Gizat Khalilov: “It is impossible to turn the river back!”

The director general of Zhaikkabel plant (Uralsk) Gizat Khalilov wrote the text which caused a great interest in those Kazakhstan citizens who are interested in the events in the republic and not only listen to offered answers, but also ask questions … And the transfer declared in the near future in Kazakhstan from the Cyrillic alphabet to Roman alphabet is actually a question of the questions!

Today we publish Gizat Khalilov's reflections in this respect, but at first we will provide his answers to questions of our portal;

- Gizat Khalilovich, do you work long ago over this subject which became suddenly the most topical?

- Even in 2007 in the Respublika newspaper I printed big article about the language. Then there was also the question of transfer to Latin too. I couldn't but express the opinion. I told that, in my opinion, the Russian language has to receive the status of a state language in Kazakhstan. As for the Roman alphabet, I then noticed that it will reject us on about hundred years ago in the development!

This year this question arose again and I, looking at all these processes, decided to write that of all I think of this.

- Any strange situation turns out: we speak much about integration, all new mechanisms of this process, but hardly the Roman alphabet introduction in Kazakhstan will promote the integration about which it is spoken so much! Where is the logic?!

- Many things in life are illogical and it is difficultly therefore to be surprised. For example, some circles being under the influence of Turkey work very actively. In general, Turkey takes root well: they continue the policy begun still by Turgut Ozal – the politicy of expansion of Ottoman influence. Therefore its influence is also strong on our some figures, many of whom also studied in Turkey. There are such politicians …

- Has the national opinion any value at the solution of the question mentioning the civilization bases of the modern state?

- Kazakhstan is the huge territory; the people on it can be told, is sprayed. Therefore no bright expression can be expected. Besides, the people are so exhausted economically that all similar processes take place by. But it doesn't mean that it is necessary to be silent! I expressed the opinion:

The answer to academicians about transfer to Roman alphabet

The question of transfer of writing to the Roman alphabet is again started by a certain part of officials. These people, being covered with ranks of academicians, doctors, rectors, pressure upon the decision, in my opinion, of the far-fetched question, not studied by somebody strenuously pile on the agony. And the “men of science”, some officials, advancing the idea, don't prove a question by any serious argument, at least for this purpose to confirm the high rank.

Other doctors and academicians, probably, also without having any firm position, silently agree with the first one by the principle “that is nothing to do with me”.

For example, the statement of the president of the International Turkic academy Mr. Ibrayev Sh. that Roman alphabet is necessary to the republic by 2017 with the purpose of “pleasantly to surprise 5 million guests of EXPO-2017” is really “the brilliant statement of the big scientist”; the Doctor of Philology, professor Alimkhan Zhunisbek is of the same opinion. These people don't consider, with what “delight” will apprehend this news by the 14 million Kazakhstan citizens whom nobody asked and whether the Roman alphabet is necessary in the presence of such powerful adapted in the republic and given to the people high level of education of writing as Cyrilliс alphabet.

Let’s, misters academicians, we will try to think.

1. You are sure, that there will arrive 5 million people, instead of 5 thousand? After all an economic situation in the world still in a condition of deep crisis, and it is difficult to predict when it will end.

2. If the favourable conditions for this purpose suddenly would be created, you are sure that all business world will rush to Kazakhstan? After all now it is impossible to surprise someone with any invention therefore only those who are interested in the technology necessary for them will arrive. Your confidence could be supported if we could provide plus to it a tourist zone with the corresponding climate, the nature, infrastructure, a transport component, etc., but all this is impossible to create in the conditions of our steppes.

3. Thirdly, in my opinion, in general it is absurdly sounds in lips of “academicians” “to choose writing for the people” proceeding from desire to please the guests of EXPO-2017, having presented it as beautiful caftan, without reflecting on consequences of this gift for own people.

If this opinion to consider as a fruit of your scientific researches in the field of writing development, that, has to be, you have answers to all questions which could arise in connection with its change.

You have to agree that this reform will touch all directions of activity of the republic and can be reflected in the future of all people.

Besides, it is necessary to assume that the Russian-speaking population of the country and it is not less than 5 -6 million people, can simply act and, without deliberating, to leave the country, even that who doubt this step today. After all there is Russia “behind a hillock”. Agree that hardly the Russian person in order to please to guests of Kazakhstan will refuse the writing for himself and the children as it can cause the loss of the native language. With whom then we will remain in the huge territory?

Are you ready, misters, to risk and assume responsibility for writing change, not excepting probabilities of emergence of similar circumstances? The people provided you the right to make decisions on such fatal questions?

You, mister Ibrayev, consider that the Roman alphabet is the international standard. In your opinion, more than 20 countries using the Arab ligature and 1, 5 billion people the writing of whom is many thousands hieroglyphs, are still remain “outboard” of the international standard. What’s the matter, why they so lagged behind the world and its standard? Probably, they had no still the reformer of so large calibre or a significant event as EXPO-2017 in order to give a gift to guests in the form of signs in Roman alphabet caressing a look?

Doesn’t it seem to you, misters scientists that your reformatory ideas read off scale out of limits of your opportunities and powers? The Kazakhstan people, for 100 percent knowing the Russian and its writing, for some reason have to refuse all that acquired one hundred years according to your instructions?

Earlier, in 2007, I provided the assessment of the Russian language in the article stated by the Soviet professor K.Kh.Khanazarov: “It is the language possessing a large number and high quality of information which incorporated and incorporates the cultures of the West and the East, keeping at the same time integrity and solidity in all territory of the distribution and acts nowadays as one of the most grammatical and scientifically developed languages of the present”.

