Conghaileach
13th July 2002, 17:41
Calls for Communist-era unity revive at WWII battle anniversary in
Bosnia Story from AFP / Tanja Subotic
MRAKOVICA, Bosnia-Hercegovina, July 10 (AFP) - A ceremony marking the
60th anniversary of a World War II battle in which partisans broke the
Nazi stranglehold here turned into the biggest multi-ethnic gathering
in the Serb-run entity after Bosnia's 1992-95 war with nostalgic
invoking of the old communist slogan of brotherhood and unity.
Several thousand people, among them hundreds of Bosnian Muslims and
Croats from the Muslim-Croat Federation that together with Republika
Srpska makes up post-war Bosnia, attended the ceremony held
at Mrakovica memorial center on the northwestern Kozara mountain,
symbol of anti-fascist resistance.
"This is the first time in ten years that I have come here to pay
tribute. Me and my partisan comrades and supporters arrived from
Sarajevo," Salko Rizvic, a 73-year-old Bosnian Muslim, told AFP while
holding a large photo of former Yugoslav communist leader Josip Broz
Tito.
Salko, who was only 14 when he joined the communist-led partisan
forces, said he was disappointed that young generations in Bosnia
today have no regard for communist-era widely proclaimed brotherhood
and unity among peoples of the former Yugoslavia, living instead
divided along ethnic lines.
"For 48 years we were living and building together side by side without
asking who is Serb, who is Muslim and who is Croat. It is sad that
today youngsters, when they complete school, celebrate their diploma
in separated ethnic groups, although they have been in the same class
together," he said.
As people standing around Salko started to applaud him, a woman
approached and through tears said: "I heard your words. May I shake
your hand?"
60-year-old Slobodanka Grubalj, who came from the western town of Drvar
in the Muslim-Croat Federation, is a sister of the first partisan hero-
woman Marija Bursac killed during World War II.
"We used to live so nicely together, communities not mattering. But
unfortunately we have witnessed what we thought was impossible, that
our children fight each other on community basis," Slobodanka said.
"I hope that brotherhood and unity will be revived one day, because if
it does that will mean that the blood of my sister and other partisans
was not shed in vain," she added.
On July 10, 1942 some 40,000 German and Croatian Nazi-allied Ustasha
forces launched an offensive on the partisan-held region around the
Kozara mountain massif encircling some 3,500 partisans and
80,000 civilians.
In the battle that lasted 50 days partisans managed to break through
the enemy circle evacuating 20,000 civilians while others were
captured.
Ever since the former Yugoslavia broke-up in 1990s wars, as republics
were declaring independence, symbols of the communist era here started
to disappear from public places.
For 67-year-old Ilija Radeljic, bringing the former Yugoslav communist
flag with the red star to Mrakovica was a risk, as many people still
find it repulsive to see communists' insignia.
"I brought this flag, for it is a symbol of peace and freedom. I took
the risk to show up with it," Ilija said.
The anniversary at the Kozara mountain did not pass without what was
Tito's and communists' biggest pride -- pioneers -- children who had to
give an oath at the age of seven that they would follow up
communist principles.
This year's pioneer at the Kozara event, wearing a red shirt and blue
partisan hat with the red star, was once again favourite of aging
partisans who were kissing him, despite the fact that their "pioneer"
is 35 years old now.
"I kept this hat from my childhood, and I will keep it for ever,"
Vitomir Milakovic, Tito's pioneer from Banja Luka, said.
"I'm a communist ... I shall never give away the five-pointed red star.
I wear it on my hat, and have it in my heart," Vitomir said.
Bosnia Story from AFP / Tanja Subotic
MRAKOVICA, Bosnia-Hercegovina, July 10 (AFP) - A ceremony marking the
60th anniversary of a World War II battle in which partisans broke the
Nazi stranglehold here turned into the biggest multi-ethnic gathering
in the Serb-run entity after Bosnia's 1992-95 war with nostalgic
invoking of the old communist slogan of brotherhood and unity.
Several thousand people, among them hundreds of Bosnian Muslims and
Croats from the Muslim-Croat Federation that together with Republika
Srpska makes up post-war Bosnia, attended the ceremony held
at Mrakovica memorial center on the northwestern Kozara mountain,
symbol of anti-fascist resistance.
"This is the first time in ten years that I have come here to pay
tribute. Me and my partisan comrades and supporters arrived from
Sarajevo," Salko Rizvic, a 73-year-old Bosnian Muslim, told AFP while
holding a large photo of former Yugoslav communist leader Josip Broz
Tito.
Salko, who was only 14 when he joined the communist-led partisan
forces, said he was disappointed that young generations in Bosnia
today have no regard for communist-era widely proclaimed brotherhood
and unity among peoples of the former Yugoslavia, living instead
divided along ethnic lines.
"For 48 years we were living and building together side by side without
asking who is Serb, who is Muslim and who is Croat. It is sad that
today youngsters, when they complete school, celebrate their diploma
in separated ethnic groups, although they have been in the same class
together," he said.
As people standing around Salko started to applaud him, a woman
approached and through tears said: "I heard your words. May I shake
your hand?"
60-year-old Slobodanka Grubalj, who came from the western town of Drvar
in the Muslim-Croat Federation, is a sister of the first partisan hero-
woman Marija Bursac killed during World War II.
"We used to live so nicely together, communities not mattering. But
unfortunately we have witnessed what we thought was impossible, that
our children fight each other on community basis," Slobodanka said.
"I hope that brotherhood and unity will be revived one day, because if
it does that will mean that the blood of my sister and other partisans
was not shed in vain," she added.
On July 10, 1942 some 40,000 German and Croatian Nazi-allied Ustasha
forces launched an offensive on the partisan-held region around the
Kozara mountain massif encircling some 3,500 partisans and
80,000 civilians.
In the battle that lasted 50 days partisans managed to break through
the enemy circle evacuating 20,000 civilians while others were
captured.
Ever since the former Yugoslavia broke-up in 1990s wars, as republics
were declaring independence, symbols of the communist era here started
to disappear from public places.
For 67-year-old Ilija Radeljic, bringing the former Yugoslav communist
flag with the red star to Mrakovica was a risk, as many people still
find it repulsive to see communists' insignia.
"I brought this flag, for it is a symbol of peace and freedom. I took
the risk to show up with it," Ilija said.
The anniversary at the Kozara mountain did not pass without what was
Tito's and communists' biggest pride -- pioneers -- children who had to
give an oath at the age of seven that they would follow up
communist principles.
This year's pioneer at the Kozara event, wearing a red shirt and blue
partisan hat with the red star, was once again favourite of aging
partisans who were kissing him, despite the fact that their "pioneer"
is 35 years old now.
"I kept this hat from my childhood, and I will keep it for ever,"
Vitomir Milakovic, Tito's pioneer from Banja Luka, said.
"I'm a communist ... I shall never give away the five-pointed red star.
I wear it on my hat, and have it in my heart," Vitomir said.