Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown story of Hamit Troplin from the famous Tirana family, who in June 1944, joined the youth of the nationalist organization “Balli Kombëtar” that their leader, Mit’hat Frashëri, sent to Kosovo under the command of Seit Kazazi and Halim Bege, as moral support for the brothers across the border fighting against Radisav Pec’s Serbo-Montenegrin forces. The rare testimony of his brother, Ali Troplini, about how Hamiti left that day for Kosovo, riding in two trucks with the youth of Balli Kombëtar included in the “Besnik Çano” battalion, who were making a demonstrative lap in the streets of Tirana, as well as the moment of his murder by a mortar shell during the fighting for the protection of a bridge over the river Lim, shown by Xhemal Alimehmeti, one of the exponents of the nationalist youth of Balli Kombëtar, which was only a few meters near him when he remained killed. The magnificent reception was given to the Ballista youth from Albania in the cities of Prizren, Peja, etc., where speeches were made by Bedri Pejani and other exponents of the Second League of Prizren, as well as the decision, was taken by the local authorities and the people of Peja, that Hamit Troplini is buried in that city, for which he had fought for his life.
“While the preparations had begun and the start date had been set, my brother Hamiti, who was one of the exponents of the Balli Kombëtar Youth and had accompanied Mit’hat Frashëri to the congress held in Berat in February 1944, had none. kind of knowledge about the two battalions that would leave for Kosovo. That day before the departure of the nationalist volunteers, while the trucks they were riding were on a demonstration lap in some parts of Tirana, Hamiti, as soon as he saw them, ran and joined his friends, telling me to call home. “. This is how Ali Troplini remembered the story of his brother, Hamit Troplini, one of the exponents of Balli Kombëtar’s nationalist youth, who was killed by Radisav Peçi’s Serbo-Montenegrin Chetnik forces in July 1944. Who were Hamit Troplini and what ‘family he flowed? How did Hamiti join the nationalist forces of the Balli Kombëtar Youth and under what circumstances did his assassination take place? How did Hamit Troplin’s family learn of her son’s murder and how was she treated by the communist regime?
The family associated with the Monarchy
Hamit Troplini was born on May 26, 1926, in the neighborhood of “Ismail Efendi”, or as it is later known as “Vojo Kushi”, which is located somewhere behind the old maternity hospital of Tirana. Hamiti was the first of the sons of the Troplini family, of the eleven children Jonuzi had with his wife Nurie Kruja. The house where Hamiti was born is an old Tirana house, which is still located today somewhere between the narrow alleys of that neighborhood, where the houses of adobe and surrounded by low walls and steam prevail. The early origin of the Troplini family is from the village of Romanat (where the district of Tirana is divided from that of Durrës) where even today a neighborhood of that village bears the surname Troplini and its ancestors descended and settled in that neighborhood 170 years ago. Hamit’s father, Jonuzi, in addition to being known as the zantaçi who regulated opinga, has also served for a long time as the head of the garden of the Royal Palace of Zog. That job, Jonuz Troplini, did more for his spiritual satisfaction because of the worship he had for the Monarchy and the Royal Family than for the payment he received. Also, Jonuz’s father, Abdyli, had worked for years in the administration of the Municipality of Tirana. Ali Troplini testified about the close ties of the Troplini family with the administration of the Zog Monarchy: “My father Jonuzi was an ardent sympathizer of the Monarchy and he had inherited those beliefs from his father Abdyli. In addition to the father and grandfather who served in King Zog’s administration, my two uncles, Ymeri and Qazimi, also served in the Municipal Police “, Ali Troplini recalled, for his family’s connections with the state administration of the Zog Monarchy.
