82nd anniversary of the Battle of Neretva marked in Jablanica

(Patria) - By laying flowers at the Memorial and dropping 82 carnations into the Neretva River, the 82nd anniversary of the Battle for the Wounded on the Neretva River was marked in Jablanica on Saturday.

The president of SABNOR BiH, Sead Đulić, stated that the Battle of Neretva is the most famous and most humane battle in the common history of the peoples of former Yugoslavia.

- This year we are also marking 80 years since the victory over fascism, however, in all of this, it should be said that fascism was militarily defeated in 1945, but not destroyed - Đulić said, among other things.

He emphasized that all those who follow the values of anti-fascism have no right to remain silent.

- We have no right to inaction and we have no right to just remember. We need remembrance as inspiration for today and for tomorrow; living in the past has never brought freedom to anyone. In this year when we celebrate freedom, we must all, united and loudly, say and repeat to everyone that anti-fascism is another name for freedom - Đulić pointed out.

Jablanica, he says, is the right place because it was there, through the Battle of Neretva, that the "Chetnik movement suffered its heaviest blow and was almost destroyed".

- They never recovered until 1945, and if they shot at Tito's partisans, then who were they, anti-fascists? We are often silent about that - Đulić said, adding that young people also need to be aware of everything that happened.

He adds that "the famous order 'we must not leave the wounded' must be translated into our time".

- There are no wounded, but there are minorities, there are disenfranchised, there are those who are powerless and endangered in numerous other ways. Let's learn to help them and protect them because they are our 'wounded of 2025'. When we do that, then it makes sense to remember 1943 and the Battle for the Wounded - Đulić said.

As part of the commemoration of the mentioned anniversary, a ceremonial academy was held, and the exhibition "Testimonies" by authors Belma Halihodžić, Armin Balić, and Haris Falan was opened.