Second part

Memorie.al / During the 17 years of serving his sentence in the prisons of the dictatorship, the legendary man on the border of two eras, read and annotated 96 works by the most famous authors of world and Albanian literature. Within the ordeal of suffering in 16 years, 3 months and one day, spent in the prisons of the dictatorship, there is also a notebook, as the "rare treasure" of the Hero of the People and the Honor of the Nation, Lieutenant General Rrahman Parllaku. An arithmetic notebook from a distant time, yellowed by the weight of the years, coded "Notes from books read during the years of serving a sentence in prison, December 16, 1974 - March 17, 1991", within 32 pages used to the maximum, line by line, carries special values, inextricably linked to the formation of the Hero - legend, on the border of two times.
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The unknown story of the famous general
Rrahman Parllaku, as one of the legendary commanders of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War, who led with rare talent and bravery, from the guerrilla units of Vlora to the 5th Assault Division that fought heroically for the liberation of the lands of former Yugoslavia, in Kosovo and up to Sandzak, General Parllaku will undoubtedly be attracted by the literature dedicated to LANÇ. In his interesting notebook, in addition to the synopses of dozens of novels, we also find that of the work “Through the Annals of English Diplomacy” by Arben Puto, for which he noted:

"Based on Foreign Office documents, the author describes the plans of the British government in its policy towards the National Liberation War of our people, through which it sought to increase its influence and take it to the heights it wanted. Even with the establishment of popular power, in the first years after liberation, it, through its people, exerted continuous pressure, even to the point of provocations, for our government to submit to its dictates?!"

Considering General Parllaku as a strategist trained in leading the Anti-Fascist War and in leading the Albanian army for 30 years, it is not difficult to conclude from this notebook of his that he was attracted to literature dedicated to the historical battles of our people for national freedom and independence.

Therefore, it is no coincidence that the longest entry in this notebook belongs to Fan S. Noli's book, "The History of Skanderbeg", where we find chronologically arranged almost all the battles, assemblies and most culminating events of the life and work of our National Hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. For these, as well as for dozens of masterpieces of world literature, he had the "fate" to discuss with representatives of the Albanian intellectual elite, such as:

Fadil Paçrami, Todi Lubonja, Vaske Gjino, Gjergj Titani, Lipe Nashi, Agron Çomo, Nevruz Demiri, Maqo Çomo, Bardhyl Belishova, Xhavit Qesja, Gjin Marku, Sadik Bekteshi, Arif Hasko, Muhamet Prodani, Abaz Fejzo, Halim Ramohito, Spartak Ngjela, as well as dozens of other fellow sufferers in Burrel prison. For today's generation and generations to come, this notebook, with rare archival and museum values, is a testament in words.

THE GENERAL'S CONFESSION ON THE SPECIFICITY OF READINGS IN THE DICTATORSHIP'S PRISONS

Regarding the specificity of his readings during his time in prison, but also now at the age of 98, General Parllaku has a surprising story. Surprising about the way he found books, but also about the time and conditions in which he read. Without further ado, here is his story about this particular specificity: “I spent my time in prison mainly reading.

I read whatever I could find in the library. I read works by our writers, from the most famous to the most obscure, novels, stories, poems, historical books; I just wanted to have something in my hands. When we were in Tirana, there was no library.

There was a room, a storeroom with books. I asked to be allowed to arrange them on shelves, according to the genre of writing, so that it would be easier for me to find the book I wanted to read. They allowed me and I made a kind of division, which allowed me to leave the book I had read and take the one I wanted. There were two of us in the cell. We ran out of stories, during our isolation in the Tirana prison we were only given “Zëri i Popullit” to read.

We read it and made some comments. But the rest of the time had to be spent, because even meditations were limited. Only reading filled the time. In the Burrel prison the situation was different. All the press, newspapers and magazines came there; there was a library, although there too the books were limited, mainly by our writers.

But you could also find books translated by foreign writers. There you could order and buy books, if you could afford them. Of course, those censored books were allowed. Reading was allowed in the cell, and during the two hours of airing, I didn't stay still for a minute. I would just move at a fast pace. Even when it rained and snowed, I didn't stop moving. Everyone else went inside and the police guard was left alone with me in the yard.

To cope with the snow, rain, and slush that formed there, my family had brought me a sweatshirt and rubber boots; my sister-in-law had sewn me a plastic cape like the military ones with a collar. Equipped with these clothes, I continued moving in all weathers, never parting from reading books.

But even inside the cell on the bedboards, several times a day I would stretch my limbs with gymnastic exercises and then continue reading the next book. Reading has been and remains a rule of my life. Even now, at the age of 98, I read at least one book a week. The same goes for movement, where even now, when I am approaching a century of life, I walk at least an hour a day.

Therefore, it is no coincidence that he, the master of reading and benefiting from books, but also the author of two books that have impressed thousands of readers, actively participates in several book promotions by various authors, and even speaks competently and professionally about their values.

