Rasi: Without Memory, Nation Loses Identity

Banska Bystrica, 29 August (TASR) - A nation without a memory loses its identity, while a nation that doesn't know where it came from will hardly know where it's heading, said Parliamentary Speaker Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) in his speech at the celebrations marking the 82nd anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) in Banska Bystrica on Saturday, adding that if young people are handed a version of the past adjusted to suit current political needs, they will be stripped of the opportunity to learn from it. "A nation that doesn't respect its history can hardly hope to build a bright future," said Rasi, voicing his concerns about attempts to adapt history based on what happens to suit someone at a particular time. "We can discuss history, we can study it, and we can have different views or interpretations, but we can't change historical facts, and we can't retrospectively erase who fought here, who fought for us, who gave their lives and who liberated us," he said. According to Rasi, Slovaks must commemorate the SNP and other historical milestones, and if they stop respecting the figures and events that shaped Slovakia, they'll gradually lose awareness of where they came from and on what values they are building their own future. The head of Parliament stated that the legacy of those who fought in the SNP calls on people to fight for Slovakia, not against it. "You had to handle that fight on battlefields and war fronts. But we, too, must fight for the Slovak Republic on diplomatic and economic fronts. We have to fight for our survival, for people to have jobs, and for our country to move forward," said Rasi, adding that no one who has won the trust of voters in an election has the right to disparage the country or fight against Slovakia's interests. "We must stand together as we fight for the future of our Slovakia. That's our commitment to the legacy of the Slovak National Uprising, and that's the greatest tribute we can pay to those who fought for freedom and gave their lives for it," said Rasi. jrg/df