Shorouk Express 
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 17. Today Azerbaijan
marks National Revival Day.
On the first days of 1988, Armenia started its evident
aggression against Azerbaijan. Seeing Moscow and particularly the
head of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev’s indifferent attitude towards
these events, the Armenians started mass deportation of the
Azerbaijanis from their native lands in Armenia under the
instructions of the Armenian government.
More than 200,000 Azerbaijanis were deported from their homes,
killed by the Armenians. Gorbachev and the rest of the USSR
leadership had no reaction to the Armenian vandalism.
In early February 1988, Armenians carried out revolts in
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and even raised the issue of
joining those lands with Armenia.
Azerbaijani people expressed protest to the government. Slogans,
portraits and flags carried by the Azerbaijani citizens proved
their belief to Moscow and local authorities at that time. But
getting no serious answer from Moscow and the then government,
people from every corner of the republic moved to Baku and gathered
on Azadlig Square (Lenin Square at that time), held meetings and
evidently expressed their protest.
Azerbaijani people started indefinite rally on Azadlig Square
against the anti-Azerbaijani policy of the USSR on Nov.17, 1988. It
was a real national liberation movement. The Soviet troops
dispersed the nationwide rally in early December. These events are
regarded in Azerbaijan as the start of the national liberation
movement and the main factor in gaining independence.
November 17 has been marked as the Day of National Revival since
1992.
