Bujanovac – “After they had killed a son of mine, a river consisting of people’s tears started flowing. I know nothing about my other son. Although he was too young, he joined the Skoplje brigade in Montenegro. My third child, a daughter, went off to Presevo. And I, a mother grieving for Josko and my other children remained alone to further support their idea, which my heart and not some force made me do”.  This is part of a monumental speech by Roska Janjic, the mother of the killed war veteran Josif Janjic, which was read at the festive event held at the Bujanovac Cultural Center on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Bujanovac's liberation in World War II.

The liberation day of Bujanovac in World War II, which is September 7, was marked by members the SUBNOR Municipal Committee, who paid respects to the fallen freedom fighters and victims of the fascist occupier and laid wreaths in the city park in front of the memorial busts of former SKOJ members Aleksandar Stanković, Josif Janjić and Stojan Vasiljevic. 

The said festive event was attended by representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Army, the local self-government, veterans' organizations, as well as by descendants of the combatants in World War II and few citizens.

Bozidar Nedeljkovic, the President of SUBNOR in Bujanovac, emphasized the importance of that date for Bujanovac in his address at the festive event.

“We must not forget the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for freedom. Our organization has observed this day and will continue to do so, in honor and glory of the fallen fighters and all casualties of the occupiers,” he said. 

Stojanca Arsic, Deputy Mayor of Bujanovac, said that "it is our duty to keep the memory of the ancestors who fought for the freedom of Bujanovac and Serbia."

“We have always been on the right side, which is the side of justice. We have never been the conquerors, but the freedom fighters. Every time we paid a high price for it, we paid with our lives. The occupier was cruel, so that the people were killed, let's remember the shooting at the location called Kisela voda.  We are free because of our ancestors and we are proud of them, I believe we will not let our children to be ashamed of us,” Mr. Arsic said.

 Over 600 killed civilians, more than a thousand interned to work camps, daily robberies and the burning of hundreds of houses in the Bujanovac area and surrounding villages testify of the cruelty of the occupiers, the Bulgarian fascists and the Albanian nationalists fighting on the side of the occupier. 

Source: Bujanovac News and Coordination Body