Written by Rexhep Dedushaj. Translated and edited by Petrit Latifi.
Eptaf per Spiunet e Ish jugosllavise.
Through out the years of 1912 to 1945, and even during Yugoslavia, Albanian society had a fundamental problem with spies who collaborated with the Yugoslav regime and who betrayed Albanian patriots causing much tragedy. The following is an epitaph written by Rexhep Dedushaj.
Rexhep Dedushaj writes:
“These days I came across the book, “Vruqa Granica”, written by the head of the UDB, Radoman Serdanovic, where we can read about the massacres that the UDB (Yugoslav secret service) committed against our (Albanian) people in the Gucia valley during the time of Rankovic, in the years 1945 – 1966 – with the help of Kalceve (an Albanian word denoting “Albanian-speaking spies”).
Since most of these spies are now dead, we are dedicating this epitaph to them so that their “great work in the interest of Yugoslavia” is not forgotten – as their friend Rade says in his book. The Toskas have a song, “Cpate pele que cofe prame“. (What happened to you horse that you died so early?) And I am asking them, “Why didnt you die earlier, or were you not allowed to do what you did?”
You were very poor, you grew up on beggarly bread, donated bread and cheese from your fellow villagers. To our bad luck, the communists came to power. The power of the proletarians and you were the strongest proletarians in the Balkans – “however, you lacked a soul” – as they say in the region of Vuthaj. You became pioneers of the Communist Party, among the most zealous of our region. Day and night you were in action working against Albanian interest.
You even took away the only blanket the villagers had in winter. You swept the grain heap (meaning taking away food) with the broom for the “KULLAKS” (a term meaning “Robber“) and sent them to Vasovic. You worked for the same Shkije (meaning Serbs) who burned down your houses.
And you ran from cave to cave to spy on on Albanians and other “ballists”. When you discovered them, you handed them over to Mikail Bulatovic and sent them to Plav. But he executed them on the way. And when you cleared the caves of “ballists” and stole the Albanian cattle and send them to the “zadruga” (meaning cooperative) – as you called them, turning the entire village into a proletariat – you had nothing left in your soul.
They (the Yugoslav regime) gave you “social and state” positions. You also became part of the party secretary. A very big privilege for that time, right? Why not? You were a very good horse for the “door”, you were safe to enter. (Meaning you were easily used by the regime). You did not ever leave the party. You adopted three administrative measures to eliminate the nationalist danger.
The first, the massive displacement of Albanians.
Second. The terrorist process of “collecting weapons” and closing Albanian schools.
Third. Administrative restrictions to slow down the economic development of the Province.
The purges of 1948
The purges that were undertaken after 1948 were aimed at, “Eliminating the Albanian leadership of the region and preventing the emergence of an educated class that could serve the people. Belgrade aimed to worsen living conditions in the Albanian regions and eventually encourage their massive emigration, a negative phenomenon that developed. (See. Sami Repishti “Bujan’s Resolution” New York, .21-27 July 2014.)
You expelled people from the Party to imprison and shoot them on the street without even putting them in prison in Gucia. You did a good job. Why take them to the Albanians and torture them. That way they would be comfortable without even trying. Now when you die, they will be grateful.
More than half of the Plav – Gucia turned into spies (as your Serbian Radoman Serdanovic says in the aforementioned book) who worked so diligently that in the middle of the summer they would bring down people from the mountains, and sometimes even the entire village.
The operations of 1954 in the village of Martinaj
Do you remember the case of the Martinajs in the summer of 1954, when you cleared the country of “ballists”, and you also started to close Albanian schools, imprisoning or expelling their teachers to Albania?
“Well done, you guys. What did Albanians need schools for? You yourself didn’t have a single day of school and you were the leaders of “good” and “dualists”. Even Blazhi was pleased with you, not to mention Mirko Drobnjaku and your Radoman, who wrote the aforementioned book. In that book he was praised a lot, but he did them a little “trickily”, by changing their names to “MUSA, DEDA, ELEZI” (the spies names were changed). So only those who have known and experienced your “good” people know who those names are.
After Rankovic fell, you were “settled among the people” (Meaning the spies tried to blend in among the people). You were also pleased of the people. Instead of paying them money, you threw plums, blueberries or raspberries at them in the Gercar River, telling them that you had thrown water at them – the poor. Or you dragged them all day through state offices for a simple document. While those spies who dressed up as “sumares“, (foresters) or (militia) mistreated them badly.
And thus you “helped” your people to emigrate as soon as possible. To go to America. There is life there. There is no life here – you often told the poor. And by God’s grace and yours, today in the Albanian villages of the “HEAD OF ALBANIA” – as they used to call the Plav and Gucia regions, there are no Albanians left. There are only wolves and bears. Those who remained in Plav and Gucia do not speak Albanian.
If Pasic were alive, he would have declared you an honorary citizen of Nish or Belgrade. Since that Serbian prime minister, that crazy Albanophobe, had told Europe in 1920 in Paris that the Albanians “Within 24 years, some will be dispersed, others will be assimilated, and whoever does not accept anyone will be killed“.
Didn’t you implement this plan precisely, you horse (an insult against the spies). And today, most of you are dead (there are some still alive. But they are living dead since they lack a soul). I don’t know how Albanian soil is capable of even holding you there (meaning the Albanian spies do not deserve to live on Albanian soil). You should have been buried in Belgrade too. Where Ali Shukriu, Mehmet Haxha or Esas Pasha Toptani are buried (considered spies among some Albanians). Where you also had a place, and you worked for them (the serbs) all your life. May they repay your labor.
The important thing is that the skies has been freed from you and the Earth will be safe outside. That earth does not tolerate traitors or spies or Serb-collaborators. And, the question remains: Cpate pele qe cofe prame? (This is a southern Albanian Tosk saying meaning “What happened to you horse that you died so early?” (A metaphor asking why spies died so early, because calling someone a horse is an offensive term in Albanian society).
Reference
Balkan Academia 