Instead of ‘colonial angst’ (‘Getting to grips with colonial angst’, Joseph Pirotta, The Sunday Times of Malta, March 31) I would prefer to interpret post-colonial internalisation as the result of the maladie d’histoire (Paul Ricoeur, 2000) which might be suffered by colonies even till after independence.

[attach id=711059 size="medium" align="right"]For national pride the only public Maltese coat of arms in Valletta, situated under the seat of Queen Victoria’s throne, might deserve re-contextualising.[/attach]

When comparing British rule to the epoch of the Knights it is worth pointing out that imperial colonisation was very different from Malta’s status during the period of the Order not only because the latter made Malta its only princely residence (in contrast with governing from a distant Colonial Office) but also because the Grandmaster shared some of his power with two other judicial authorities, namely the Curia and the Inquisition.

For the best part of its rule the Order generated Malta’s stately image in Europe exchanging ample diplomatic representation, ruling from courtly palaces in Valletta and establishing religious and civil customs and rituals, some of which were adopted by the Island State. This is in stark contrast with what happened in the 19th century when Malta was simply used as a naval outpost and fortress.

At the domestic level the Knights financed entrepreneurship providing employment to thousands of Maltese and foreigners; quite different from what happened under British rule when, for instance, for the period 1934-1977, 152,000 Maltese had to emigrate (half the 1977 population) due to lack of investment.

Colonial memory obstruction occurs when the focal public space, particularly in the capital, is occupied by dominant foreign memorials inculcating submissive loyalty in the subjects while blocking the native collective memory and distorting construction of national identity. Re-contextualising some of Valletta’s colonial monuments could lead to harmonising its cultural multi-layered history. A sagacious city plan could propose how best one could artistically give priority to honour forgotten heroes and mark decisive points of history, including from the British period, with respect to sovereignty. No amount of historical justification can replace a nation’s pride and identity.