So, on January 7, 2023, a unique historical event took place. On that day, a congress of supporters of Ingushetia’s independence was held in Istanbul, where the Committee for Ingush Independence (CII) was established. The goals of the CII are to consolidate Ingush society around the idea of freedom and independence, to preserve cultural and religious identity, and to lay the foundations for an independent Ingush state. It is reported that well-known Ingush public figures and activists participated in the congress, but for security reasons most of their identities were not revealed, and only some of the speakers’ faces are visible in the photos provided by the organizers. Nevertheless, the publication of a number of resolutions and program materials from the congress has been announced.
So why do we use such a loud epithet as «historic event» to describe this event? The point is that for the first time the Ingush public, represented by its national movement, declares the goal of creating an independent state of Ingushetia. Until now, all the Ingush organizations either advocated Ingushetia’s incorporation into the Russian Federation or supported the Galgayche Imarat Kavkaz movement. At the beginning of 2023, however, it can be said that neither of these projects has succeeded. While it can be said that the Imarat Kavkaz or any other format of a Caucasian state has not yet materialized, it can also be said that the Russian Federation has already ceased to exist. Yes, it’s true, because people who constantly mention the name «Russian Federation» and, first of all, those who support it, don’t understand that it doesn’t smell like a federation, just as it doesn’t smell like a state of law, democracy and other fictions proclaimed in its constitution. And for a long time, the Ingush movement has been pinning its hopes on being able to protect the rights of the republic and its people within the framework of the revival of real federalism, national and religious freedom, political representation and competition in Russia. All this has been trampled upon not only by the Russian government, but the Russian opposition, which theoretically stands for all this, has done nothing to unite in the struggle for these goals with the national forces of the peoples of the Russian republics, which it ignores as non-existent. Therefore, in such a situation, it is not surprising that even those who had hopes for the correction of this country are now setting a course for independence.
Of course, it is easier to declare independence than to achieve it. Strategically, the creation of a viable state for the Ingush people depends not only on relations with Russia, which has signed its own death sentence by attacking Ukraine but also on relations with its closest neighbors, who will not disappear like Russia. And above all, of course, with the fraternal Chechen people, with whom it will be necessary to resolve territorial disputes and to find a formula of fraternal coexistence and close cooperation. We wish our brothers all the best in this endeavor.