For philologists it would be logical first of all to disprove this assessment, to prove harm or uselessness of the Russian language and its writing to the people of Kazakhstan and only after that, scientifically proving the need of transfer of writing on Roman alphabet, to show the practical methods of mass development by the people of English and its writing in exchange to the Russian language and its writing.

In recent years I notice with surprise that we, the Kazakhs, earlier sitting for decades, suddenly fell into a wave of reforms without showing excessive initiatives. One constantly reform the education, others reform the science, the third — legal system, the fourth — administrative arrangement of the state. You are among those who try to reform the writing, everyone shakes reformatory idea on the place. When these shake-ups will come to an end and, at last, will allow the people to work quietly?

And meanwhile, misters, as it seems to me, you underestimate the Cyrillic alphabet, writing which allowed you, the descendants of yesterday's nomads, today to become presidents of the international academies, doctors, rectors. What “take-off” you still demand from the writing, what lameness you feel from a lack of Roman alphabet for you personally?

And now at bottom of the question.

Let I will help you to descend from your big scientific chairs to the earth and we will try to estimate together:

1. The today's first-former by 2017 will already be fixed in a zone of existing writing and taking into account all other people, these are at least 90% of the population of the country, all the literacy will build on Cyrillic alphabet. It means, the next 70 — 80 years even if not to consider the mass of other forms of influence on a situation, nobody will be able to bring Cyrillic alphabet out of use.

2. The child, having started mastering the Roman alphabet since 2017, further to develop, won't be able to use everything that is acquired by the above-named part of the population and that it uses today from the Russian and universal literature, science, equipment, technology. The same circumstances can be created for office-work, it is meant not only office, but also business, technical, legal, medical, etc.

You don't consider that even in the presence of existing writing many structures still finally weren't approved in what language to make it. The Russian didn't find the steady status yet, the Kazakh language is applicable not everywhere because of a poor development in the special directions.

Do you consider necessary everything to turn on Roman alphabet since 2017? And can you, especially taking into account the weight of constantly arriving diverse through Russia, newer information? With Roman arrival we should choose the same already from three directions.

Don’t you consider, misters scientists that your reform can psychologically and intellectually to stratify the republic population on those who created the intelligence on Cyrillic alphabet and their books and on those who lost this opportunity because of Roman alphabet?

I think that misters scientists will agree that in the market of printed materials and in the book funds of the republics there is not only “Way of Abay” which could be turned on Roman, but there is much on Cyrillic that creates the intelligence of our people, levels with that world which already in other worlds looks for a civilization and you suggest to recede and start on hundred years ago again from scratch that civilization which many states already passed?

Do you, misters, ready to recommend all this with strong conviction to throw out on an ash heap of history and to start accumulating again in Roman in the republic of an operating time of mankind?

After all those who will pass to the Roman alphabet, can't read something from written in the Russian as won't be able to read the English literature at own Roman because of language ignorance, it is impossible to translate everything to the Kazakh language with the Roman alphabet.

What way out do you see from this situation? Who become our people, torn off from books for decades? Don’t not books are the main engines of progress of mankind? After all the books are necessary not only for reading but also to teach people to think, understand, create the modern world, its philosophy, psychology, technology.

Are you sure that all people through Roman alphabet will study suddenly English to such high level without existence of the environment of communication? Or these questions aren't so important when there is an opportunity “to flash” before guests by the Roman?

And how do you look through the study at schools, averages and higher educational institutions? They, using the Roman alphabet what language will study, the Russian, Kazakh or English? Who and in what language will create the hundreds of special books for them as in twenty years of independence even the fairy tales for children in the Kazakh language didn't appear in the market of books?

Is it necessary to consider these circumstances at change of writing as the stubborn facts of today?

For example, the simplest and acquired direction, apparently — it is the power supply without which we can't live, functions first of all according to the instruction written in the Russian and Cyrillic, 500 — 600 pages. How do you think to use Ilyich bulb without this instruction? Or do you think that a bulb like the sun will always shine in itself?

Probably, so surely expressing need of transition to Roman alphaber, you compare our country to Turkey?

Then it is necessary to remind you about different “weight categories” with them. Turkey is one of the great countries of the world numbering about 70 million people, the country with deep history of development in the environment of civilized countries of the world which, historically being on a joint of the Arab writing and Roman, all times scooped all necessary from these countries and their civilizations. Is their experience applicable for us?

We are geographically and historically attached to Russia, the small agrarian country which everything that has and keeps in no small measure thanks to the neighbourhood with this great country and its people.

Besides, in structure with the Russian people, having studied its language and writing, our ancestors followed only hundred years ago a way of secular development and for short term rose to level far not the last countries of the world? Probably, the misters scientists forgot the history of the last century?

Academicians and doctors, without creating the future illusion, have to agree that as mastered the Roman alphabet, we never appear in the English-speaking zone — the world map won't allow, therefore 7 thousand kilometres of joint border with Russia will always define our development.

Unfortunately, this situation isn't considered by similar scientists and the other reformers of our country distracting the people and the country from universal civilization processes, without fitting in which and floundering in the reforms, it is possible to appear on a roadside of future history.

Our ancestors already had the experience of introduction of Roman alphabet, the Arab writing, but neither that, nor another “didn't get accustomed”; there is a lot of reasons for that and therefore, having spent centuries, came to Cyrillic alphabet thanks to which we became today the state with general secondary education.

Having lost the Cyrillic alphabet and the Russian language connecting us with the whole world, we can lose everything that we have today. It is impossible to turn the river back!

You, misters Ibrayev and Zhunisbek before initiating your ideas about writing change, have to answer these and other questions which else will arise much on this subject that “not to wave fists after fight”.

If you aren't able to answer them or keep silent that is equivalent to defeat, the people will have a need to raise a question for the president of compliance you to your high scientific ranks and positions. Think still, after all a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.