Luke Gjon Palaj, the heroine of the Dukagjini mountains who suffered 18 years in prison, after sheltering in her house the group of Lazër Palit, who was followed by Colonel Hilmi Seiti

By Caf Jonuz Çulaj

Part eleven

Memorie.al/When writing about the history and traditions of a country or village, men are mentioned more than women. Well humanity is divided into two half men and half women. Thus, everything is in harmony and it depends on how we interpret it. It depends on how we value the woman. The history of our people knows many examples, where women and girls do not lag behind men and many times with full ability, are in leadership.

Each province has its own examples. This article is dedicated to one of them, she is called Luke Gjon Palaj. She is not a citizen and she have no school, but she is a man and you go down in history. In the second half of this century, the communist regime executed and convicted hundreds of women and girls. This is because they were opponents of that regime, or suffered because of their convicted husbands, brothers, or sons.

Lukja was born in Xhan i Pultit, in Dukagjini and today he is very old. Today of course there are many wrinkles on her face, and as many wrinkles as there are, so much trouble and suffering is shown. Although we are old, she does not have the physical strength of youth, but her memory is strong. Shelters for the political opponents of communism after 1944 were the mountains. There survived dozens of men in Homeric conditions even in that of men.

Anti-communist gangs formed everywhere. In Dukagjini they were headed by Gjon Dostanishta. Among them was Lazër Pali, who was the brother-in-law of Luke Gjon Palaj. He led his gang and always got it out of danger. Spends several years in conditions of complete illegality. The regime wanted to capture him, but he could not. December 1952, Dukagjini was covered in snow. It was difficult for everyone, especially for those who slept in the mountains. They could not stand it if they did not have someone to help them. John’s platoon had run out of bread.

The hope was in Lazri. In conditions of heavy snow, he goes to his sister-in-law’s house, and is supplied with food. But it was dawn and he realized that her ground floor house was fenced. After some thought, he and Luke thought about the siege. At one point the chairman of the council knocked on the door and told her if there were people inside. She, without thinking at all, said no. 5-6 soldiers of the pursuit forces, try to get inside. But Lazri emptied the machine gun and after killing half and wounding the rest, they broke the siege. They pass a second ambush again.

Luke is the only one in the house who is being questioned by State Security officers. She, with her ingenuity and manliness, did not accept that there were people in the house, otherwise the soldiers would have fallen into armed conflict. But this excuse is not accepted and he is arrested and taken to the village of Mes, where he would be interrogated by the chairman of the Shkodra Branch of Internal Affairs, Colonel Hilmi Seiti. He who in the first words says, that: in the bullet you will end, that so you deserve it. As she replies that her life did not matter to me, as Lazri had escaped. Luke Gjon Palaj was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He spent 12 years and then went into exile in Lushnje, and Vlora. She left nothing to be desired, her mountains because she remained steadfast. /Memorie.al

                                                           Continued in the next issue…