Hamiti, with the youth of National Ball
Born and raised in that family circle, Hamit Troplini, after finishing the seven-year school at “Hasan Prishtina”, continued his studies in the classical gymnasium of Tirana, which at that time was located at the beginning of Kavaja Street. Regarding the social circle that Hamiti had at that time, his brother, Ali Troplini, testified: “From a very young age, Hamiti was distinguished from all his peers for his physique and was also known as a great brave man. ‘his eyes widened. Since entering the first year of high school, he joined a group of friends who were sympathizers of the nationalist youth of Balli Kombëtar, such as Osman Saraçi, Xhemal Alimehmeti, Musa Murra, Rizvan Banka, Ali Plava, etc. They often came to our house and talked to Hamit for a long time. In addition to our family circle, the main exponents of Balli Kombëtar, Ramazan Jarani, Halim Begeja, and Vasil Andoni, who had their houses just a few steps away from us in the same alley, also had a great influence on Hamit’s nationalist beliefs. Recognizing Hamit as a brave and very smart boy, they proposed him to Mit’hat Frashëri, who took him as his companion to the National Ball Congress held in early February 1944 in the city of Berat. Along with Hamiti at that time, as a companion of Mit’hat Frashëri, was his friend Ali Plava “, Ali Troplini recalled the connections he had at that time with the National Ball of his brother Hamiti.
How did you get to Kosovo?
But how did Hamit Troplini learn the news of the departure of the two nationalist battalions to Kosovo and under what circumstances did he leave for there? Regarding this, his brother Aliu testified: “At the end of June 1944, word spread that the leader of the National Front, Mithat Frashëri, had said that he would lead two battalions with young nationalists to Kosovo, for to come to the aid of Kosovars from the reprisals that the Serb-Montenegrin Chetnik forces of Radisav Peci were doing to them. Following the call made by Mithat Frashëri, the Balli Youth Command, which had its headquarters at a barracks on Saraçve Street, began registering nationalist volunteers who wanted to go to fight in Kosovo, and Halim was assigned to prepare the lists. Begeja, Arif Peza. and Xhemal Alimehmeti. While all these preparations had begun and the start date had been set, my brother Hamiti had no knowledge of the two battalions that were to leave for Kosovo. The day before the departure of the nationalist volunteers, the trucks they had boarded made a demonstration tour of the streets of Tirana. That day Hamiti and I happened to be on Dibra Street, where our family had a bakery and a rented shop. The moment the two trucks with the nationalist youths passed in front of our store, Hamiti called to them asking where they were going. His comrades, who were standing in the bodies of the trucks discovered with white caps on their heads and rifles in their hands, responded by saying that they were going to fight in Kosovo after the Serbs had attacked the Kosovars. At that moment, Hamiti told me: Ali, go home and let my father know that I fled to Kosovo with my friends. Without finishing his words, he ran towards the trucks and rode up with the help of his friends, who greeted him warmly. After a while, my father came to the shop where I was staying, and I told him that Hamiti had left for Kosovo. The father was stunned at first but did not give up. Meanwhile, I started running towards the cars and reached the square in front of the Municipality, near the “Kursal” cafe. Many people had gathered there to meet with their relatives who were leaving for Kosovo. Meanwhile, Hamiti was standing in the body of the truck with the white key and a jacket that Muharrem Mumajesi had just bought for him, in which Hamiti worked as an apprentice. The moment we parted, Hamiti told me: “Don’t cry Ali, you are the eldest son of the house and take care of your mother and father”, Ali Troplini remembers the separation with his brother Hamiti, adding that his words seemed like the trust of last.
The news of the murder and the persecution of the family
But how did the Troplin family learn the news of the murder of her son Hamit, who had gone to fight in Kosovo? In this regard, Ali Troplini testified: “The news of Hamit’s murder was brought to us by our uncle Qazimi (who was working with the municipal police at the time) on August 12-13, 1944. After that, to given the news of the murder, Halim Begeja himself came to our house, as a representative of the General Command of the Balli Kombëtar, who at that time was the head of Balli for Tirana. Along with Halimi at that time, a large part of the Youth Battalion “Besnik Çano” came to our family, as Xhemal Alimehmeti, Arif Peza, Ibrahim Haznaj, etc., with whom Hamiti had fought in Kosovo. Since the day after their arrival, many telegrams of condolence came to our family from Vlora, Korça, Berat, Kavaja, Shkodra, etc., which had been sent by the Balli commands of those districts. Among the many telegrams that came to us at that time, those of Mit’hat Frashëri and Jup Kazazi stood out, which we kept until late in our family “, Ali Troplini recalled the time when the news of the murder of Hamit and the numerous telegrams that came to them from some districts of the country. But how was Hamit Troplin’s family treated by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and has he declared a “Martyr of the Fatherland”? Regarding this, Ali Troplini adds: “Not only was our brother Hamiti not declared a martyr of the homeland, but the communists, since 1944, when they came to power, have called us the family of ballistas and traitors. This labeling of our family continued throughout the period of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, where we were treated as reactionaries and declassified, despite the fact that our brother was killed fighting in defense of the Kosovar brothers, against the Serb-Montenegrin Chetnik forces, “the testimony concluded. his Ali Troplini, who for forty years had been pointing the finger at Ballisti’s brother.
