No to the closure of the ‘Melkonian’

- People of all ages demonstrate their opposition

Simerini daily – Thursday, March 25, 2004

NICOSIA – Graduates, parents and students of the school yesterday demonstrated their opposition to the decision by the management committee of the Armenian General Benevolent Organisation (AGBU) to terminate the operation of the “Melkonian Institute”.

One of the most touching moments was when the whole of the Armenian community sang, in front of the monument of the Melkonian brothers, the school’s anthem and laid a carnation.

Characteristic was the presence of 75 years old Marie Somakian, who studies at the “Melkonian” in 1946. “The school is very important to us, because it is the only with a boarding house in the whole of the diaspora and we must maintain it, for our culture and our children,” she said, adding that her whole family studied there – her son, both her daughters, her sister and her son-in-law.

Student Hovik Demirdjian said that they will all fight to the end. “Today is only the beginning,” he said and added: “We aim to do much more, while we send letters daily to these Americans. As they claim, they will place us in other schools, however, how can we trust those who have clipped our wings?”

Sixteen years old student Elizabeth Torossian said that this is her second home. “When it closes, where shall we go? I’m in the fifth grade. Which school will accept a student for only one year,” she asked.

Present at the protest was the chairman of the House Education Committee Prodromos Prodromou, who said: “This is no time to close schools, but to open them, especially today when we talk about multicultural education.”

He repeated that the Committee asked the Ministry of Interior to speed up the ratification of the declaration of the school as national heritage buildings and the whole school grounds into one of historical and cultural importance. He also emphasized that “if the Foundation terminates the operation of the school or in any other way changes the inheritance of the Melkonian brothers, then we consider this not only as a hostile act, but also contrary to what was reassured to us in the House. We consider the idea to compensate the students and send them to other private schools as unacceptable.”

Also present at the protest were the representative of the Armenian religious group, Bedros Kalaydjian, the press spokesman of DYSI [Democratic Rally] Tasos Mitsopoulos, the press spokesman of [left wing] AKEL Andros Kyprianou, the representative of the United Democrats Michalis Papapetrou and the Mayor of Aglandjia Andreas Petrou.

{Ed’s note: a large colour photograph on the center of the back page of this newspaper depicted students waving the Armenian tricolor in front of the school gates. The caption reads: “No to the closure of the Melkonian – With slogans such as “the Melkonian is not for sale” students of the Institute, as well as parents, protested against the closure of the school. Present at the demonstration were political party representatives, as well as the Mayor of Aglandjia, Andreas Petrou]

(Translated from Greek)