Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – January 3, 1997

Because of last night's lack of sleep, I slept until near sunrise. After the morning prayer and a hurried breakfast, I had a short meeting with the families of the Governor-General and the Friday Prayer Imam. We went to the Revolutionary Guards barracks; the same place where during the war I was sometimes stationed. At the joint morning ceremony, [Sardar Azimi], the Revolutionary Guards commander who is the senior governor of the region, gave a report and offered his welcome. I too gave a warm speech, relying on the memories and heroisms of the war era on the Ilam front, and I threw the development of the destroyed towns of Mehran and Bostan and Dehloran in the Iraqis' faces.

To save time, the helicopters came to the barracks. We flew toward the site of the Kangir Dam in the northeast of the town of Ivan-e Gharb. Beside the village of Sartang, we landed in a narrow plain beside the river. We heard the report of [Mr. Haqqi-Pour], the Director-General of the Regional Water Authority [of Ilam], and the Director-General of Agriculture. It is a small dam at a cost of two billion tomans, to regulate the water of the Kangir River, which goes toward Somar and then escapes to Iraq. The Mir-Alamdar diversion barrage, which was built by the Ministry of Agriculture, the water of that dam must be turned from the lake to the plain behind the lake and by pumping, contrary to usual dams where the plains are in the path of the dam. For the people of the two villages who had gathered, I gave a short speech on the role of this dam in the region's development. I asked about their situation; they were satisfied.

We flew toward the site of the great Sazbon Dam. At the confluence of the Seymareh and Chardavol rivers, which is a very interesting area, on the other side of the river the nomads of Lorestan had gathered and on this side the villagers of Ilam; I spoke to both separately. Mr. Zanganeh, [Minister of Energy], and Mr. Haddadian, [Managing Director of Water Development of the Ministry of Energy], gave a report on the dam, with a cost of 47 billion tomans, to produce 350 megawatts of electricity. The Sazbon hydroelectric dam encompasses the objectives of hydroelectric power generation and the control of floods and the surges of the Seymareh River. I too gave a short speech about the country's self-sufficiency honors and the technology of dam-building and hydroelectric power plants in the shadow of the first plan.

We flew toward the Bolbolan region. Beside the Seymareh River, they have canalized two thousand hectares and, by pumping the river's water, it has been put under irrigated cultivation. The surrounding villagers had a huge and enthusiastic gathering, and I too gave them a short speech. I unveiled the plaque and pressed the key of the pump house; this ceremony was not on the program, I added it myself, and it caused us not to have the noon rest.

We flew toward Ilam Airport. At the airport, they had set up an exhibition of the province's industrial capabilities. I visited all the booths and, with questions and answers, some new and innovative industries caught my attention; including the production of expensive products from the seeds of oak trees, which are endless in the Zagros, and from the sap of semi-wild trees, and the province's carpet industry is also strong; with exquisite carpets, they have about ten thousand weavers. They also gave a carpet as a gift, which I deposited in the museum [of the Memorial of the Presidency in Rafsanjan]. At the Governor-General's Office, we only had a hurried lunch and a short meeting with the families of the Governor-General's deputies.

I went to the Law Enforcement Force center. With an official ceremony and the report of [Brigadier General Farhad Nazari], the commander, who is a Revolutionary Guard, and the inauguration of several development projects of the force, including about ten border posts on the Iraqi border, which is important, I too gave a short speech. We went to the broadcasting organization's site. For the inauguration of more than twenty development projects in the province, including the high-power Nakhjir transmitter that also covers the country of Iraq. In the radio studio I answered their questions and thanked the staff who had covered the trip's program very well. The people's many telephone calls, in appreciation of the government's services, had deeply impressed them; I said they should give a tape of all of them. Usually on all provincial trips this is the situation, and it is the best sample of public opinion.

Then, among the staff, Mr. [Ali] Larijani, [Head of the Broadcasting Organization], gave a report on the development plan and the domestic manufacture of equipment and programs, which is very good. I too gave an encouraging speech. They showed an interesting anthem that had been composed in welcome of the trip, along with images of the interesting points of the trip, and they also gave us a copy. I told Mr. Larijani to give the staff a gift.

Then we inaugurated Imam Hossein (pbuh) Square and the 4,000-hectare forest park; it is the country's largest park; between the airport and the city, with oak forest trees. Then the interesting Val-Fajr project with 50 hectares of land and interesting facilities—a children's play city and a permanent exhibition and a large pool and fountains—on the heights overlooking the city.

Then I went to the gathering of the Basij members. Very enthusiastic and cordial, men and women, about four thousand people. They gave a gift; a dagger and a garment. [Sardar Nourollahi], their commander, gave a good speech. They had requests. He said one fifth of the province's people are members of the Basij. The new slogan that had become common on this trip was: "Hashemi the warrior, may the enemy's eye be blind," which they repeated a lot; I don't know why?! On this trip, the slogan "Malek Ashtar of Ali," under the influence of the Imam Ali (pbuh) series in which Malek's role is very prominent, is also drawing a lot of attention, and the slogans of "Sardar" and "Jelodar" and "Architect" and "Designer of Construction," which are the most general slogans and anthems and poems, and because of the people's feeling and the province's construction, this part is very prominent.

We went to the airport. We inaugurated the lighting and the airport tower. We went up to the top of the tower. I climbed the 150 steps quickly, which surprised the companions; that too at the end of a busy and tiring day. They gave explanations about the construction and production of the tower's switch, which until now had been imported. Then, with a farewell, we flew toward Tehran. At the pavilion of Tehran Airport, I talked and said goodbye to Effat and the companions who were going on the Umrah pilgrimage. Fati and Mehdi are also with them. I came home. I had dinner and said my prayers. I watched a film and went to sleep.