President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has criticized the organization of national literary and patriotic competitions, such as “Furughi Subhi Donoi Kitob Ast” (The Book is the Light of Wisdom), “Ilm – Furughi Marifat” (Science is the Light of Knowledge), and “Tojikiston – Vatani Azizi Man” (Tajikistan Is My Beloved Homeland). 

He expressed dissatisfaction with how these competitions have been conducted in recent years, pointing out that the procedure has become formulaic and needs revision.  He paid special attention to cases where businessmen and officials tried to promote their relatives as winners.

Nepotism and injustice

The competition “Furughi Subhi Donoi Kitob Ast” (The Book is the Light of Wisdom) has been particularly criticized.  On social media and in the public sphere, there have been frequent discussions of unfair jury decisions.  For instance, in 2021, a jury member, Professor Rustam Taghoymurodov, was dismissed during the republican stage of the competition after giving high marks to his son’s performance.  His son’s scores were annulled, and the professor was disqualified from judging.

This incident sparked heated debates, with intellectuals expressing dissatisfaction with the transparency of the competition, citing nepotism and fraud.

Literary critic Khurshed Atovullo even remarked that the phrase “Furughi Subhi Donoi Kitob Ast”  might turn into "Durughi Subhi Donomi (The Lie is the Light of Wisdom), highlighting the loss of prestige in the competition by its third year.

Criticism of the jury and evaluation procedures

The jury members themselves have faced criticism for inappropriate questions to participants. For example, writer Kholiqnazar Jumayev mentioned an instance where a judge asked a participant on which side of the Zaravshon River Afghanistan is located, only to give an incorrect answer himself.  This reportedly illustrates how incompetent jury questions can discredit the competition.

Poet A'zam Khujasta voiced dissatisfaction with the results of regional stages of the competition, stating that the influence of “uncles” was clearly felt in the evaluations of winners.

Bribery and corruption

The issue of bribery reportedly also affects the republican competitions. The First Deputy Chairman of the Writers' Union of Tajikistan, Ato Mirkhoja, wrote in a Facebook post about instances where people approached him offering money to promote their children or relatives in the competition.  He was shocked at how widespread bribery has become in such cultural events.

Public and intellectual reactions

After the president's criticism, many jury members and cultural figures supported the need for changes in the way the competitions are conducted.  

For example, children's poetess, Latofat Kenjayeva, noted that participants' and the public's complaints are justified and deserve attention.

Literary scholar Hafiz Rahmon, who has been a jury member for several years, mentioned that while such incidents had not occurred in his category, problems do exist in other categories.  He emphasized the importance of having competent juries and the need to ask questions relevant to the works, rather than general knowledge.

Conclusion

Despite the importance of these republican competitions for promoting national culture and education in Tajikistan, they have faced issues related to nepotism, corruption, and unfair participant evaluations.

The president's and public's criticism may serve as a crucial step toward improving the procedures of these events and increasing their transparency.