Each year the municipal authorities of Novi Sad, Serbia give “October Award” to a merited citizen to commemorate October 1944, when the city was liberated from Hungarian occupiers. In 3.5 years occupation of Novi Sad and northern Serbia, the attempt was made to create ethnically pure Hungarian state. Thus gruesome acts of Genocide (against the Serbs) and Holocaust of the Jews occurred in the region. Veljic’s book Genocide Revealed documents those crimes which prompted a local journalist Tomislav Lovrekovic to nominate him the the award. The nomination was submitted to appropriate Committee which decides who gets the award. The Committee is composed of representatives of the ruling local parties. The nomination of Veljic is explained as follows:
“Amidst the current flood of false authorities, mediocrities in the field of science and politically approved expounders of historical truths, as well as the activists who make living out of their activism, only one has stood out as being different. To the shame of Novi Sad, one sole activist stands out from the rest. By “different”, I mean a genuine one. It is tragic that being honest has become a synonym for being different in our society.
In short several years, Aleksandar Veljic has succeeded to achieve what no historian has done in the last 75 years following the World War II. His dedicated, conscientious work is being done with modest technical opportunities, very limited finances at his disposal, and against incessant sabotages and distractions that come his way. Isn’t that something? This popular writer, historian and true activist reveals the truth about Razzia 1942 (a genocide of Hungarian occupiers) and proves Miklos Horthy (Hungarian regent and Hitler’s ally in World War II) to be a genocide perpetrator. He has brought to light all the details of Horthy’s gruesome crimes against civilians. At the same time, Veljic has been educating people on ecological issues as he stands against the GMO threat, Chemical spraying and other experiments on the population. He has gained the name, reputation and respect of honest and honorable individuals and has been crucified by those who share no such virtues (yet has maintained a dignified approach to the latter).
The fruits of Veljic’s labor certainly deserved the highest municipal recognition at all times. His merits exceed the work of all the political protegees (who are usually awarded)… The main traits in Aleksandar Veljic’s character is honor – that by itself is a sufficient argument for this Committee’s positive response of this Committee to this nomination”.