Xhemal Alimehmeti: “Here is how Hamiti was killed in front of my eyes”
One of those people who knew the young man from Tirana, Hamit Troplini, and was with him at the time of the murder, was Xhemal Alimehmeti, a former member of the Youth Balli Battalion of the National Front “Besnik Çano”. Regarding the departure of the nationalist youth forces in Kosovo in June 1944 and the assassination of Hamit Troplini, Xhemali testified: “The departure of the two youth battalions of Balli Kombëtar that bore the names“ Besnik Çano ”and“ Qeramudin Sulo ”from Tirana to Kosovo, took place on June 16, 1944. The 200 volunteers who gathered there on Saraçëve Street, boarded two “Trentakuatro” trucks which were funded by the government of Prime Minister Ibrahim Bicaku and after a greeting we received Shallvar Square, we set off towards Durrës Street, which was full of people greeting us with their hands and throwing flowers at us. Seit Kazazi, who came from the well-known Kazazi family of Shkodra, who at the time was working as a prosecutor in Tirana and had completed his higher studies in Law in Rome, had been appointed commander of the two battalions. The battalion’s deputy commander was Halim Begeja, who had also studied in Italy and at the time was working as a lawyer in Tirana. After sleeping one night in the city of Shkodra, where our battalion was added with other young nationalists from that city, we left for Kukës and on the afternoon of June 17, we arrived in the city of Prizren, where we were given a magnificent reception. At the big rally that was held in that city, the President of the Second League of Prizren, Bedri Pejani, gave the keynote speech, welcoming us. Ibrahim Haznai, who at the time was known as a journalist and writer who wrote under the pseudonym Cen Qytyky, delivered the greeting speech on behalf of the nationalist volunteers. After his speech, which touched all those present, accompanied by the soldiers of the “Second League of Prizren”, we left for the city of Gjakova. Then we continued the road to Ferizaj and Peja and from there we took the road to the Rugova Gorge, to then descend to Qafë-Morinë where the old border with Serbia was. At that location was a bridge that was considered very strategic and connected the main road that crossed the river Lim. This bridge connected Peja and Berane with Plava and Guca. The commander of the Second League of Prizren appointed our battalion to take under protection the bridge that was expected to be attacked by the Serbian-Montenegrin Chetnik forces of Radisav Peçi. And as expected, the Chetnik forces attacked our ballistic forces before daybreak with a mortar attack. We also responded with our weapons, and this war lasted until noon when the Serb-Montenegrin forces killed many. 19-year-old Hamit Troplini was killed by our forces, and a mortar shell fell on his head. At the moment of the blow, Hamiti had taken up position only two or three steps away from me, as we were many friends and he closed his eyes in my hands. The day after his assassination, on June 10, all shops were closed and almost all the people of Peja attended his funeral. Since the day of the murder, the Balli Kombëtar Command decided to bring Hamiti’s body to Tirana for burial near his family, but local authorities in Peja and all the people insisted that he be buried there, saying: “Troplini gave his life for protection. of this land and it is up to him to rest here on this earth, where all the honors that belong to him will be done ”. After the grand funeral ceremony of Hamit Troplin, we took the road back and Bedri Pejani and Fuad Dibra gave a speech in the city of Prizren. Among other things, in his speech, Pejani said: “I thank you on behalf of the people of Kosovo, who gave us a lot of moral help, giving Kosovo to understand that it is not alone.” After Pejani’s speech, large crowds of citizens of Prizren followed us from behind, throwing flowers at us, until our cars took the road towards Kukës ”./Memorie.al
