On the eve of the Day of Remembrance, representatives of the Italian Union and the Councils of the Italian Minority of the Istrian and Primorje-Gorski Kotar Regions laid a wreath at the Surani sinkhole. The President of the Assembly of the Italian Union, Paolo Demarin, launched the proposal to place a stele near the sinkhole where Norma Cossetto was killed.

“A dutiful tribute to the victims of the foibe and the exodus, a testimony of closeness and sharing of the tragic events that have characterized our land” with this spirit the Italian National Community, represented by its institutions, has laid a wreath of flowers in the sinkhole of Surani or Villa Surani, a small town on the road from Antignana to Pisino. In that sinkhole in 1943 and 1945 dozens of people were massacred and the young Norma Cossetto also died there. “We have a duty to remember and a need to explain” said among other things the president of the Assembly of the Italian Union, Paolo Demarin. “We must do it not only on Remembrance Day – said Demarin- but much more often and it must be done with common projects, together with the exiles and the majority people; one of these could be the placing of a stone, a stele, a monument right here, in Surani”. "It is important to talk about it so that it never happens again" it has been said several times and “it is important to talk about it especially to young people” said Sandro Vrancich, vice president of the Council of the Italian minority of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Region. “I have found myself many times near various foibe throughout the Istrian region, being here today in an official capacity as a representative of the Council has been much more touching, more heartfelt, therefore my idea, my appeal to schools, to history teachers is to take the kids to these places, tell them about the events that happened, the tragedy that occurred many years ago. I believe that after a visit to such places, something will surely remain in the hearts and minds of the pupils and students of our schools” said Vrancich, while the vice-president of the Istrian County Minority Council, Valmer Cusma, stressed that “also in memory of these victims, the minority must continue to fight for the affirmation of its own identity, language and culture and against the policy of reducing the Italian component in its historical settlement territory” . Finally, it should be noted that the ceremony was also attended by the President of the Executive Board of the UI, Marin Corva, the Vice-President of the Assembly Arianna Brajko Gall, as well as the Presidents of the Italian Communities of Visinada, Gallesano and Fiume.

by Lionella Pausin Acquavita – 09/02/2021

Source: Radio Capodistria