Foundation of Estonian National Independence Party by Väärtnõu
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In 1987, the leader of the Buddhist Brotherhood, Vello Väärtnõu, came up with the idea and programme of the Estonian National Independence Party. So, the Estonian Buddhist Brotherhood can be considered a part of the Estonian fight for independence. Taola was the only place that printed, copied and disseminated leaflets. At the time of the creation of the ENIP, Väärtnõu was helped by Tiina Hallik, Anu Rootalu and Eve Pärnaste, who acted as the secretary of Taola, and by other members of the Brotherhood. On 30 January 1988, Väärtnõu organised a press conference in Moscow for accredited foreign newspapers and made a public announcement of the establishment of an opposition party. This event was covered in the press around the world, but not a word was published in the local press. However, the news spread like a wildfire among the public. The Brotherhood’s house was under constant surveillance by the KGB, the Buddhist library was “cleaned” on several occasions, and the militia was used against Taola. All this resulted in the deportation of Väärtnõu from the country by the personal order of Gorbatshev in February 1988.
The deportation of Väärtnõu and others put an end to the successful activities of the first team of the Buddhist Brotherhood in Estonia. For years, Väärtnõu lived and studied with Khenpo Namgyal from a Bhutanese Monastery in the Himalayas, and later lived in Sweden.
The Estonian Popular Front chronology, entry of 21 January 1988
The chronology of the Estonian Popular Front (Rahvarinne) 1987 to 1994 by Rein Ruutsoo, on the Popular Front's own website, names Vello Väärtnõu in one entry of the year 1988. The Popular Front was the other new political movement of those months, so this is a neutral source for the origin of the party.
Original (Estonian):
21. jaanuar - Algatatakse Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei loomine. ERSP loomise aluseks sai budistliku liikumise ühe liidri Vello Väärtnõu poolt välja töötatud esialgne programm. 21. jaanuaril kirjutasid 14 inimest alla ettepanekule luua ERSP. ERSP eesmärgiks seatakse - Eesti NSV rahvusriikluse arendamine NSV Liidu raames, - sotsialistlik majandus, - eesti keele tunnistamine riigikeeleks ja - Eesti NSV kodakondsuse sisseseadmine, mille saamiseks kavatseti seada keeleoskuse nõue.
English translation:
21 January - The creation of the Estonian National Independence Party is initiated. The basis for the creation of the ERSP was the initial programme worked out by Vello Väärtnõu, one of the leaders of the Buddhist movement. On 21 January 14 people signed the proposal to create the ERSP. The aims set for the ERSP are - the development of the national statehood of the Estonian SSR within the USSR, - a socialist economy, - the recognition of the Estonian language as the state language and - the introduction of Estonian SSR citizenship, for which a language proficiency requirement was intended.
Other accounts of the founding
- The magazine Kultuur ja Elu 1/2009 reviews the book "ERSP aeg" compiled by Eve Pärnaste and gives the list of the 14 signatories of 21 January 1988, with Vello Väärtnõu named first; Tunne Kelam's recollection tells how Ärvi Orula, Eke-Pärt Nõmm and Vello Väärtnõu drove towards Moscow to present the proposal to foreign journalists: see ERSP aeg (The ERSP Time): The Estonian National Independence Party - Velly Roots, Kultuur ja Elu 1/2009.
- The date of the press conference in Moscow is given as 30 January 1988 in the text above; the Popular Front chronology and Kultuur ja Elu date the signing of the proposal to 21 January 1988. See also The Estonian National Independence Party Is History Today - Tunne Kelam, Postimees, 21 January 1998.
Source
- estonica.org
- Rahvarinne, chronology 1987 to 1994 by Rein Ruutsoo, year 1988 (Internet Archive capture of 31 October 2020): https://web.archive.org/web/20201031073712/https://www.rahvarinne.ee/rr/16/
- Kultuur ja Elu 1/2009, Velly Roots, "ERSP aeg": https://kultuur.elu.ee/ke495_ersp.htm