In the foundation of Republika Srpska, one of the most important pillars on which our homeland rests is the work of Petar Kočić—both his literary and political contributions, both equally significant and indispensable in the context of the overall history of the Serb people, said the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, at the formal academy held as part of the 59th “Kočić’s Gathering” in Banja Luka.
The President of Srpska congratulated the recipient of the “Kočić Award,” Serb writer Matija Bećković, who, as Dodik noted, has joined the ranks of those who fight for freedom, truth, and justice.
Dodik emphasized that “Kočić’s Gathering” brought together those who respect truth, freedom, and the homeland, as Kočić was a unique literary and political figure of the Serbs in the 19th and 20th centuries—a typical product of the fierce Krajina region, who fought with both heart and powerful intellect for the freedom and rights of his people, both socially and nationally.
“We have been gathered by one of our greatest compatriots from these parts, a man who uncompromisingly loved and defended truth, freedom, and the homeland. He defended the rights of Serbs in an occupied land, and he cherished the beauty of the Serb language, which he used both as a writer and as a people’s tribune,” Dodik emphasized.
Petar Kočić, Dodik said, became a synonym for the fight for freedom and justice, which, unfortunately, he did not live to see.
“Of himself, he said: ‘I was born in bondage, I lived in bondage, and in bondage, alas, I died.’ The premature departure of Petar Kočić impoverished not only Serb literary thought but also, I would dare to say, Serb political thought on this side of the Drina,” Dodik noted, adding that Kočić’s literary legacy is not large in volume, but its significance is immeasurable.
“His distinctive literary expression remains unsurpassed to this day. Although we are a century and a bit longer after his death and still under occupation, Kočić would be happy to see that the Serbs on this side of the Drina have created a homeland that should be a guarantee of their freedom—their freedom and the freedom of all the people who live in it,” Dodik stated.
The President of Srpska declared that Kočić chose to fight for justice, and his star still shines today, and it will continue to shine.
“People will write about this time. It is up to us not to renounce ourselves, truth, justice, and Republika Srpska,” Dodik concluded.
Source: RTRS
