Saturday marked the 31st anniversary of George Borg Olivier’s terrestrial departure to meet the Risen Lord. First and foremost I would like to pay homage to him who believed in our country’s independence and strove until it became reality.
A unique personal experience with him comes to my mind, which I still cherish as one of the happy events in my life. Never before, not even here in Malta, have I come so close to shaking hands and talking to a Maltese Prime Minister.
This occasion came about in far away India, while Dr Borg Olivier was on a state visit.
The visit was announced days before on all Indian media. I was delighted to read such interesting news and immediately made up my mind to meet him in Delhi, while encouraging other Maltese fellow missionaries in Jhansi to join me, if they so wished. In all we were three Maltese Capuchin missionaries, Fr Maurice Cassar, Fr George Bezzina and myself. We travelled to Delhi by night train from Jhansi two days before the scheduled start of the state visit, arriving in the Indian capital the following morning.
That same morning we proceeded to the Indian Home Affairs Ministry and identifying ourselves as Maltese nationals, we were granted necessary permits to be with other distinguished guests at the airport for our Prime Minister’s arrival.
It was about 10 a.m. when the Indian Air Force aircraft touched down. I was so excited as I saw Dr Borg Olivier emerge from the airplane, waving his right hand towards all the present VIPs seated under a tent decorated for the occasion.
My excitement grew even greater when Dr Borg Olivier took his place on the podium alongside Indira Gandhi and the band of the Indian Armed Forces played our national anthem.
I have never before been moved to tears as on that day while listening to our national anthem being played. After inspecting the guard of honour the Prime Minister proceeded to shake hands with all guests present. He was quite surprised to see us three Maltese Capuchin priests and a Jesuit, among the distinguished guests, while we exchanged a few words with him in Maltese.
He expressed his satisfaction because he said he had met Maltese missionaries wherever he had been. This event took place on November 19, 1969. I remember the date quite well, being my birthday. I greeted Indira Gandhi, being her birthday also. She reciprocated my greetings after I told her I was born on that day too.
As the state visit included a day trip to Agra, the city of the famous Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, and Fatehpur Sikri, a world heritage monument of extreme beauty, we three Maltese friars proceeded to Agra, a short two-hour journey by train. There we had a second and better chance to meet the Prime Minister in his hotel room.
He received us without having to race against time and we had enough time to talk. We felt that he was relishing every moment of our meeting. In fact he ordered drinks so that we could celebrate the occasion together. It was quite late in the evening when someone reminded him repeatedly that it was time for supper.
Before leaving, I conveyed greetings on behalf of Mgr Francis Xavier Fenech, Bishop of Jhansi, who at that time was sick in hospital. While excusing himself that he was unable to meet the bishop due to the sate visit security measures, he at once wrote a message to His Lordship, asking me to deliver it to him, which I did most willingly when back in Jhansi.
Never before had I ever thought I would be meeting a Prime Minister from my native country in India. Although 31 years have passed since he died, we are still today enjoying what Dr Borg Olivier toiled for: independence.