Fifty Years Ago…

… Zindros, real name Grigoris Afxentiou, decided to burn alive rather than surrender to the British Colonial Forces. Fifty years ago this day, the third of March, when spring comes to the Maxairas Mountains, a true patriot decided that life in captivity is worse than life itself.

Zindros came from the village of Lisi, which is now occupied by the Turkish Forces. It is hard to imagine, fifty years later, that any one of us would honestly prefer to exchange their life for martyrdom. Much less so, than become a martyr by being burned alive.

Fifty years on, Cypriot historical analysis has not matured and does not really know how to interpret Zindros’ sacrifice. Are we to teach the sacrifice to the schoolchildren as something they should look up to and be ready to re-perform to free their land from the occupying forces? Or are we to tell them that times have changed, and that the scars of war need to be healed so that sacrifices like that need not be repeated?

I salute Zindros, fifty years on, and offer these few lines as a humble tribute to his memory. At the same time I salute the few brave souls who, contrary to the collective march towards conflict continuation on both sides, are ready to honestly look into the past and offer a hand of friendship to each other.

PS: In the rush of the moment I originally used the term "Cypriot nation" instead of "Cypriot historical analysis", or "Cypriot State" if you prefer.