Malta u l-politika

L-Indipendenza

 

21 ta’ Settembru 1964

 

“The most important date in Malta’s political history shall always be September 21, 1964.” – Victor E. Ragonesi, The Times 1.5.2004

 

Jien ma nistenniex xi haga ahjar minn dan Victor Ragonesi bhala ex Segretarju Generali tal-Partit Nazzjonalista u segretarju privat ta’ Gorg Borg Olivier, li forsi ghandu interess li jincensa lill-partit tieghu u jfahhar dak li ghamel il-PN. Fil-fatt l-indipendenza kienet dejjem il-mimmi t’ghajnejn in-Nazzjonalisti, kienet il-bidu u t-tmiem, donnu xejn ma jista jersaq vicin l-importanza tal-indipendenza tant li ghamluha l-festa nazzjonali. Jien minghajr tidwir mal-lewza filwaqt li nemmen li minghajr indipendenza m’ghandekx identita’ u wisq anqas tista tkun sovran, nemmen ukoll li dak li gabu n-Nazzjonalisti ma kienet xejn ghajr umiljazzjoni nazzjonali. Ghaliex?

 

Ghax dak li gara lil Malta fl-1964 ma kienet indipendenza xejn. Ghax kif tista ssejjah lil Malta “indipendenti” meta:

 

Il-post innifsu fejn saret ic-cerimonja, kien qabel u baqa’ wara c-cerimonja, propjeta assoluta tal-Gvern Ingliz.

 

L-innu Malti waqt ic-cerimonja tal-indipendenza ta’ Malta indaqq mill-banda tal-armata Ingliza.

 

Wara li b’tant pompa ittelghet il-bandiera Maltija, wara c-ceriminja regghet ittellghet il-bandiera Ingliza (tinsewx il-post kien propjeta tal-Gvern Ingliz).

 

Il-forzi Inglizi mhux biss kellhom id-dritt jibqghu Malta wara l-indipendenza, imma hafna postijiet f’Malta, fosthom l-ajruport u l-port, baqghu taht il-kontroll tal-forzi Nglizi. Tant li Duncan Sandys li kien is-segretarju tal-Kolonji Brittanici,. Kien qal, “… British forces to remain in Malta for a period of 10 years after independence and accords to them by and large the same military facilities which they enjoy at present. … we greatly value the facilities which Malta provides for our Navy, Army and Air Force and we are glad we shall be able to continue to use them.” Ezatt wara l-indipendenza, l-RAF f’Malta harget Operation Order 18/64 (Operation ABNER) fejn l-RAF giet ordnata, “to occupy or cordon off the area of the Civil Airport (Luqa) in order to safeguard the operational capability of RAF Luqa”.

 

F’kaz ta’ gwerra, il-forzi militari Nglizi kellhom id-dritt li jaghmlu uzu shih minn Malta bhal ma sar fl-ahhar gwerra dinjija.

 

Il-gvern Ingliz intrabat li jghin lill-gvern Malti finanzjarjament biex tithaffef l-emigrazzjoni minn Malta.

 

Il-Berga ta’ Kastilja kienet tintuza bhala l-kwartieri generali military Brittanici.

 

Malta, wara l-indipendenza baqghet stat monarkiku, bir-Regina Elizabetta II Kap ta’ Stat.

 

L-ghada tac-cerimonja tal-indipendenza, il-parlament infetah permezz ta’ diskors mit-tron tad-Duka ta’ Edinburgh li ghall-okkazzjoni kien qieghed jirraprezenta lir-Regina Elizabetta II li allura kienet ir-regina ta’ Malta.

 

Ir-Regina kienet tigi rrapprezentata mill-Gvernatur Generali.

 

F’Malta gie mwaqqaf il-kwartieri generali tan-NATO ghar-regjun tal-Mediterran.

 

Il-flus baqghu Inglizi u bqajna nuzaw il-pounds, ix-shillings u l-pence ghax l-anqas munita Maltija ma kellna.

 

F’kazi ta’ inkwiet intern bejn il-Maltin, il-forzi militari Inglizi wara li suppost hadna l-indipendenza, setghu jintuzaw biex jghinu fis-sigurta interna tal-pajjiz, anzi inghataw liberta eccessiva ezempju, “A commander must carefully consider whether to order his forces to fire without a request from the civil authorities and whether to refuse to fire when asked by them to do so. It is his judgement of the immediate circumstances which alone will determine whether fire should or should not be opened.” Dan kien ifisser li wara l-indipendenza, il-forzi armati Inglizi setghu jisparaw fuq il-Maltin skond kif kien jiddeciedi il-kmandant dak il-hin.

