Political scientist Bielinis: The Freedom of the Lithuanian is as durable, as much freedom they give to the national minorities

Professor Lauras Bielinis from the Kaunas Vytautas the Great University argues that the proposal of the original spelling of names and surnames has not only been associated with an aspect of language, but with the political one. According to this political scientist, any depletion of the freedom of the individual has been an obstacle in a democratic way chosen by the country.

“When the state sets the rules, the person should be obedient to, the question arises: what is the scope of human freedom in this country? In this case, the spelling of the name becomes a problem of a state dominance – the state is above the man and his freedom “- says professor Lauras Bielinis. According to him, it is necessary to listen to the voice of the individual social groups.

The political scientist points out that the Polish minority, in particular regions of Lithuania, have lived since time immemorial. The professor adds, that it is a person who decides which nationality they identify with.

To the proposal the original spelling of names and surnames the political scientist have the more liberal approach. He adds, that the idea of the nation state is an anachronism, and that various types of constraints can bring to more problems than they actually solve. This does not help in keeping the nation state “- says the professor.

According to L. Bielinis, the freedom of the Lithuanian is as durable, as much freedom they give to the national minorities, and therefore he believes they should have the freedom to declare their cultural identity.

„When it comes to political terms, our fellow citizens, identifying themselves with different cultural and linguistic tradition, should feel they are free. In this way, we will let them know that our country is also their country. It is a feature of the modern country “- says the professor.

Source: http://l24.lt/pl/spoleczenstwo/item/30749-politolog-bielinis-wolnosc-litwinow-jest-trwala-tyle-ile-wolnosci-daja-mniejszosciom-narodowym

Tłumaczenie by Roksana Kasperek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Roksana Kasperek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.