Sarkis Dekhrouni (Sarkis Kederian)
Born in Sis in 1898.
Sarkis Dekhrouni had left his homeland during the Turkish deportations of Armenians in 1915, only to return to Sis during the repatriation of Cilicia following World War I. In Sis, Dekhrouni had embarked on a very intensive career as a teacher, newspaper editor, and as a Hunchak activist. He edited the "Davros" and "Nor Serount" newspapers and worked tirelessly to organise aid to the then besieged city of Hajin in Armenia Cilicia.
After the evacuation of Cilicia, Dekhrouni settled in Aleppo, there he edited "Souriakan Mamoul", which became the forum for the development of his political maturity. Various chapters of Hunchak youth organisations were soon established in Aleppo, Damascus, Beirut and Kessab thanks to his efforts. An ardent orator and an excellent writer, Dekhrouni rallied an entire segment of the Armenian population in exile around Armenia, the land to which he had placed much of his hopes and aspirations.
In 1927 Dekhrouni was exiled to Arwad island off of Syria by the ruling French mandatory authorities base on false accusations (given by fellow Armenians) and intentional harassment. While in exile, his ideological opponents spread rumours of his death, and it is on this occasion that he responded with his famous line "It is Dekhrouni, and he remains Hunchakian". In 1928 he returned from exile having written his masterpiece, a collection of essays analysing his political thoughts and Armenian issues. Soon after his return, on 17 January, 1929, he was assassinated in Beirut by fellow Armenians.....
Papers all over the Diaspora reported the news of his assassination and funeral procession, including 13 local (non-Armenian) papers. Shoukri Sadi, a Lebanese reporter on the funeral procession writes: "It would be hard for me to see another funeral procession like this, which I unfortunately became a witness to. Twenty thousand Armenians, on their shoulders carrying the coffin of a great Armenian activist. I found everyone in tiers, and their heart-broken sighs could have ripped the ground". Dekhrouni is considered unique in his dedication to the cause for which he fought throughout his short life. Many of the Hunchak youth organisation chapters carry his name in honour of his martyrdom. Dekhrouni symbolises the spirit of a dedicated youth.
He is an Armenian hero. And a Hunchakian legend.