Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎581v] (1165/1237)

Vatan Yolanda, for the Caucasian troops in Turkish dialect. They say that the
ordinary local printers do not know how to set up type in the dialect, and only
print in Persian. It is difficult for the Persians also to believe that among the^_
local down-trodden and politically-undeveloped proletariat there has suddenly^^
sprung up a body of leaders capable of compiling unaided such an ambitious,
all-embracing, albeit mostly half-baked, programme.
1 I have, &c.
F. A. G. COOK.
Sub-Enclosure.
The Programme and Desires of the Azerbaijan Workers’ Committee.
TO fight energetically against despotism, dictatorship and fascism and to
establish complete liberty : of the nation, of association, of the individual, of
language and of the press.
% 2 . To form (in accordance with the constitutional law of Persia) unions in
town and country by the free association of the workers, and to increase their
power like a national Parliament.
3. To spread and teach the idea of democratic freedom in every part of the
country and to every person among the workers.
4. To form workers’ unions to improve the material and moral welfare of
workers and servants, and to make known these aims officially to the Government
authorities.
5. To remove unemployment, and to form unemployment exchanges to gain
exact statistics of the unemployed.
6. To arrange long-term loans to the peasants through the Agricultural
Bank.
7. To take advantage of the increase of purchasing power by having local
industries enlarged.
8. To abolish internal concessions in order to increase the output and
capacity of internal industries, and so create more competition and freedom in
industry.
9. To establish committees for securing the vital needs of the workers and
utilising their labour, consumption, production and village properties.
10. To amend the customs tariffs on imported luxury goods and home-
produced goods, and impose heavy taxes on unnecessary wares in order to protect
home industries and combat unemployment.
11. To protect the education of the minorities (language, writing, theatre,
press) and respect their nationality.
12. To have judicial proceedings in Azerbaijan carried on in the
Azerbaijani language, to have a Jrligh Court established in Azerbaijan, and have
all laws and codes translated into the said language, in order to avoid difficulties
for the workers who are not acquainted with the Persian language.
13. To establish medical, agricultural, law and teachers’ training schools
in Aberbaijan.
14. To see that all teaching and medical treatment are general and free.
15. To review the laws and social laws in order to protect the welfare of
the workers.
16 To reduce all indirect taxes in a just manner.
17. To reorganise transport and communications in order to benefit economic
shipping.
18. The ex-Shah’s properties and possessions to be confiscated and a due
portion (assessed according to the population of Azerbaijan as part of all Persia)
to be set aside and spent for social improvement in Azerbaijan.
19. To see that the whole of Government revenues in Azerbaijan are spent
on its needs.
20. To oppose illegalities in Government departments and among
authorities and officials, especially the police and gendarmerie who ill-treat
lovers of freedom, and to oppose the bad advantages taken of the law.
21. To establish close relations with the othei workers’ associations formed
in other parts of Persia, and to help them when necessary.
22. To recognise the equality of women in political and social affairs.