SLOVENIA - MEMORY OF YUGOSLAVIA

An island with a church on Lake Bled, shot from Bled Castle

When I was in school, such a place didn’t exist. On the globe. Or Maps. It was yet to be born, out of one of the coloured patches, that I read out as You-Go-Slavia (near to another stranger sounding, more difficult to read Czech-o-slo-vakia). I knew then, that they were having a lot of problems with each other. Wars, atrocities, genocide, ethnic cleansing. Wouldn’t have thought of such a peaceful place around here- The image created by the media has been that of conflicts and war.

To my surprise, the young Slovenian cab driver I met in Ljubljana, DuŠan (Dushan), in his late 20s, was very much a history freak, and he was great company to discuss political history of the region!. So I made a deal to stick to his cab, and he took me around for couple of days. It’s likely that growing up in a country with politically very volatile neighbours like Bosnia would make one very aware of the political history…

 Over those days, he talked about  imperialism, communism, dictatorship of Tito, split up of Yugoslavia..through to the EU.
An interesting part was when I told him that my first introduction to the politics of the area was what we studied in school about the trigger to World War I : The 1914 shooting/assassination of the prince/Archduke of Austria and princess in the street in Sarajevo/Bosnia (The prince was heir to the throne of Austro-Hungarian empire/monarchy which also ruled the Yugoslav area. The youth assassin was a Yugoslav nationalist who wanted freedom from the empire). That’s when DuŠan mentioned about the trial of the assassin where he demanded: 

"I am a Yugoslav nationalist, our aim is to unify all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state is formed, but it must be free from Austria." 

After WWI, “The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes” was formed that formally changed to “Kingdom of Yugoslavia”,  and after WWII, it became a republic with different official terms added to Yugoslavia- among which the longest surviving was Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (made up of 6 socialist republics- Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia ), until splitting up in 1992 into separate states, along ethnic lines. 

Early morning, Lake Bled, Slovenia.

My first introduction to the history of this area, was when planning the Greece trip.
Bordering north of Greece, was this confusingly marked country, 'FYROM'. Had never heard of such a place, and it turned out to be Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia- so named, because the Greeks won't allow them to be called just Macedonia, which is the name of adjoining region in Greece as well- that the Greeks are proud of, as the birthplace of Alexander The Great! Though the whole large area was part of the ancient Macedon region, which is now split between different countries. But the Greeks did not want to 'give away' that name for a new country.

When I asked DuŠan about people's view of the change before and after EU, he talked more about Tito, and compared the time he ruled (from Serbia/Belgrade) to the current EU membership of Slovenia.

He said, people are of the opinion that in a way, Tito’s time was better, though dictatorial, he took away stuff from the area but also returned enough. But, after EU accession, there’s more being taken away than being provided to the people or the economy. Share of contribution vs benefits are not balancing out.. Though majority of people were against communism, and wanted freedom, and Slovenia was one of the first regions to get autonomy from Yugoslavia, looking back, in some ways, grass was greener when the flag was redder :)

I guess, like everywhere else, the “tribal” politics of ethnic groups seem to be at the base of it all- From the Lack of trust, fear of exploitation, to the lure of easier trade and support of richer states, and based on these, Deciding what kind of boundaries to be drawn. So some areas have been shift between Making deals to merge and share resources more freely, and breaking away to be independent, to own their resources and trade with more control over them- to feel more power and for better bargaining power, perhaps. Finding the balance between the two options seem to be a very difficult political act!, anywhere in the world.

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POETRY OF THE DREAMY RAINSTORM: 

Sudden heavy rainstorm, Lake Bled.
The Church on this tiny island blurred with rain-mist.

The overnight drizzle hadn't stopped by daybreak.. Very early in the morning, by 7 as I reached the lakeshore, from the long chat on history and politics of this part of erstwhile Yugoslavia (From imperialism, communism, dictatorship of Tito, split up of Yugoslavia..through to the EU..with the very politically aware- almost like an activist, young Slovenian cab driver DuŠan/Dushan in his late 20s- and a surprisingly history-freak, very keen and knowledgable..mostly I'd ask something and listen), I stepped out from the past, into a sudden heavy rainstorm.. and visibility dropped.. the church on the island and the shades of autumn colours started fading into the rain-mist, blurring the details slowly, as if in a sfumato painting..

(Shot it, while getting drenched, making my jacket as hood for the camera..) as I witnessed this and soaked-in the rain-soaked air, there were thoughts coming to me, which were like reflections on the memory of reading from this poem-

THE GARDENER by Rabindranath Tagore 

(His own translation in full, from the original in Bengali )

[ ..

If you would be busy and fill your pitcher, come, O come to my lake.

The water will cling round your feet and babble its secret.

The shadow of the coming rain is on the sands, and the clouds

hang low upon the blue lines of the trees like the heavy hair above your eyebrows.

I know well the rhythm of your steps, they are beating in my heart.

Come, O come to my lake, if you must fill your pitcher.

If you would be idle and sit listless and let your pitcher float on the water, come, O come to my lake.

The grassy slope is green, and the wild flowers beyond number.

Your thoughts will stray out of your dark eyes like birds from their nests.

Your veil will drop to your feet.

Come, O come to my lake if you must sit idle.

If you would leave off your play and dive in the water, come, O come to my lake.

Let your blue mantle lie on the shore; the blue water will cover you and hide you.

The waves will stand a-tiptoe to kiss your neck and whisper in your ears.

Come, O come to my lake, if you would dive in the water.

..

It is cool and fathomlessly deep.

It is dark like a sleep that is dreamless.

There in its depths nights and days are one, and songs are silence

.. ]

-This blog was written in Oct 2013.