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Mile Cavic fullfilled his ominous promise (photo:Standard)
Belgrade - Mile Cavic (49), one of the workers of "Veterinary institution Glutin" who protested over unpaid wages, fulfilled the terrible promise and set himself on fire this Thursday, exactly at 10:30 in front of the government building. The tragedy was avoided due to the fast reaction of his colleagues that took away his remaining gasoline and his jacket that has caught fire. None of them knows the faith of another worker Milos Kovacevic, who also said he would commit suicide, because his cell phone is closed.
- You don't let me set myself on fire, but you can not stop me to throw myself off a bridge - Cavic shouted, trying to escape the grip of three colleagues who were trying to restrain him.
- I can not go back home, I have nothing to go back to. This morning I borrowed some money for the bread, I can no longer live like that.
Most of us are aware that we don't play a significant role in the current political system of our respective states, or to put it this way- that our government doesn't represent our interests and doesn't work for our benefit. Some of those who are aware of that fact keep hoping that someone would appear and by some miracle solve all their problems.
If only that election time would come they would show the governing party just what they think of it...
We have here the two "scape goats" of our government- the chief of the negotiating team from Belgrade, Borko Stefanovic and the Minister for Kosovo and Metohia, Goran Bogdanovic, outdoors sweating on a hot summer day, with their ears on a phone, waiting for someone to tell them what would be the proper reaction to them not being able to get into Kosovo and Metohija. Apparently, K.F.O.R. soldiers "received an order from their superiors not to let any Serbian high officials who came unannounced, to cross the 'border' on Jarinje, before receiving a permission from the authorities in Pristina..." The description seemed to fit these two like a glow, since no other high government officials make a habit of visiting these days . After 30 minutes of unsuccessful negotiations these two "high government officials" stomped off ( well maybe not, but that's how I imagine them) saying : "We will find our way to Kosovo" and headed towards Raska. Now that's a statement, you might say- bold, stubborn and promising. I'm thinking Richard Burton in "The Battle of Sutjeska" or Bata Zivojinovic ( in any of his old films), true heroes! Well maybe not...as it is, I think they were just talking about the practical issue of actually entering the province over which Stefanovic has to vindicate Bogdanovic's authority. After theForeign Minister of Serbia, Vuk Jeremic was not allowed to be present at the Security Council's closed session a couple of days ago, this is another hard slap in the face of Serbia's government, but our dear "leader" shows no intention of growing a spine and, for once, drawing a line. So, no help from there either...
The truly brave and impressive are the actions and organization of the local Serbs, how determined they are, how brave, how smart, not to let themselves be the price Serbia has to pay for entering the EU or the victims of another political manipulation conceived to make it impossible for our "leadership" not to accept the new, changed status of the province. They saw trough it all and reacted in their own inspired way-creating different events, such as a football match called"Goal for open border"in Jarinje crossing, right next to the barbwire where the American soldiers stood. The captains of the opposing teams exchanged bread and yoghurt before the match and the referee was blind-folded and wearing a t-shirt that wrote EULEX and KFOR.
It all reminded me of a book by Orson Scott Card that I once read. I am not sure which of the sequels of "The Ender series" it was, but it was describing a silent resistance which was consisted ( if I remember correctly, I read it a long time ago) of every villager placing a small rock on the road, thus creating big piles of stone, which had to be removed by the passing army every couple of kilometers. That's the thing with important causes- every stone counts, every single person is a hero.
