THE VRBAS FLOWS... FROM THE SOURCE TOWARDS ITS MOUTH

A Postcard of Banja Luka

AIM Banja Luka, August 9, 1996

As unofficial sources claim, publishing of a new map of Banja Luka is planned, which will be interesting for some people. The first copies are already in use. The accompanying text is also interesting. In this publication designed with all the current insignia, history of the city begins with the opening of the brewery. The guide to Banja Luka begins with the following sentence: The name of the beer is "Nektar".

According to the opinion of many citizens of Banja Luka, the beginning of the end of "dissolution" of a specific identity of Banja Luka is marked by changes of the names of the streets and parts of the city. The job completed in the benches of the local parliament, in accordance with the stances of those who had approved it, "corrected many historic mistakes and injustices", but made a problem to the inhabitants. There is no end to wandering around the city! A guest willing to visit you - cannot find you, it is impossible to explain in which street an ambulance should look for you to pacify your trembling heart, taxi-driver does not know where in fact you wish to go...

Those who have never known the old names of the streets, such as Kasim Hadzic street, have the easiest way with the new names. This makes Banja Luka their city.

About 50 thousand people have left Banja Luka in the past four war years, mostly Muslims and Croats who formed a large part of the prewar population. Banja Luka Serbs have also left. Equally silently as their Croat and Muslim fellow-citizens, but by far fewer of them. The first to leave were those with the capital, the intellectual potential followed.

The empty space was quickly filled by the arrival of refugees from other parts of Bosnia & Herzegovina. The latest enormous wave of refugees from Croatia, but also from Drvar, Petrovac, Glamoc... shook up the Banja Luka urbis. The numeric ratio between the "genuine" and the newly arrived population is almost fifty-fifty. Accomodation of these people was more often in the domain of "private initiative" than that of the competent authorities. Usually in an ad hoc way, and sometimes even with the use of firearms. The remaining Croats and Muslims were thrown out of their homes. Banja Luka Serbs were no exception, so that some doors still bear names of tenants written in Cyrillic alphabet with the added military address, as a fragile guarantee of security. Just in case!

At the moment, Banja Luka is living its peacetime life. Genuine population, unused to changes experienced by the city, are rediscovering the beauty of Sehitluk, Sibovo, they are swimming in the hidden beaches on the banks of the Vrbas, Vrbanja, Suturlija. Seher has changed its name into Srpske Toplice (Serb Bath).

Citizens of Banja Luka have not founded their homeland clubs yet, although there have been initiatives in that sense.

Their new fellow-citizens are gathering in their respective homeland clubs, where they drink together, sing and play the gusle - the one-string fiddle, talk and keep each other company.

Things are gradually coming back to normal in Banja Luka. Traffic lights are finally operational again. This novelty was announced by screeching of tires of cars not used to red traffic lights. People often cross the street without glancing at the traffic lights. Out of habit, or out of ignorance. ("Son, let mummy hold your hand. When the green boy appears, then we cross the street. And be careful to step on the white lines only"...)

There are more sellers than buyers in the marketplace. The selection of goods is enviable: fruit, vegetables, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, chocolate, toys, men's and women's underwear... All kinds of alcoholic drinks and distillates. From different kinds of homemade brandy to artificial coniac. This alcoholic diversity is an irrestitable temptation for people with very little money. A small glass - one dinar, a big glass - two dinars. The first one has a difficult time going down, but the rest... At improvised bars on 80 per cent of street corners, the atmosphere like in a good cafe, with political topics dominating. These bars do not seem to bother police patrols, nor do the bottles and glasses "circling" around the streets. They seem to be more interested in brandy.

In cooperation with the inspection services, they regularly circle these bars, confiscate the goods and collect fines. "You are summoned to come in person to this court in Banja Luka in the Vladika Platon street, on... (date)/ immediately, for interrogation as the defendant in the procesure for the offence committed pursuant Article... of the Law on Wine and Brandy... (summons of an alcohol dealer).

The parks and lawns have lost their purpose a long time ago. Besides the neatly arranged firewood (sold by a cubic metre), horses of all colours and sizes are resting. They have taken over control of the lawns. There is a lot of horses, and very little vegetation.

The first cases of "inter-horsely" incidents have already been registered. For the sake of safety of their "pets", their masters moved them to their balconies. The benefit is twofold: they are not only safe, but fenced as well. A horse calmly sitting in the sun on a balcony, with its front legs cast over the railing, recently drew attention even of its owners ("Horse business").

Beaches along the Vrbas banks have also come to life. There are no more short-tempered policemen ("While I am fighting the war and guarding you, you loaf about and soak your balls"). New prototypes of Johny Weismiller and Mark Spitz (in tiger-skin pattern swimming trunks) perform all kinds of bravuras and reckless acts, yet unseen in this space risking to break their arms and legs and become victims of their "artifice" ("Let him do it, he'll come out to the surface somewhere").

There is unison concerning one thing: this year the ratio in the city is 20:1 for women. It is highly recommendable not to miss the evening promenade down Gospodska street. Women of Banja Luka, with their looks significantly improved, dressed up, numerically superior, disburdened after four-year long pressure of the war, are finally relieved. Their "male madmen" who had dirtied and stained themselves in Bosnian gorges (no more washing uniforms and packing haversacks), have finally come home and they are relieved. Now with their fashionable creations, they are causing confusion among the scarce male population. They fight hard for each and every one of them, and the curse "I wish to goodness your man will be called up for reserve forces" is not malevolent.

Nevertheless, citizens of Banja Luka are not giving up. "One should love the art in oneself, not oneself in art", a well-known Banja Luka musician and conductor said recently. From his, also well-known, "Insanic Bakery" which makes excellent buns, pies, cakes, Muharem Insanic has finally come out in the open after these war years and together with the beautiful Dunja Simic, operatic singer, filled the hall of the community centre. They gathered that part of Banja Luka which was unnoticeable during all these war years. As much as was left of that Banja Luka. Insanic is still very sure with the conductor's baton and from the back he looks as if he might fly away with happiness. And the rolls are still the known "Insanic high-quality".

"Do you know anything about biology? You live in this environment, and become a rare species. Something like an endemic species... The only thing that has not changed in this city is the Vrbas. It is still green... And flows from its source towards the mouth". (Monologue of an "endemic" citizen of Banja Luka).

(AIM) Miso VIDOVIC