European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Chr Eft Selling tread at a Market in Samarkand  tithe republics la at the Root of much residual nationalism in the soviet Union. Currents of discontent among soviet nationalities by Carol j. Williams associated press rom the Dawn o the bolshevik revolution 70 years ago Kremlin leaders have struggled sometimes with Lores be forge a single entity out of a nation of More Han 100 distinct nationalities speaking 120 languages the struggle continues now with even Grealey urgency As demographic signs portend Radical changes in the Union of soviet socialist republics. All across this continent size nation of �81 million people in 15 republics ethnic and cultural Deal tires remain Strong sometimes they have cup coded Anlo open hostility often in resentment of the Largos nationality of All the flus sians whose domination carried Over irom Wansle times to the soviet stale. Demographic projections indicate thai today s minority will be tomorrow s majority and Edh that could come change in the heavily russian Ana slavic makeup of the Kremlin in today s ruling politburo for example All bul i to of me 11 members Are slavs russians byelorussian or ukrainians. The latest hating of Hie of 100 soviet officials by radio Liberty research in Munich shows 73 russians 12 other slavs nine non slavs and six of unknown nationality. Bui the population in soviet Central Asia is beginning 1o outstrip the european sector of the country and Lulu re years can see non slavs playing More crucial roles. As with the leaders before him general Secretary Mikhail s Gorbachev works to attune the wide Range of nationalities to the cause and direction of Moscow and the communist party a recent outburst of discontent in Kazakhstan indicates the goal remains elusive at the same time armenians and georgians continue to operate almost outside the soviet economic system. Lithuanians still cling strongly to roman Pathol Rason despite the official Losle ing of atheism after More than 40 years As soviet citizens. Not All nationalities have adopted russian As heir language and the traditional tongues still prevail among Uili ens a Jauhs tatars Aieta Janis armenians georgians moldavian lil anians estonians latvians , turkmen germans kirghiz chuvash is. D Ige Slanis Bashkir is Moldavia is poles and scores of smaller groups White the soviet majority now is russian and officially atheist Broad changes arc occurring in Tho nation s demographic makeup because of the higher birth Rales among a Enlal asians who Are  moslem in name if not in practice one out of six soviets was a moslem in the late 1970s, by the burgeoning Centra asian populations and declining family Sie in the european republics Promise to raise hat proportion of moslem 1o almost one in four by the turn of the Century. Tho average slavic family Lias Only one child while the average for moslem families in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is Lour or live. Despite his policy of glasnost or openness on social problems Gorbachev has allowed Little recognition or discussion of the tensions among nationalities.  policy on cultural linguistic and religious differences officially advocates respect and Equality and Many non russians including the georgian Josef v Stalin have risen to the Kremlin Hierarchy. But russians and other slavs have dominated the government party and society since is 1917 Olshev revolution. And the image of Unity at limes has been shattered by an outbreak of the hostility that simmers among the minorities thousands of tatars who had been deported in Masse from the Crimea during world War a staged demonstrations in Uzbekistan in 1968, demanding the right to return to the Lervile zone thai had been their Homeland for centuries. Tho demonstrations were forcefully up Down. A draft of a now Constitution in Georgia in april 1978 omitted georgian As the official language. It was Rea lored after people in the capital Tbilisi took so the streets to protest what they perceived As an attempt to spread the use of russian in december. Kazakh students rioted for to Days burning cars and looting shops after hid ouster of Kazakhstan s communist parly Leader Din Muhamed Yunaev and his replacement by Gennady Kolbin a russian. The outbursts or at least official acknowledgement of them Are rare. But the underlying causes persist in presenting the Kremlin leadership with one of its most formidable tasks keeping nationalism in Check without overtly violating Tho nationalities constitutional right to cultural and religious expression. Alter the 1917 revolution Vlad Iii t. Lens issued a declaration of the rights of Peoples which proclaimed All ethnic groups inhabiting the country equal and  the declaration professed to ensure Broad Powers including the right to secede and form an Independent stale provisions of the declaration have not been Alered Over the years but adherence to them has been inconsistent. Campaigns by various ethnic groups 10 form their own Republic or join another have been stifled. Soviet jews considered a sep Aralo nationality were subjected to derision or discrimination before the revolt Ori and Little has been done in the soviet period to Stem the anti semitism that has survived. As Many As a Quarter million jews have been allowed to emigrate Over me Pas 125 yeas bul thousands of others have been refused. The refuseniks As they Are called maintain they Are victims of discrimination by a government that determines their nationality on the basis of religion. Gorbachev has made few changes in official policy on nationality issues. A new communist parly program adopted last year drops reference to the great russian people which was contained m the three previous programs the last of which was drafted in 1967 when Nikita s. Khrushchev was the soviet Leader. In recent speeches Gorbachev has Laken alarm sine on resolving clinic differences calling Tor adherence to the principle of Equality and denouncing the concept of be drug quotas for National representation on governing bodies. The Pohnl a Issue is nol a mechanical allocation of jobs and posts according to the National principle Gorbachev sold the Central committee he Heads. He Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday May 24,1987