our country, in principle, such things are harshly suppressed regardless of who was discriminated and for what reason - Kazakhs, Russians or representatives of other ethnicities," Abayev said in an interview published Thursday in the program "Open Dialogue."
According to the deputy head of the presidential administration, the vast majority of Kazakhstanis condemn such displays of "caveman nationalism." "Unfortunately, such things happen all over the world, and this is not to say that such things are encouraged by the state or are a trend. Is it possible to judge the state of affairs in a country with a population of 19 million people by the inadequate actions of two or three people? I think not," Abayev noted.
"Facts are stubborn things," he continued. - "In our country, almost 90% of the population speaks Russian, one of the highest rates in the world. We have over 30% of school students studying in the Russian language, despite the fact that the proportion of Russians themselves in the population structure is now about 20%. Doesn't it speak about the demand for the language?"
Abayev also emphasized that there are 23 thousand teachers of Russian language and literature in Kazakhstan. "This is more than in any other country in Central Asia. Therefore, it is at least unfair to talk about the infringement of the Russian language in Kazakhstan," the first deputy head of the presidential administration of the republic added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials of TASS