Sali Butka, the old man who knew no fear

By: Zylyftar Hoxha

He rests alone, why not forgotten, there in the cemetery of Erseka, under the hissing of the winds of the Plateau of Kolonje and Gramoz, waiting for an unsaid word for the cruel old man of Southeast Albania, since the difficult years of the War of World War I brought foreign generals and diplomats to their knees. But no one said this word to him, neither in life nor in death, from all the governments that have passed: from Zogu, it is known, he had nothing to expect, because he had returned the rifle to him; from the communist he received only a few lolokas that did not work for anyone; from the democratic, complete oblivion.

Since this year is the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War and Albania was one of its greatest misfortunes, it would be an honor to mention one of the Albanian heroes of this war, Sali Butka.

Sali Butka was born in the village of Butkë in Kolonje, in 1857, in a large family with early origins from Frashëri i Përmet, who are known by the surname Alickaj, had moved from their lands there around 1630 and settled in Butkë of Cologne. A large but simple family began to be felt and made a name for itself in the entire area of ​​Kolonje, Përmet, Korçë and Skrapar, when Tahir's son, Saliu, was connected to the gangs that arose at the beginning of the 20th century. against Turkey.

He was a member of the Monastery Committee "For the Freedom of Albania". In December 1905, Bajo Topulli went by himself to Butkë village, to Sali Butkë's house, where the first national detachment was formed and the beginning of the armed uprising was announced. Other patriots, such as: Qani Starja, Qamil Panariti, Riza Veleishti, Selim Pojani, Sefer Panariti, Dilaver Lubonja, Hasan Qinami, Myftar Butka, Pituli, etc., were members of this squad, with commander Sali Butka. In 1907, Sali Butka's squad and that of Çerçiz Topulli and Mihal Grameno organized a joint action to kill the Greek spot, Foti, who was considered one of Albania's greatest enemies. After that action, the Turkish government imprisoned Sali Butka and burned the houses in Butka village. Then the High Gate put Dajlan Bey Qafzezi, its tool in Cologne, to kill Saliu's brother, Selman Butka.

Seeing the great contribution to the defense of the Southern provinces and the Government of Vlora, Prime Minister Ismail Qemali called Sali Butka to Vlora and welcomed him warmly. The famous old man of Butka also met there with Isa Boletini, Luigj Gurakuqi, Bajram Curri, etc. At that time he organized the defense of the new Albanian state from the attacks of the Greek army. Regarding this, at that time the newspaper "Freedom of Albania", among others he wrote: "Sali Butka has taken off his coat and is fighting with the Greeks from the side of Naselishte and from the side of Korca and is showing his bravery as in the time of Skanderbeg".

From a young age he read and distributed the works of the renaissance throughout the territory where he operated, which he brought from Manastir and Sofia. Sali Butka collaborated for a long time with Petro Nini Luarasi, helping him to establish the first Albanian school in Cologne. Saliu, along with Nasuf Bey Novosela, were the two people who defended Petro Nini from his enemies and opponents who constantly threatened to physically eliminate him. From that time he began to write and publish poems with a patriotic theme, which then turned into folk songs that are still sung today. In the years 1906-1908, he raised and organized other armed detachments in the area of ​​Kolonje and Leskovik. In 1910, Sali Butka, together with 2 colonists, took part in the great rally of Albanian letters that was organized in the city of Korça. Regarding this notable event, the great patriot Mihal Grameno, in February 500, in the newspaper "Orthodox connection", among others he wrote: "The whole city, men and women, had come out to welcome the colonists, who surprised the world with their tactics."

In March 1911, the well-known patriot Spiro Bellkameni returned from exile and went to the village of Butkë, staying a few days in the Kolonje detachment led by Sali Butka. In order to expand the insurgent movement, Sali Butka gave Bellkamen, his brother Myftari, his son Gani, and Thoma Pituli, to form a separate detachment in the Field of Korça, which became famous in the Orman-Çiflig war , where six of its members were killed and were later declared martyrs of the homeland. At the head of the united insurgent forces, Sali Butka liberated Erseka and then, together with the detachments of Spiro Ballkamen and Kajo Babjeni, in August 1912, they liberated Korca. Regarding this event, the newspaper "time" dated August 19, 1912, among others, wrote: "At the head of the second detachment was the captain and the brave of Albania, the famous patriot Sali Butka, a simple Albanian man and with all his heart a native".

During 1914, there were two major wounds. Nasi Qafzezi, whom he loved like his own sons, was killed in the battle of Qafa e Marta against the Greeks, so in the song he wrote for him, he called him Nasi Spiro Butka; and the second wound was the killing of his 23-year-old son, Gani, in Pogradec, on July 2, 1914, in an effort with the reactionary forces. Even for this he raised the song "The mountains of Gramozi cry, for Gani Butka who killed", a song that is sung at every feast and conversation even today in Kolonje, Përmet, Korçë, Skrapar, Dangëlli and Berat. In addition, the Greeks burned his house and his family was forced to live in Skrapar, among friends and companions.

