Krushë e Madhe, 13 April 2025
Prime Minister Kurti paid homage at the Martyrs’ Memorial Complex in Krushë e Madhe, as well as at the place of the fall of the national martyrs Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi, on the 26th anniversary of their fall.
“We are here in Rreze of Krusha e Madhe, to commemorate the heroic fall of Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi, which was transformed into a sublime rise for an increasingly bright future, of our state, our people, society and our entire nation, based on the ideals of the Renaissance activists and the desires of the youth, the needs of the population and the dreams of children”, said Prime Minister Kurti, commemorating their lives, work and ideals which should be a guide for all of us regardless of the positions we hold and the situations we find ourselves in.
He added that during the liberation war the song of freedom never stopped and we do not stop the song of freedom even in peace and this shows that while we have pain and sorrow, while we miss the best daughters and sons of our nation, whose blood is in the foundations of our state, at the same time we are very proud that we had them and that we have someone to follow on our path forward.
“Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi were inspired by Albanian songs, they were inspired by the heroes, martyrs and the fallen of the earliest battles of the past stages of our nation, but also by the writings, teachings, of the great intellectuals of our people, and at the top of the list should undoubtedly be Professor Ukshin Hoti, uncle Ukë, to whom Ismet Gashi, the father of the martyr Bekim Gashi, has always stood by. When generations are connected, they form history, but at the same time they pave the way for the future. We remember how great the price of freedom was, how high their sacrifice was, but also how noble our responsibility is as we continue their path”, said the Prime Minister.
Continuing his speech, he emphasized that the KLA fighters had two tasks: one was to face the enemy forces of the Serbian occupier in battles and the other was to protect the civilian population. And both of these are expressed in the life, work and heroic fall of Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi. After they had buried the bodies of the massacre in Krushë e Madhe, they continued their work for our people by fighting face to face with the enemy, where they fell heroically.
“Therefore, as we commemorate Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi and all the other martyrs of the nation, we must remind ourselves, also for the generations that will come after us, that history is not something distant, that we learn from our grandparents or from history books, so it is deep in the skin, hearts, minds and bones of each of us, given that the glorious battles of the Kosovo Liberation Army are very recent in time. And precisely because they are recent in time, they increase our obligation to strengthen our army, to strengthen our police, to defend Kosovo everywhere along the border and in every square meter of its inviolable and inalienable territory”, concluded Prime Minister Kurti.
Full speech by Prime Minister Kurti:
Honorable Behra and Gashi families,
Honorable families of the martyrs and the fallen of the nation,
Honorable invalids and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army,
Honorable former political prisoners and activists of the national cause,
Honorable Mayor of the Municipality of Rahovec, Smajl Latifi,
Honorable former commander of the 124th Brigade “Gani Paçarizi”,
Honorable President of the organizations that emerged from the war in Rahovec, Qemajl Krasniqi,
Sisters and brothers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Honorable attendees,
We are here in Rreze of Krusha e Madhe, to commemorate the heroic fall of Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi, which was transformed into a sublime rise for an increasingly bright future, of our state, our people, society and our entire nation, based on the ideals of the renaissance activists and the wishes of youth, the needs of the population and the dreams of children.
A future that is free, prosperous, that does not discriminate or privilege anyone, but brings justice and progress, leaving no one behind. These are the ideals of the martyrs, which should be a guide for all of us regardless of the positions we hold and the situations we find ourselves in. During the liberation war, the song of freedom never stopped and we do not stop the song of freedom even in peace.
This shows that while we have pain and sorrow, while we miss the best daughters and sons of our nation, whose blood is in the foundations of our state, at the same time we are very proud that we had them and that we have someone to follow on our path forward.
Therefore, even before this gathering began, we had songs of freedom, from those for the Commander-in-Chief Adem Jashari to those for Commander Tahir Sinani. Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi are inspired by Albanian songs, they are inspired by the heroes, the martyrs and the fallen of the earliest battles of the past stages of our nation, but also by the writings, the teachings, of the great intellectuals of our people, and at the top of the list, undoubtedly, we must place Professor Ukshin Hoti, uncle Ukë, to whom Ismet Gashi, the father of the martyr Bekim Gashi, has always stood by.
When generations are connected, they form history, but at the same time they pave the way for the future. We remember how great the price of freedom was, how high their sacrifice was, but also how noble our responsibility is as we continue their path.
Bekim Gashi and Dalip Behra, as members of the 124th Brigade of the Pashtrik operational zone of the Kosovo Liberation Army, did everything they could every day and gave everything they had, including their lives, so that we could live freely and enjoy our state as a republic, which we find precisely in the writings of the great Ukshin Hoti. The KLA fighters had two tasks: one was to face the enemy forces of the Serbian occupier in battles and the other was to protect the civilian population. And both of these are also expressed in the life, work and heroic fall of Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi. After they had buried the bodies of the massacre in Krushë e Madhe, they continued their work for our people, even in battle face to face with the enemy, where they fell heroically.
Therefore, as we commemorate Dalip Behra and Bekim Gashi and all the other martyrs of the nation, we must remind ourselves, also for the generations that will come after us, that history is not something distant, that we learn from our grandparents or from history books, so it is deep in the skin, hearts, minds and bones of each of us, since the glorious battles of the Kosovo Liberation Army are very recent in time. And precisely because they are recent in time, they increase our obligation to strengthen our army, strengthen our police, and defend Kosovo everywhere along the border and in every square meter of its inviolable and inalienable territory.
Glory to Dalip Behra, Bekim Gashi, and all the martyrs and the fallen of the Albanian nation!
Last modified: April 14, 2025