Ingush Social Chamber Case of ‘Civic Dialogue … Without Dialogue,’ Chablin Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, February 1 – Even compared to the low standard of Social Chambers in the republics of the North Caucasus, Anton Chablin says, the one in Ingushetia is distinguished by its lack of activity and slavish support of the authorities rather than the people, backing the border deal with Chechnya and opposing to the popular protest movement. 

            “In the majority of regions of the North Caucasus, these structures are fake and rarely participate in the life of civil society,” the journalist says. They spend money – in Ingushetia, about 3.5 million rubles (60,000 US dollars) a year – but seldom meet or discuss anything of concern to the population (6portal.ru/posts/гражданский-диалог-без-диалога/#more-984).

            What the Ingush one does is among the most unknown. Although created in 2011, three years after such bodies were authorized, it didn’t have a website until recently; and now, its site is updated so late –materials for 2018 were put up only at the end of the following year – and its membership so out of touch with society – no prominent activists are included – that it doesn’t matter at all.

            The Ingush Chamber has 38 members. They have been changed only twice in the last nine year. The head, Movlat-Gireyv Dzagiyev, has not been changed at all. An official of the last three republic heads, he is for whatever they are for and against whatever they are against regardless of the views of the population.

            With regard to popular protests, Dzagiyev has said that “meeting passions do not lead to anything good. That which opposition forces in Ingushetia are doing is a manifestation of negative attitudes toward the president of Russia.” And with regard to the border deal with Chechnya, he supports the Russian Supreme Court’s approval of that much-hated accord.

            He and his colleagues have never criticized elections however managed, and they have said nothing about the high level of corruption among Ingush officials, leaving them even more useless as far as society is concerned, Chablin suggests, than even the Social Chambers that other North Caucasus republics have and other republic leads control.