Afxentiou, is this what you fought for?

THE WAY THINGS ARE

My son one day excitedly told me of a real life hero whose story he heard in class, that of Afxentiou in Macheras. On Sundays pre the invasion, when the island was still new to me, we’d follow a random signpost name to its destination. That trip we went to Macheras. Back then, Afxentiou’s hole in the ground was practically still that, not much changed from the times when Gregoris used it as a hide out to escape the British army and where he met his hideous, untimely death with courage and dignity. His life ended for the freedom of his beloved island.

We know the names of those who sacrificed and the brave women who helped the men. Cyprus gained that precious, self-ruling freedom for which those who fought had risked everything. I was so impressed not only by the man’s endurance and valour but also by the lovely mountain setting of that old monastery and its history.

Sandra Tryphon writes often to the Cyprus Mail’s Letters Page with her concerns for the twists and turns of life as a member of the community. As with this island-adopted foreigner, a secure, fair future for upcoming generations is of much interest to her. We both married men called Andreas, are widows, raised children, made our lives and lived long years here.

Over time, one observes patterns of favouritism and accepted abuse of power by those who govern slicing up the demographic economic pie to serve, protect and provide selectively for their brethren. Many long-term residents are aware of how the freedom struggle that ended in death by men willing to pay the ultimate price has not been to the benefit of all the people.

When these heroes, drawn from the ordinariness of everyday life, fought I don’t believe it was for use of power for the few, or for nepotism to flourish at the expense of meritocracy, or to allow those governing to make use of tax payers’ money to profit themselves, willfully ignoring the increasing financial distress of others.

They fought for all the people to have the chance of a better life independent of foreign rule. The system that has unquestioningly settled in over decades since then and set like cement has seen, not only in Cyprus but also in other countries for whom men and women died for freedom, is class division. The rise of advantaged, entitled cliques that evolved because they could and were allowed to.

The newcomer may be told there is no British type class division in Cyprus, there is. And it’s not wealth or status only that erect levels of discrimination, but also opportunities given to the chosen of the population at the expense of the rest. Some other small European nations sell the same PR delusion: we take care of our old and vulnerable.

Political expediency and back scratching take precedence. Educated-cultured, monied class, party or business affiliations often top morals or principles for power elites in politics, the poor are used to poverty.

Writer Tara West in The Irish Times said Northen Irish Protestant writers lacked success capital compared to their Southern counterparts, and she felt inadequate when interviewed by lofty art interviewers because of the perceived social status her writing gave her. She wrote of Pierre Bourdieu ‘… who was the first to theorise cultural capital’. Bourdieu’s three cultural capital states, she said, were: embodied (accent, gesture, posture tastes gained from family), objectified: (books, art, classical music, things needing specialised knowledge, lab equipment, cello), institutionalised: (qualifications we get from universities or special bodies). She continued, symbolic capital is a reputation and/or respect and being known to have any or all of the above.

She seems of the opinion that working-class writers have little capital. Lack of clout ‘capital’ describes most of the simple working classes. All societal levels die in wars. If they can die equally, they should live equally, treated with respect and fairness, advancement of people is advancement to country. Legends tell fallen heroes will rise to aid their countries in time of need. We could do with one now who fights for all the people.