In the unfolding of History, our homeland, our glorious Hellenism, has gone through many turbulent times, has experienced countless calamities. Many times, in the tempest of life, it touched the edge of the cliff, but it never fell, never sank. He always found the strength to emerge, to man up, to harvest, and to harpoon the beast with the "harpoon of the sun."
Few and singular were the times when we beheld beacons of light. Among them, March 25, 1821 and April 1, 1955 stand out and excel. The thought of every Greek today goes through the golden pages of history, immerses itself in the blood of the sacrifice of the fighters of 1955 and draws the magical, immortal water of Hellenism. And Leftheria springs, as before, from the bones of the holy Greeks.
The centuries pass.
Behind the fighters of '21 the hell of slavery. In front of them the fiery trench. There was nothing left for them but to cross it. And they did. Time changes everything in its passage. But every 25th of March, the wind of Agia Lavra will never cease to remind us of the slogan "Freedom or Death" which expresses the uncompromising will of the '21 generation.
This uncompromising will of the '21 generation became a sacred legacy for Cypriot Hellenism, which would water the tree of freedom with its blood.
Folk heroes, Kolokotronis, Papaflessas, Diakos, Kanaris, Androutsos, Bouboulina... Figures of our own, witnesses of this miracle. Dervenakia, the hani of Gravia, Tripolitsa... Athanasios Diakos was the first martyr of the struggle. Fighting there near Thermopylae, in Alamana, as a young Leonidas, he was captured by the Turks and martyred. Kolokotronis with his great figure, his bright and strategic mind conquered the soul of the people and knew how to encourage and inspire them like no one else.
What Kolokotronis was to Moria, Georgios Karaiskakis was to Roumeli. Gregory Dikaios, our well-known Papaflessas, fighting heroically, was sacrificed at Maniaki. And Odysseus Androutsos, with a few lads, held the gates of Greece at Hani of Gravia. The leading figure of the struggle was Konstantinos Kanaris.
My reference to these holy monsters of history is anything but accidental. The two epochs of 1821 and 1955 are indisputably two historical milestones inextricably linked to each other.
Allow me to read an excerpt from an autobiographical testimony of Chief Digenis about the purpose of the EOKA struggle. My thoughts to the demigods of the 21st century. From their deeds I draw new strength, patience, perseverance and perseverance. With the torch lit by their light, I march forward to where God has commanded me. I march steadily towards the goal, without bending, without counting the strength of the opponent, without looking back. My guide is Cyprus, which commands me: "Freedom or Holocaust"."[/I]
Centuries, yes, pass and have passed. But the strength of the Greek soul remains unchanged.
Fellow Cypriots,
"With the help of God, with faith in our honest struggle, with the support of the whole of Hellenism and with the help of the Cypriots, we undertake the struggle to shake off the English yoke, with the motto of that which our ancestors had bequeathed to us, "Either on or off"".
At midnight on April 1, 1955, Cyprus enters with successive explosions the climactic moment of its history, a moment that will shake the world and will last for four years. On that day Cyprus will become Thermopylae and its people Leonidas with the 300. With an unprecedented action that surprised for its inventiveness, but also for its universal support by the people, Hellenism buzzed and the world saw.
With feelings of pride and national emotion we commemorate today the anniversary of April 1, 1955 and we remember the fighters of the nation and the heroic people of Pahni, who fought and sacrificed in all the battles of the homeland, guided by the desire for freedom. Today, we recall the brave men of our Cyprus and draw strength from their sacrifice in all the struggles to defend our homeland.
Today, we turn the memory back to the leap years of British rule. To the oppression and contempt for honour and national dignity by the British occupiers, who left the Cypriot people no choice but armed rebellion. At midnight on April 1, 1955, with all the difficulties that the absurdity and daring of such an undertaking concealed, the explosions that lit up the Cypriot sky signalled the ardent will of the simple and pure citizens for a smoother life, free from oppressors.
The establishment of EOKA and the beginning of the national liberation struggle was the natural evolution of the long and unfulfilled course of Cypriot Hellenism. The Cypriot people and especially the young people embraced the emergence of the Organisation with fervour. Men and women alike saw the Struggle as a common effort to throw off the colonial yoke. Our known and unknown heroes, fighters and guerrillas of EOKA wrote unparalleled pages of heroism and self-denial during the glorious Struggle that led to the liberation from colonialism, the liberation of our homeland and the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus. The entire Community embraces the fighters and the Struggle in whatever way they express themselves and contribute to the achievement of the sacred goals of the Struggle.
A typical example of the high national feeling, the Pachnian, Panikos Simeou. A philanthropist with a multifaceted personality, Simeou from his teens was already a pioneer in the establishment of the new Pachna guild, in the founding of a sports club, and in the organization of national events. From the beginning of 1956, when he was recruited into the Organization, he developed a rich revolutionary activity, participating in the attack against the Pachna Police Station, in the four explosions of the water supply system in Episkopi and in the attacks against enemy targets in Kyvides, Kissousa, Avdimou and Trimiklini.