 

It-truppi Nglizi gew preparati ghall-possibilta ta’ nkwiet intern billi inqasmu f’Internal Security Platoons u kull platoon kien jikkonsisti f’ufficjal u 40 suldat.  Tawhom mapep, megaphone, camera, stretcher, barbed wire, torches, lembubi u tarki. Il-kmandant ta’ kull platoon inghata l-ghazla li:

 

-         Juza mezzi ta’ perswazjoni permezz ta’ strixxa bil-kliem Malti “TFERRXU JEW NITFGHU IL-GAS TAD-DMUGH” u strixxa ohra bil-kliem Malti  “TFERRXU JEW NUZAW L-ARMI”.

-         Juza gas tad-dmugh

-         Jordna s-suldati javvanzaw armati bil-bajunetti

-         Juza barbed wire

-         Juza armi. Is-suldati Nglizi gew ordnati hekk, “when used, fire must be effective. The firing of blank cartridges must not be ordered.”

 

Bl-indipendenza b’kollox li l-PN qal li gab lill-Maltin kien intrabat bi trattat mal-Gvern Ingliz b’dawn il-kundizzjonijiet tal-wahx:

 

Artikolu 4

Jaghti d-dritt lill-Gvern Ingliz li dan, fil-paci u fil-gwerra jistazzjona f'Malta forzi armati ghad-difiza flimkien, u jghin nazzjonijiet ohra biex izommu l-indipendenza u stabilita taghhom.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 1(Ib): ...

F'kaz ta' theddida immedjata lis-sigurta, l-awtoritajiet Inglizi jistghu jiehdu mizuri ta' prekawzjoni kif ikunu ragonevoli fic-cirkostanzi sakemm l-awtoritajiet Maltin ikunu

kapaci jizguraw dik is-sigurta.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 1(2):

L-awtoritajiet Inglizi, ghal fini ta' dis-sezzjoni u biex jizguraw is-sigurta ta' l-istabilimenti tas-Servizzi u s-sigurta tal-proprjeta Ingliza, jahtru u jzommu forza ta' pulizija civili li tista' tinkludi cittadini ta' Malta.

 

Parti 3, Sessjoni 1(5):

Bi ftehim ma' l-awtoritajiet Maltin, membri ta' din il-pulizija civili tista' tigi wzata wkoll barra mill-Istabilimenti tas-Servizz. . . .

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 2(1):

L-awtoritajiet Inglizi jkollhom dritt jistallaw u joperaw minghajr tfixkil f'Malta is-sistemi ta' telekomunikazzjonijiet li jezistu u ohrajn godda u juzaw frekwenzi tar-radju li jidhrilhom mehtiega.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 4(1a):

Il-Gvern Ingliz ghandu d-dritt li jghaddi l-vapuri tas-servizz tar-Renju Unit u juza l-ibhra territorjali Maltin, jidhol u jghaddi mill-portijiet, tarznari, u li jiehu minn Malta ilma u provizjon.

 

L-istess parti (Ib):

Ghandhom isiru arrangamenti specjali biex jipprovdu lill-Gvern Ingliz, minghajr tfixkil, l-uzu ta' l-ibhra, u biex bastimenti tar-Renju Unit ikollhom access ghal dawn l-ibhra.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 4(4):

II-Gvern tar-Renju Unit ikollu d-dritt li jtajjar l-ajruplani militari tieghu fl-ispazju ta' l-ajru ta' Malta u li juza l-ajruporti ta' Hal Luqa u Hal Far.. , ajruplani militari tar-Renju Unit jistghu juzaw kull ajruport civili gdid li jista' jinbena f'Malta.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 4(6):

L-ebda restrizzjoni m'ghandha tigi maghmula fuq it-tipi ta' vetturi li jistghu jkunu wzati f'Malta mill-awtoritajiet Inglizi.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 5(2):

L-awtoritajiet Inglizi ghandhom jibqghu jaghmlu uzu mir-range ta' l-isparar fuq Filfla u postijiet ohra kif jigu miftehma u mill-area tal-mini tal-Mellieha. Jekk l-awtoritajiet Inglizi jitolbuhom, l-awtoritajiet Maltin ghandhom jirrangawlhom biex ikollhom

kontroll ghas-sigurta fuq movimenti ta' persuni, ajruplani, tghamir ta' l-art u vapuri hdejn dawn l-inhawi.

 

Parti 3, Sezzjoni 7(4):

Jekk fl-opinjoni ta' l-awtoritajiet Inglizi tkun inholqot emergenza biex huma jiehdu kontroll esklussiv tal-ajruport kollu, huma jkunu jistghu jiehdu f'idejhom dan il-kontroll, u f'kaz li ajruplani civili ma jkunux jistghu juzaw Hal Luqa, dawn jigu offruti l-facilitajiet ta' Hal Far.

 

Parti 4, Sezzjoni 2(1):

L-awtoritajiet Inglizi, bi hlas nominali, jibqghu jzommu l-artijiet kollha li kellhom f'idejhom qabel l-Indipendenza.