In 1914, when the Greek massacres began in the south, Sali Butka with his family and thousands of refugees from Cologne jumped into Vlora and settled in its olive groves. The wound in his eye that he had received that year in Nikolica, bothered him a lot and had become unbearable. His friends told him to go to Italy to have his eye removed. Since it was nearby, he boarded a cargo ship and went to Bari. There, many Albanian immigrants welcomed him and helped him to finish work quickly. After two visits, in a well-known clinic, it was decided to operate to remove the damaged eye. When he went to the operating room, the doctor told him that he would give him anesthesia to put him to sleep so that he would not feel pain. The old man refused. "You don't know what I do in my sleep", told him, "They rescue me from below or from the pit like in the middle of Italy and I am ashamed. Can you do me without medicine"? The doctor stuck his leg for anesthesia, the old man like a mule in his. The operation was not performed that day. After the second consultation, the request was accepted. The operation was performed without anesthesia. They released the cornea of ​​the damaged eye into his hand. Not even the tiniest sound came out of the sick man's mouth, only sweat trickled down his face pale from pain. Tomorrow's newspaper "Corriere della Puglia" published a news story at the top of the front page, that an Albanian had his eye removed without anesthesia. "No one would have voluntarily submitted to such a case, you must be Albanian, you must be brave and courageous to do such a thing". the newspaper wrote. This news gathered journalists and surgeons from all over Italy, and the event was also covered in other newspapers. It was also reflected by the Albanian press of the time. Mihal Gramenua in the newspaper "time" wrote: "Let's never forget that day! Let all the warriors comfort him, when he tells us with a laugh: 'Don't be afraid, brothers, because I will not embarrass Albania and no dove against the enemies will go to waste'".

After receiving the ultimatum, the French sent a representative to Saliu's camp to talk with the Elder, but rather he wanted to know how much strength the old man had to fall to Korça. But he could not guess the intuition of the clever and cunning peasant who was looking behind the fence. He had ordered that the 5 forces he had at the moment should move, some appearing and some disappearing across the hill of Gjergjevica, and to continue like this until the evening, until their shoes were torn. The newcomer, seeing this movement, that those who had gone out ten minutes ago, were coming out again, but that he knew as new forces, made the calculations that there would be 000 thousand forces. Adding the reserves that would be slightly higher, he calculated that the old man had 10 thousand forces safe. It is strange, but Hilarion Kutuzov had done this 12 or so years ago, when Napoleon had approached Moscow. He had seen that there were 100-5 soldiers behind each fire, then he ordered that each soldier have a fire. The French army was surrounded in an ocean of fire. Under these conditions they turned back. Convinced of Sali Butka's great power, the French officer telegraphed the commander in Thessaloniki that 6 volunteers could attack Korça at any moment. Telegram followed telegram, from Thessaloniki to Athens, from Athens to Paris, until the answer came back that Korça belongs to the Albanians. Thus, the famous Elder of Butka protected not only Korça, but all of Southeast Albania from the attacks of the Greek chauvinists. Based on the great contribution and fame that the Elder of Butka received during the years of the First World War, in 12 he was elected and participated as a delegate of Korça in the Congress of Lushnja.

It was August 1919. Albania was living, perhaps, the most critical moments in history: the Italians secured Vlora and Sazan, the Serbs the north of Albania, the French who held Korca for so long now wanted to hand it over to the Greeks. The people of Korça decided to oppose. A commission of 13 people was set up, with the most prominent people of the city. The city had to be defended by force, but where to find this force? The government of Durrës was asked for help for 200 thousand gold francs to feed the volunteers, but it was not willing. It was thought and a call was made to Sali Butka, who was in Konak i Tomorrica on vacation at that time. After that, when he heard that Themistocles Germenji had been killed by the French in Thessaloniki, a storm broke out in the head of the Elder. Within a few days, he brought 1 volunteers to Gjergjevica, near Korca. At the beginning of September 500, he sent a mild 1919-point ultimatum to the French forces in Korça: Why mild, because bloodshed had to be avoided, because France was a great power.

The old man, after finishing everything, finally returned home, to Butka, and began to raise the houses from the foundations after the Greek had burned them. He lived his days quietly, remembering the boys he had left in the mountains. One day they told him that Zogu had broken his neck. "Hair, inshallah", the old man had vented. But it wasn't long before they told him that he had returned. The prefect of Korça, Beqir Gjylbegu, asks the Elder for help. And he with 300 colonists and at an advanced age took the borders, but Zogu has entered the other side. They tried to arrest him, but they couldn't the first time, the second time in the Fier Uprising they arrested him, but now he was nothing but a handful of bones, so they released him. When he returned, he got two oparchs to make a tombstone with an Albanian carved on it. He returned them twice, until he found the solution. He died on October 20, 1938.

After the passing away of the legendary Elder of Butka of Kolonje, the life of the pinjos of this house followed the established tradition, with commitment to the affairs of the homeland. Muftari, Saliu's brother, as the second of the tribe, held the old man's hat and could not get ahead of him, however he stayed in the right direction; the two sons of the Elder, Iliazi and Ganiu, were killed in the war against the Greeks; Safet, with his extreme ideas, wise, brave, and determined warrior, took a course which, had the Elder lived, he would not have let him go there, or they would have been ruined for life; while today, the most famous of the tribe, the nephew, Uran, the son of Safet, smart, learned and clever, of course, came to the defense of his father's cause. /Newspaper "Dita"/