He has now made his presence known to the British. In November 1958 he was arrested and subjected to three days of horrific torture at Avdimou Station. Threatened with weapons and under the impression that the fighter would point out a spot with hidden EOKA weapons, Simeou is taken by road to Limassol. On the way, he exits the vehicle and attempts to escape. It was 25 November 1958 when the bullets of the English and Turkish escorts led Panikos Simeou to the pantheon of heroes.
With the vision of self-determination and union with the national body at heart, Nikos Sofokleous took early action as a member of the Limassol executive. In September 1956, during a mission, he was wounded, arrested and brought before the Kakourgio court, which sentenced him to death. Later the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, but Sofokleous was declared extremely dangerous and transferred to a prison in England to serve his sentence. At the end of the Struggle and the establishment of the Republic, he returned to Cyprus and enrolled in the Police Academy. At the same time he attends refresher courses at the Non-Commissioned Officers' School in Greece. With the outbreak of the events of 1963-64, Sofokleous was again present. Nikos Sofokleous' life will be cut short in a car accident in February 1971, on his return from Morphou, where he went to invite to his wedding.
But the action of the Pahniotes was not limited to the national liberation struggle of EOKA in 1955-59. In the events of Kofinou in November 1967, Pahna would sacrifice another of its chosen children. Eumenios Panagiotou-Markantoni[/B], under the banner of the values of freedom and justice, will be located near Kofinou, where, during the first phase of Operation Grothos, parts of the friendly forces enter the community of Agios Theodoros without encountering much resistance. On 15 November, during the attack against Kofinou, Markantoni would take his last breath in the fight to defend the state, being shot in the head.
There was a strong presence of Pahniotes in the tragic events of the summer of 1974. On 20 July, Jordan Vaki-Jordan, just as he had done in 1963-63 in Mansoura, Pigainia and Kokkina, responded, along with other compatriots, to the call to defend the Republic. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, Jordan and his comrades-in-arms will throw themselves with vigour into the fierce street battles. In the midst of enemy fire, with self-sacrifice and by offering his own life for his country, he manages to rescue his wounded comrade-in-arms, Panagiotis Herodotou.
A few days later, his compatriot Kyriakos Thoukis will follow the path of sacrifice. The events of Black July find Kyriakos in Kyrenia, where he was working, having completed his military obligations. A reserve commando, he takes part in the historic battles of Agios Hilarion before the 33rd Squadron is ordered to retreat to Bella Pais. Thoukis was reportedly captured between Dikomo and Synchari, where he was executed with three other comrades-in-arms. Until 2011, he remained missing. With the identification of his remains, Kyriakos Thoukis returned to his beloved Pahna, where he was buried with proper honours.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The national liberation struggle of EOKA was a milestone in modern Cypriot history. The pure braves of Cypriot Hellenism, who ran in defence of our homeland, driven by the highest ideals of humanity, freedom, democracy and independence, wrote glorious pages of honour in golden letters.
Greeks,
There is no corner of the Greek land that has not known glory. Not an inch of it remained that was not stained with blood. The stones and the rocks, the streams and the fountains, the myrtles and the thymes remained the eternal martyrs. Justly, then, we celebrate today, justly we are proud. It was a great decision, a great deed, a titanic effort.
If we today enjoy the highest good called freedom, if our homeland is once again glorified and honoured, it is due to the wonderful sacrifice of our ancestors. But let us never forget that with a great past comes great responsibilities. We have inherited a glorious history. We are the successors of an imperishable tradition.
Let us therefore ensure that we are worthy successors to our glorious past. Let the courage and valour of our ancestors be the guides that will direct our actions, and let us always take care not only not to betray and pollute our splendid past, but to adorn its glory with new laurels and add new pages to its history.
The epoch of 1955 should be a beacon of light to every Hellene, who should draw the right lessons.
The epoch of 1955 should be a beacon of light to every Hellene, who should draw the right lessons. The self-sacrifice and dedication of the brave men of Chief Digenis to freedom must become the ideals of our generation. It is imperative that we stand daily on the ramparts against the occupation.
It is obvious that words cannot even remotely outline the magnitude of their sacrifice. A sacrifice, which reminds, especially to Cypriot Hellenism, that freedom and homeland are non-negotiable ideals.
The oar of the struggle was pulled by everyone, who with enthusiasm, self-sacrifice and faith in the Greek-Christian ideals, fought the unequal battle. It is now imperative for Cypriot Hellenism to listen to the messages of the times and by following the path, which has been carved by selflessness and faith in duty, to become a helper in the struggle for vindication. Now is the time to take a drop of their blood to purify our own.
This will be the tribute and incense of gratitude for your great sacrifice, immortal heroes. Whoever does not want to be a slave, whoever strives for freedom and justice, whoever wants to live freely in his homeland, honest and dignified, must fight from his own ramparts. We all have the obligation to guard our own Thermopylae. This at least is what the long history of our nation teaches us. Freedom needs virtue and courage."[/I]
(MKY)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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