(2): Id-drittijiet kollha li kellhom l-awtoritajiet Inglizi dwar l-art f'para. 1, jibqghu jidgawdew minnhom.

 

Parti 4, Sezzjoni 5:

L-artijiet uzati mill-awtoritajiet Inglizi ma jistghux jittiehdu jew jigu esproprijati.

 

Parti 5, Sezzjoni 1(1):

L-awtoritajiet Maltin ghandhom jaghtu facilitajiet lil nies Inglizi u kuntratturi (inkluz staff specjalizzat li mhumiex cittadini ta' Malta) liberta li jidhlu u johorgu minn Malta, u liberta ta' moviment f'Malta. Nies Inglizi u kuntratturi jkunu ezenti mill-htiega ta'

passaport jew visa u

(2) jkun hemm arrangamenti specjali fl-ajruporti u portijiet biex dawn in-nies u l-proprjeta personali taghhom tghaddi malajr.

 

F’dawn ic-cirkostanzi, kif il-Maltin setghu jigu deskritti bhala INDIPENDENTI meta f’darhom stess kienu kkontrollati minn forza militari?

 

U kif kienet il-hajja ghal-Maltin fl-1964? Tghidilna Daphne Caruana Galizia li kitbet f’The Malta Independent fid-29 t’April 2004 hekk, “… in 1964. Then Malta was a British colony, a couple of piffling islands with an economy that fed off the British forces and very little else. People left in their many thousands, not because they wanted to but because they had no choice.”

 

U nerga ndur u naghlaq fuq Victor Ragonesi. Minkejja l-faqar inkredibbli f’Malta fis-snin 60 u minkejja li l-Gvern Nazzjonalista bella’ indipendenza farsa lill-Maltin, xorta wahda Ragonesi kellu l-istonku jghid, “when we lost the election in 1971, the island was flourishing as never before.” Ikkwotajt ezatt lil Ragonesi ghax bilkemm wiehed jemmen sa liema bassezza jaf jasal bniedem biex jaqleb is-sewwa ta’ taht fuq.

 

 

 

 

X'ma tibkix tara l-bandiera Maltija mtella imbaghad wara c-cerimonja terga titnizzel u minflokha jtellghu dik Ingliza. Iva anke jien kont nibki xmara dmugh sur Darmanin.

 

 

 

 

 Indipendenti - imma minghajr il-munita taghna

 Indipendenti - b'wicc ir-Regina kullimkien

 Indipendenti - bil-portijiet taghna kkontrollati mill-barranin

 Indipendenti - Bil-kwartieri tal-qawwa militari n-NATO ma' saqajna

 Indipendenti - bil-commandos Inglizi jikkontrollaw il-Maltin

 Il-mument tal-umiljazzjoni

 Il-mument tal-umiljazzjoni

 In-Nazzjonalisti kienu, ghadhom u jibqghu l-esperti tal-pozi u cerimonji

 

 

Dr (Eddie) Fenech Adami said Dr Borg Olivier wanted to vote 'no' (ghat-tibdil fil-Kostituzzjoni biex Malta ssir Repubblika) because he wanted to keep the British monarchy as the head of State.

timesofmalta.com Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 12:00

 

 

 

These are the true facts of what happened on that day of the 21st SEPTEMBER 1964 at the Floriana  Independence  arena at midnight. On that day in 1964, I agree with what Professor Henry Frendo stated in his interview in today's Malta Independent to Kevin Schembri Orland that there were thousands upon thousands of people at Floriana Independence Arena. He also says that whilst there were a lot of loud cheers there was also some booing but the fact is that there were also many thousands of people who stayed silent and just looked on with no smiles on their faces. I, Jean Agius at 16 years of age was present with Dr Anton Buttigieg and Lino Cassar and hundreds of other Labour supporters in the Floriana arena corner with the Phoenicia Hotel. We witnessed it all, and just at midnight I saw a big commotion on the other section of the square and that is when the police on horseback suddenly savagely pushed upon  Dom Mintoff and his crowd. By 3am in the morning the Labour supporters took over the whole of Valletta for two days running in protest at the attack and I was there amongst them. And I am still proud of my being present there on that day. Professor Henry Frendo as usual tried to describe the crowd as being totally jubilant but no the truth is that a very sizable crowd at midnight remained silent. All one has to do is check all the local and British newspapers dated 21st and of 22nd/ 23rd of September 1964 and one will see historic photos of what had actually occurred. At the same time now, I amongst many PL supporters of today, admire our PM Dr Joseph Muscat's genuine  praise for Dr Giorgio Borg Olivier's historic accomplishment for our country and thanks to our young dynamic PM he has now been the main political person to genuinely and publicly show that the 21st September 1964 is a national day for all the Maltese population. The same goes for our Freedom Day and for Republic Day.

 

Jean Agius

Attard

independent.com.mt  - Wednesday, 17 September 2014, 07:55