During the war, the Germans sought to secure, at all costs, some degree of support and authority for the newly established quisling government in Belgrade, led by the Serbian traitor Milan Nedić. They used various methods and means to divert the Serbian people's attention from the National Liberation Movement (NLM). The Germans persistently worked to portray the National Uprising as a narrow partisan, adventurist, terrorist struggle that was entirely communist and directly orchestrated from Moscow.
To achieve their planned goal, the fascists relied not only on their practiced propaganda but also resorted to a new tool—a kind of "forced political seminar." Here's how this was approximately carried out during the war in the Novi Bečej District:
On October 20, 1941, several dozen citizens from all parts of the Novi Bečej District were arrested and brought to Novi Bečej. These individuals included representatives of pre-war politicians, intellectuals, and wealthier farmers. The selection was made by the Kulturbund organization with the assistance of activists and supporters of Nedić's "Greater Serbia."
All these individuals were detained for about ten days. During that time, whether they wanted to or not, they were forced to listen to "lectures" delivered by the traitor Rada Lungulov from Novi Bečej, as well as other Greater Serbian chauvinists, Ljotić supporters, and Serbian traitors. The topics of these presentations were long familiar and mainly focused on "the noble and great mission of Serbia's father, Nedić"; "the role of Greater Serbia in saving Serbs from the communist threat"; "the position of Serbia and the Serbs within the new European movement"; and numerous others from the infamous Goebbels' propaganda arsenal.
The detainees were urged to support the Serbian government and Nedić in implementing the "rescue of Serbdom" plan, to help destroy the movement of "Moscow's communist agents," and to persuade the population, primarily Serbs, to deny hospitality and any assistance to communists at all costs. They were also encouraged to agitate for the acceptance and support of General Nedić's policies among Serbs.
This activity among the detainees was conducted in the presence of police and prominent Kulturbund members. From the beginning, they gave this so-called seminar an intimidating tone by emphasizing well-known Goebbelsian demagogic slogans: "Serbs, it is in your interest that peace and order prevail in Banat" or "Serbs, your fate is in your hands."
Upon their release from the district prison, the detainees were informed that they would be held accountable for the political situation in their communities until the end of the war. They were effectively listed as hostages, and in the event of unrest or armed actions by "communist bandits," they would be the first to bear strict responsibility.
On this occasion, the following residents from Dragutinovo and Beodra were arrested:
- Živa Popov – farmer, pre-war municipal president on the United Opposition list, and a member of the Communist Party since 1939.
- Milan Kovačev – farmer, pre-war member of parliament on the United Opposition list, and municipal president in Beodra.
- Đura Prekajski – technician, NLM activist.
- Jovan Isakov – law student, NLM activist.
- Petar Đuričin – tailor, pre-war village politician.
- Radmilo Cucuć – officer of the former Yugoslav Army, NLM activist.
- Dimitrije Vlahović – farmer.
- Joca Maćoš – farmer.
- Ivan Rockov – shop assistant.
- Sredoje Manjulov – Orthodox priest, NLM activist.
- Dušan Novkov – farmer.
- … and others.
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