President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, at a meeting with residents of Alai district of Osh region, announced that a decision has been made to no longer name villages and ayil okmotu after people.
The head of state raised the issue in response to a question from a local resident who suggested naming one of the villages after Alymbek Datka. However, Sadyr Japarov emphasized that the decision had been made not to name settlements after people.
«You’re starting to divide into groups and argue why it is one name and not another. We’ve been through this many times. So don’t be offended; Alymbek Datka’s name is already written into history and will not disappear. Just because a village is named after him won’t make it develop faster,» he said.
The practice of naming settlements after people is widespread in Kyrgyzstan and has deep roots. During the Soviet period, it was part of state ideology. After independence, a wave of reintroducing the names of historical figures and immortalizing local figures began.
