17 February 2010, 22:10
Dagestan hosts a rally of Kumyk nationals
On February 16, a rally of representatives of the Kumyk nation took place in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. The participants adopted an appeal to President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev.
At midday on February 16, over 2000 Kumyk nationals gathered in the square near the Kumyk Theatre.
They asserted that the rally could have been twice as much, if not for local law enforcers, who stopped many delegations at the access to the city, as the "Rosbalt" Agency reports.
As reported by the "Gazeta.Ru" Agency, the signatories of the appeal addressed to President Medvedev complained that Kumyks are poorly presented in local administrations.
At the same time, according to a source in one of Kumyk national organizations, the rally of the Kumyk public was spontaneous and related not so much with political but sooner with land claims.
According to the source, last week the subject of debates among Kumyk activists was the land around the Tarki-Tau Mountain near Makhachkala. Among the Kumyks, this locality is considered historically significant for the nation; therefore, any rumours about changes in the status of this land cause painful reaction, as the "Regnum" Agency reports.
