It is unfortunate that Malta is one of the few countries where Independence remains a source of controversy. I think that it is also a pity that it is not our sole national day as I believe that it is the ideal historical event fitting such a purpose.

Having said this, it is worthwhile to reinterpret what Independence in 1964 really meant and what is its lasting significance through the passage of time.

First of all, Independence was a national achievement. It was a long process in which all Maltese from different historical periods participated. This process was also not a linear one, with periods of progress and regression.

Malta obtained representative government in 1887, which was revoked in 1903. In 1921 we were granted responsible government which only operated up to 1933. In 1947 we were once more granted self-government which was lost in 1959 after the 1958 riots.

Then, we had the creation of the ‘State of Malta’ in 1962 and Independence in 1964. Above all, it is absolutely nonsensical to attribute the credit for Independence to a single political party or to an individual politician.

For example, the ordinary Maltese of the September 2, 1798, insurrection against the French have as much credit in Malta’s obtaining of Independence as the 1964 Prime Minister, George Borg Olivier.

Secondly, through the years we have perhaps concentrated too much on the political and constitutional aspects of Independence. Independence was much more than this. It brought about a national renaissance. Maltese culture came of age. We started celebrating what was uniquely Maltese and no longer concentrated on the concept of Malta as part of the British Empire.

Those who are of a certain age remember the old history books they had at school where the history of Malta was taught as part of the wider history of the British Empire. Geography was another subject taught in this manner. The centre of everything was Britain, its Empire and where Malta fitted into all this.

This meant a devaluation of what was uniquely Maltese, a negation of the Maltese national identity. The aim of Independence was to change this crucial cultural aspect too.

Recognising Independence Day as our sole national day would mean celebrating the efforts and sacrifices of the whole Maltese nation

Thirdly, Independence was also the beginning of the road towards the development of a belief in our abilities as Maltese. I am old enough to remember the way people used to speak about anything that was Maltese. The prevailing idea was that anything purely Maltese had to be inferior to its foreign counterpart.

While this was true where several local products were concerned, it did not mean that the Maltese were not as capable as foreigners in many areas of human endeavour.

It is, therefore, regrettable that the political and constitutional aspects of Independence in 1964 became the subject of great controversy even in the period leading up to this great landmark in our history.

Today, everybody recognises that Independence was an achievement we should all be proud of. It is also obvious to anyone who has studied history that in 1964 we obtained the best terms on offer in the context of those difficult days signalling the twilight of colonialism.

There is also general agreement that both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party are to be given credit for Independence since both included it in their 1962 general election manifestos.

What is worrying is the fact that there are still a minority of people around with a mindset belonging more to the 1970s than 2016. Anybody who today still denigrates Independence as obtained in 1964 has not kept up to date with historical research.

It is also an insult to the memories of so many Maltese who sacrificed so much on the road to Independence. After all, it was Dom Mintoff who led the fight against colonialism in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Labour Party made Independence possible and Mintoff deserves full credit for his part in the struggle for Independence.

Which brings me to the subject of the National Day.

Several years ago, I suggested that Independence Day should be our sole national day. I know for a fact that there are many people, including a great number of Labourites, who agree with me on this point.

After all, recognising Independence Day as our sole national may would mean celebrating the efforts and sacrifices of the whole Maltese nation, Labourites included, to arrive at such an achievement.

It is also true that some veteran hard-core Labour supporters are dead against my suggestion but these are very few in number. I respect their opinion because I know what they went through in the 1960s but if we are to be on the right side of history, then it is time to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past when Independence was denigrated as a farce (Indipendenza Farsa). Those days are, thankfully, long over.

I sincerely believe that the debate about our national day should be rekindled and concluded. Some will retort that we have more pressing issues to debate. I beg to differ. Independence was important in 1964, in later years and even more so today.

The days of political confrontation are over and today we can debate much more rationally our national day. Having Independence as our sole national day will mean valuing the contributions of Mikiel Anton Vassalli, Fortunato Mizzi, Manuel Dimech, Ugo Pasquale Mifsud, Enrico Mizzi, George Borg Olivier, Dom Mintoff, and the Maltese of their time. Not doing so will mean devaluing them.

We need to be objective about what happened in 1964. We also need to be critical in our evaluation. However, when the scales are weighed, I believe that the balance will be an absolutely positive one.

The argument for Independence as our sole National Day is based on these facts: (1) It was our greatest national achievement; (2) It was a uniquely Maltese achievement with centuries of effort and sacrifice; (3) It was the one historical event which brought most progress to the Maltese islands.

Independence is a day of national celebration, and rightly so.

Desmond Zammit Marmarà is a Balzan Labour councillor and an educator by profession.

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