Is Sayat Nova a Diaspora? Ethnic Minorities in Georgia Against Government Decisions

Georgian authorities have been accused by ethnic minorities for several days of discrimination. This is due to the decision to establish a council dealing with ethnic minority issues under the Parliament's Diaspora Committee. According to Alik Media, a flashmob titled "I am not a diaspora" has been launched on social media since the beginning of the week. Regardless of the developments surrounding the Nowruz holiday, ethnic minorities living in Georgia are also unhappy about the creation of a council dealing with ethnic minority issues under the Parliament's Diaspora Committee. The council's activities will be related to the greater integration of Georgia's ethnically diverse citizens, but they are puzzled by why it is associated with the diaspora committee.

On March 18, ethnic minorities held a protest near the Georgian Parliament against the topic. Among the participants, a young man stood out with a placard that read “Is Sayat Nova a Diaspora?” Mkrtych Shahdinyan, who joined the initiative of the "Salam" organization, expressed his thoughts: “It’s very unfortunate, it seems that the ‘Georgian Dream’ does not recognize the work we have put in, our efforts, and the cultural aspect of the country's development. It seems they are not familiar with history,” said Shahdinyan.