According to the interviewee, the Youth Union was solving problems within the interests of the president, and not citizens.
Mass layoffs of employees of the Youth Union of Uzbekistan started in September. According to the decision of the central council of the union, adopted at the end of August, 60-80% of employees were subject to dismissal, depending on whether they are from the regional or the district office. Many employees said that they are not going to be hired by the new Youth Affairs Agency. What is happening in the youth policy of the republic? Why was the Youth Union created only for three years? Expert Bakhrom Khamroev clarified the situation for CentralAsia.news readers.
Support of Mirziyoyev
The death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov in 2016 did not mean that a new leader will start a new «era» of the republic. Many of Karimov’s proteges were still working at the state structures. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who became president understood that his position must be strengthened if he wanted to be a full-fledged head of the state and not just a replacement for the former leader following the instructions of the «old guard».
According to Khamroev, the Youth Union was not supposed to be a large-scale organization that would become the foundation for the development of youth policy. The creation involved the solution of specific tasks for a certain period of time. In other words, there was no intention for an organization to become permanently active, such as a ministry. It was just that Mirziyoyev and his associates decided that one of the vectors within strengthening their political positions would be to ensure the growth of popularity among young people.
— At the time of the creation of the Youth Union in 2017, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who had just come to power, replacing the suddenly deceased Islam Karimov, did not feel confident at the position of head of the state. Accordingly, he needed control over key areas of public life and, of course, he needed to get the loyalty of young people, — said the interviewee.
The youth organization in Uzbekistan was not an invention of the current president. Even under Karimov, there was a public youth movement «Kamolot». The expert explained why it was necessary to create a duplicate structure.
— Mirziyoyev could not rely on «Karimov» structures, such as «Kamolot», which had turned into an old-world organization that did not have any authority, like the late Soviet Komsomol, — said the expert.
Khamroev also reminded that «Kamolot» stood for the complete independence of Uzbekistan. The calls and views of the organization would hardly benefit Russian-Uzbek ties. «Complete independence» allegedly from Moscow did not correspond to the changed foreign policy of Tashkent.
That’s how an organization not related to the previous contradictory regime appeared.
— Mirziyoyev imitated active work with young people and taking into account their interests. In this case, he got the image of a progressive politician leaving behind Karimov’s traditions of inertia and gerontocracy, — said the interviewee.
Challenges and prospects
Bakhrom Khamroev drew attention to the fact that not all politicians in Central Asia believe that the development of youth can be independent. The formation of ideology, in their opinion, should be under complete control, in particular within the religious aspect.
— The creation of youth organizations under the state is intended to fill the ideological vacuum. A similar «Komsomol», acting under the motto: «We support the president», in particular, carried out massive propaganda work at educational institutions to support Mirziyoyev’s policy, as well as to stop alternative ways of youth development, and that even includes picketing mosques in order to prevent their visit to these institutions during school time, — said the expert.
According to Khamroev, the Youth Union has already fulfilled the main tasks, the current regime gained solid support and doesn’t need to spend a lot of money on the non-governmental youth movement.
If we don't take into account the «top authority» and the political factor, then the youth organizations were not really helpful for young people. The problems of the relevant citizens were not really solved. The most acute issue is the problem with employment. Young people have to go to other countries to work. The coronavirus pandemic and border closures made the situation worse. Young families have problems with the placement of children at kindergartens and schools, and the purchase of housing.
The expert added that it would be pointless to «produce» new youth organizations. The authorities should implement fundamental reforms based on the desire to improve the lives of citizens, and not on the formation of ideology and control among the youth.