NOT ONLY READERS, BUT ALSO PRODUCTIVE CREATORS

The above narrative, as well as almost all of his military and civilian activities, Lieutenant General (retired) Rrahman Parllaku will summarize in three books of memoirs. Like a living encyclopedia, he brings previously unrecorded events and facts, which can serve as a source for Albanian historiography.

This is also evidenced by the two books published by him: "Gratitude for the families of Vlorë who kept me as their son" and "Free Kosovo, the dream of my life", publications that have also been praised by renowned academics, such as Prof. Dr. Paskal Milo, Prof. Dr. Pëllumb Xhufi, Prof. Dr. Ana Lalaj, Dr. Bujar Leskaj, Dr. Auron Tare, etc.

The conclusion that emerges from these two dignified publications by General Parllaku is that "our people of 1 million inhabitants, within the framework of the Anti-Fascist Alliance of the peoples of the world led by England, the former Soviet Union and the United States of America, made a valuable contribution to the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War."

This, according to him, is due to the fact that the Albanian National Liberation Army, in the fight for the liberation of the country, kept numerous Nazi-fascist forces engaged in the war, numbering up to 10 divisions in total, and caused them tens of thousands of killed, wounded and prisoners of war. "If they were not engaged on the Albanian front, these forces would be fighting somewhere else against the Allied armies.

With the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War for the liberation of the homeland, with the war for the liberation of Kosovo, with the war of two Albanian divisions in the territory of the former Yugoslavia for the liberation of Montenegro, Sandzak and Bosnia, and with the strikes against the forces of Army Group E-RE retreating from the Southern Balkans, the Albanian army in World War II ranked Albania with dignity alongside the most powerful states in the world that fought against Nazism.

"On the day of victory over Nazism, Albanians felt proud, when the national flag waved proudly alongside the flags of the victorious states," says General Parllaku. Meanwhile, for the values ​​of the books in process, even the memories of the time when he was elected as a deputy for Luma in the first legislature of the first pluralist parliament are enough.

"The parliament was composed of intellectuals, people of different religions and classes, and in general they were participants in the liberation war, but also figures who had not compromised with the enemy during the war. The parliament continued to work intensively, as the basic laws of the state were being worked on.

"Fierce debates were held on the content of the laws, which were related to the reforms undertaken in all directions, especially in the economy", underlines General Parllaku. He further continues that the voices that were heard most in parliament from the Party leadership were Sejfulla Malëshova, Nako Spiru, Ymer Dishnica, Shefqet Beja, Riza Dani, Gjergj Kokoshi, Andrea Sahatçi, etc. General Rr. Parllaku, as the historical memory of the nation, brings fresh to his memory the way the Albanian legislature functioned in 1945.

"There were also discussions about the form of laws. Aleksandër Xhuvani demanded the formulation of every law in the Albanian language and when he found errors, he debated with Professor Kostaq Cipo about revising the law from a linguistic point of view. As Professor Xhuvani constantly emphasized, laws had to be correct both legally and linguistically, that is, they had to be Albanian in their content and form."

In General Parllaku's book in the process of publication, we find Sejfulla Malëshova's liberal stance in parliament towards other political forces, as he had acted during the war, to bring them closer to the National Liberation Front and involve them in the fight against the occupier.

He strongly condemned both extremism and terrorism at the Communist Party Plenum, held in Berat in November 1944. Even in parliament, Sejfullahu was not in favor of radical economic reforms. He showed this in the drafting of the first law on agrarian reform, where he spoke out against the party's demands for extreme reforms.

Unfortunately, a good part of these reforms were revised and changed after the condemnation of Sejfullah at the February plenum of the Central Committee of the Party. After the condemnation of Sejfullah's (opportunist and liberal) line, General Parllaku claims that the opposition in parliament was also attacked. The oppositionists were called representatives of reaction in the Albanian parliament.

"I was sitting in the parliament hall among my friends, Riza Dani and Zija Dibra, whom I had proposed myself as candidates for Shkodra deputies, and I was stunned when from the parliament tribune Riza Dani was directly accused of representing the reaction in parliament. Riza jumped to his feet and responded sharply: I, Riza Dani, represent the reaction here?!

Riza Dani, representative of the democratic movement in Albania, member of KONARE in exile, participant in the Anti-Fascist War and Chairman of the National Liberation Front in the Shkodra Prefecture, is defending democratic rights in this parliament and not those of reaction!

Even though 62 years have passed, General Parllaku still hears Riza Dani's words. It brings back that fateful moment fresh in his memory, because when he came and sat down between them, the general and Zija Dibra felt very bad and were left speechless. This is due to the fact that Riza Dani, one of the best representatives of the intellectual elite of that time, was being accused, and then the worst would come, the convictions and executions of the Group of Deputies.

Looking back at the crimes committed by the dictatorship from a distance, the author of these memoirs, which will soon be published in three volumes, expresses the conviction that they are an act of his national pride, as they not only shed light on the most monstrous crimes, but are also a courageous distancing and condemnation of them. / Memorie.al