UNMIK ON AIR

8 Jan 2003

SPEAKING ALBANIAN AND SERBIAN

(Zoran Culafic & Hysni Recica)

Hello and welcome to this edition of UNMIK ON AIR program.

Branislav:– Hello in Albanian ..

That was Branislav Krstic, a journalist now living in north Mitrovica, one of the few Serbs who does not hesitate in speaking Albanian, furthermore, who sees it as a great advantage in the everyday life.

Branislav: That’s right, as an advatage and not as a barrier. The barriers are made mostly by those who want to have it. But there are people who have thought and realized that it would be much better for them if they spoke Albanian, much better from the point of friendship, everyday comunication and, if you want, the job as well. And therefore I’m very embarrassed by some Serbs who, from the very reasons just known to them, do not want to speak the language, or say, they are not talented for languages.

Branislav was born in Djakovica/Djakove and now for three and a half years he and his family are living in Mitrovica. Brana, as his friends know him says that all his friends from Djakovica/Djakove, both Serbs and Albanians, are familiar with both languages.

Branislav: – In Djakovica/Djakove, in the street where I was living, almost 90 percent of the Serbs were speaking Albanian language very well, and I can say I’m the one who speaks it a bit poorer because I was almost ten years in Belgrade studying and then working. But it seems to me that the strenght of the man, no matter from what ethnic community he comes, is much bigger if he speaks any other language, Roma, Serbian, Albanian, Turkish. So, knowing the languages, knowing Albanian, it seems to me sometimes that I can speak much better my own language, Serbian. And I do not agree with those who think that Serbian language does not need any albanisation, it’s a big mistake. In any case, I think that both Albanian and Serbian languages need each other.

QU: You are one of a few Kosovar Serbs that can speak Albanian, what do you think why most of Kosovar Serbs do not speak Albanian? Is it because they do not want to learn Albanian, or they cannot learn it or how did you manage to learn it?

Branislav: I ask myself the same question quite often, why? To live in Kosovo where Albanians are in majority, it is necessary, though not enforced by law, to talk to people outside my community, and to move forward. There are people who do not want to speak Albanian, they know why, but there is also a number of those who do not have the opportunity and possibility to learn and speak, not only Albanian. I was born in Gjakova, Emin Duraku Street, now it is KLA street, and like 30 % of Serbs who used to live there have never moved out of Kosovo not even gone to towns in Serbia, they speak fluent Albanian. Why? Because they learned it while living together with Albanians.

Branislav is very emotional when it comes to talking about his home town – Djakovica/Djakove and he is sure that one day he will go back. Speaking in albanian with our colleague Hysni Recica, Branislav said.

Branislav: – Most of my dreams, memories, thougts are linked to Djakovica/Djakove. From Cabrat to Radonjic’s lake to Erenik, Bistrazin, Svanj bridge on Drim river .. It is imposible to erase it from my mind. It is a part of me. I’m 38 years old and definitely Djakovica/Djakove is inside me, it is my town. My son is now seven years old and if you ask him where is he from he’ll tell you – from Djakovica/Djakove. We have been living in Mitrovica for almost four years now, but it is not the same at all.

Djakovica/Djakove is now just in his dreams, but Branislav stresses that if it were up to his neighbors he would be back in town right now, but there are lots of Albanian IDP’s from sorrounding villages that are still hostile. Branislav made a very clear stance.

Branislav: - I’d like most of all to go back and I think it is posible when we are talking about the Djakovica/Djakove citizens. We all know each other, we grew up toghether and we managed to live normally, prior the war, to make friendships and to have many things in common – from music, jobs and if you want, going out at night. But, my return could be seen as a big problem for those who came from various villages later. We know that their homes were destroyed during the war, and there are families who have lost indeed many many family members, and it won’t help me the fact that some of my friends Albanians could say – we know Branislav, he is our friend.. I think it will need some more time for those people to forget. What hurts the most is the notalgia, but what is giving them more pain is the fact that they have lost a member of their family.

Branislav: You can find similar cases on both sides and I feel sometimes disgusted doing my journalistic job, when I see among Serb or Albanian journalists a fanatical rooted dimension taking a side. And then I think I did not choose the right profesion.

Maybe in the near future the dream of a multiethnic, multilingual society; not afraid to speak the language of their neighbours will happen and Branislav Krstic will go back to his hometown and refresh memories of childhood with his neigbours.

Today our guest on the program was Branislav Krstic, a Serb journalist from Mitrovica, not afraid to speack Albanian and Serbian And that was all for this edition of UNMIK on Air.Stay tuned for more