Prishtina, 27.04.2012
Respected Polluzha family,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Four years ago, the 64th anniversary of the heroic fall of Commander Shaban Polluzha and his co-fighters, was commemorated with high state honors and dignity.
Four years ago, the most senior institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, honored Shaban Polluzha with the title of Hero of Kosovo.
With its iron logic, and system of values, history has confirmed the place of a national figure who was denied and prohibited for over half a century.
Time, in the end, has corrected an injustice.
To reach this point, Kosovo had passed through many fundamental changes.
The end of the Second World War and the international victory over fascism was not the end of oppression or the start of freedom for Albanians in Kosovo. The Serb-Yugoslav communist forces had pre-planned a strategy of reoccupying and annexing Kosovo.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Shaban Polluzha, who was a visionary, bound to the fate of his people, together with fighters from all over Kosovo defended Albanians, by opposing Serb brigades which were terrorizing innocent people across Kosovo.
Shaban Polluzha together with his incomparably brave co-fighters, resisted for months.
The war Shaban Polluzha led is of historic proportions.
It constitutes the first armed resistance in Europe, against Serb communist forces.
The justice of this act of resistance was proven by history.
For half a century, Kosovo was discriminated against by the communist system.
For half a century, the resistance of Shaban Polluzha and his fighters, was silenced and prohibited,
But, regardless of such positions, that war and his fighters, remained in the memory of the people.
53 years later, their struggle inspired the Kosovo Liberation Army, which brought together in its embrace, boys and girls from all over Kosovo.
The just war of the Kosovo Liberation Army and civic resistance, were crowned with success.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, we are here to place the foundation stone of the Kulla of Commander Shaban Polluzha.
This stone is placed on the 100th anniversary of Albania’s independence, and the fourth anniversary of Kosovo’s independence.
Kosovo is today a free country, independent and sovereign state, recognized by the strongest states in the democratic world.
Kosovo today is building the future with democratic institutions and is progressing on the path toward ending the Supervision of Independence.
This act of placing the foundation stone of the Kulla of Shaban Polluzha shows best the meaning of sacrifice of those who identified with the fate of their people and homeland.
They are the foundations of the freedom of their Homeland.
They are at the forefront of the pride of their people.
Kosovo is on the path toward realizing their ideals.
Long live the memory of the life and work of Shaban Polluzha.
Long live the foundation of the Kulla of Shaban Polluzha.
Last modified: July 31, 2022