If someone has to die, it would be good for him to die like Isa Boletini”

Salih has translated a portion of this book, in which the author's opinion of the event of Isa Boletin, which was the 106th anniversary of his murder, is presented.

Milovan Djilas, son of the assassin of Isa Boletin, says his book that if someone has to die, it would be good for him to die like Isa Boletini.

Below, you can read the complete text of Fitim Salih where it brings the following information:

A few days ago it was 106th anniversary of the murder of Isa Boletin. He was killed on January 23rd 1916 in Podgorica by Montenegrin forces. In curiosity, Isa Begu was killed by the unit that commanded Nikola Djilas, the father of Milovan Djilas, one of the most powerful men in Tito's Yugoslavia in its first decade. In Kosovo, Djilas had become known a few years earlier, thanks to a commission he had led in 1946 for demarcation of the border between the Yugoslav republics.

By the time Isa Boletin was killed by his father's unit, Djilas was still five years old. In his book “land without justice” he brings back memories from his childhood when he learned the news that his father had killed Isa Boletin é or, as he once calls him, Isa Shaljanin ʹ at the time when the Montenegrin state had collapsed and the Austrian army was conquering him.

Keeping in mind the great possibility of Djilas being sensitive to the interpretation of this event, I am translating and quoting the part of the book he speaks of. Although he speaks of his father's rival in the media, not even Djilas himself can hide his worship of the bravery of Isa Boletin:

“... at that moment of collapse, despair and general chaos,... this prestigious Albanian hero, Isa of Boletin, fell to Podgorica. Isa was formerly known as rebel, xhandurk, and favorite to Knjaz Nicholas, in whom he found refuge when the revolt failed. He enjoyed a great reputation among Albanians, while Montenegrins treated him with respect for fear. During the collapse, he abandoned his friendship with Knjazi and Montenegro and decided to exploit the lack of order for his own purposes. It might have seemed easy because Podgorica had no organized force to resist. If nothing else, he could hope to rob the city and the state treasury. Terror, plunder, and chaos ruled everywhere. Isa may not have known there was still a unit that had not broken down my father's. As soon as she [the unit] arrived, she took command to maintain order...

...The battle with Isa's irregular entity did not last long despite the fierce heroism of Albanians. The blow brought down both the commander and most of his soldiers. Isa's back was broken, and the rest escaped. Isa Bolatini himself was killed. But he had already fought hard and long when he was left alone on the broad road. Wounded, he stood on his knees and yet weakened to carry his gun shot so that at least he could take someone's life as revenge for his life. Father ran to him, and Albanian xanxar pointed the gun at the left. However, he did not have time to fire. A soldier was aiming for him so he was killed. The father ran, and Isa looked upon him with his great eyes and blood, saying something in his own language, which his father did not understand, and breathed into him. Father took his large mouse with the silver case and preserved it as his most precious souvenir.

It was a little strange that we children mourned about Isa Bolletin. Father also mourned for him, although he was proud that his group had killed him. It was a particular grief, even worship of a fearless hero of fierce Albania who had fought to the end in a naked field and on a dry road, without asking for charity or forgiveness, open and unprotected. So there was this worship within the grief. If someone has to die, it would be good for him to die like Isa Bolletini. Let him remember his fall, at least of those who have seen him or heard of him. ”