“The Right and the falsification of historical truth” by Demetris Christofias – Former President, Former General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL
15/11/2015
The French Marshal Philippe Pétain was declared as a result of his actions a hero of the First World War, a hero of France. This same man became president of France in 1940. The hero of the First War France surrendered to the Germans and headed the Vichy occupational government. He collaborated with the Germans throughout the occupation. After the Second World War and the victory of the Allied Forces, the hero of the First World War was referred to a military court, where he was convicted of treason and collaboration with the enemy. He was sentenced to death in 1945, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to the services offered in the First World War. He died in prison in 1971 and was buried there. His remains are still buried in prison. Petain was judged for his actions during his entire life. Why do we say this? We say so because we want to refer to our own Cypriot “Petain”.
We are referring to Colonel Georgos Grivas, of Cypriot origin, who served in the Greek army. Grivas created as an ultra- right and communist-hater he was, the “X” organization, which collaborated with the Germans, fighting the communists and the resistance movement in general. After the defeat of the Left in the civil war in Greece there was an attempt to establish the “X” organization in Cyprus as well, with the aim of attacking and striking the Communists. The operation failed.
In 1954 Colonel Grivas, who in the course of time they arbitrarily call to this day “General”, went to Cyprus to create a guerrilla movement against the British. Was this Grivas’ sole and patriotic goal? The facts testify, but this is what he himself also reveals in his own memoirs, that EOKA which he founded first of all excluded communists, but the essence is that under his leadership he began waging a war and communists and people of the Left in general were murdered. With the method of the hooded mask over twenty people of the people’s movement of the Left were murdered and over a hundred were injured in assassination attempts. To justify the crimes he committed, Grivas labelled the victims with the stigma of “traitor”. Perhaps more Left people and citizens in general were murdered than British soldiers. We do not overlook the heroic deeds and pages written by honored members of the first EOKA, fighting against the British colonialists. In memory of these people we reverently pay homage.
The “feats” of Grivas do not end with the declaration of Cyprus as an independent state. He continues his fascist activity against the elected and widely popular President of the Republic, Makarios, against the communists and in general against all those who resist the fascist junta of Greece, imperialism and NATO. He uses the EOKA B ‘fascist organization founded by himself as a tool. The result of this underground subversive activity of EOKA B and the junta is the fascist coup d’état that temporarily overthrew President Makarios, but gave the pretext to Turkey to invade and occupy 37% of Cyprus’ territory, with tragic consequences.
This man, Cyprus, instead of bringing him to justice and sentencing him for the crimes he committed, even though many consider his actions as head of EOKA A as heroic, honours him as a hero. Cyprus on many issues is an example to be avoided. But this goes too far. The Right in our country has become a protagonist in the falsification and distortion of history. The name of the devastator of Cyprus was given to avenues in all cities. Furthermore, his very hideout in Limassol has been converted into a pilgrimage site (sic). Our wretchedness and sorry state knows no limits. The current government honors those who executed and participated in the coup d’état and issues circulars for the organization of visits of school pupils to Grivas’ hideout, because – as we are informed by the Minister of Education – the hideout is a “historical monument”. Moreover, it has also abolished the circular that was being issued by the Minister of Education to honor 7th December, the day Makarios returned to Cyprus after the coup and invasion, which had been declared the Day to Honour the Democratic Resistance. I consider this an insult and something worse than the falsification of the historical truth.
Watching, listening, reading all this, our ancestors would say “by not drawing lessons you are doomed”. We say that the historical truth will prevail. Alertness, mobilization and struggle are demanded.
