52 years ago Malta gained its independence. No amount of political talk, rewriting of history or stamping of feet is going to change this.

No attempt at elevating any other event in our history will change the fact that independent Malta was born in 1964.

Celebrating a birthday does not stop us from commemorating other important milestones in our lives. All that followed was possible because on that day Malta took the reins of power in its hands.

Subsequently it was up to the Maltese people to mess up, to develop and to take decisions along the nation’s journey. For the young or anyone who doesn’t know much about our history the stamping of feet was rather more violent than that.

For a good many years the Labour Party, when in power in the 70s and 80s, not only denied the fact that Malta became independent in 1964 but it also disrupted commemorations organised by the PN.

The disruptions were thug-driven by Labour diehards who were sadly untouchables in the eyes of the authorities and the police.

The word “untouchables” is coming back to haunt us. If the independence of all, or some, of our top institutions is threatened the nation’s fabric starts losing its resilience.

Let’s preserve our independence by learning from our past and not ruining our future.