Katniss Everdeen:

How will they change you?

Peeta Mellark:

I don't know. Turn me into something I'm not. I just don't want to be another piece in their game, you know?

 

I would call May 2015, a special May in a special year in a special decade. It’s been an extraordinary time not just because we have enjoyed the most wonderful weather, record tourist arrivals, record markers from our economic performance, or a huge decrease in unemployment.

It’s been a peculiar time because in the space of a few weeks, civil society in Malta and Gozo, rallied in its thousands behind a call to  halt the demise of an idyllic, magic spot on our islands, which, we suddenly learned, had been picked out to be the first of a line of virgin victims, condemned to being buried alive in the next three years.

It was a sudden revelation. A thunder bolt. 

We were not even given the opportunity to follow the process of selecting the victim, hearing the case against it, understand the prosecution, or act as jury. We, as a people, were simply presented with a verdict and a sentence, and expected to endorse this miscarriage of justice or just be quiet, thus giving our tacit consent, and left to deal with our conscience later.

Someone called it Zonqor Point, one day in the past.

Zonqor is very hard stone. Igneous rock. Extremely difficult to shatter.

Point is a culmination of something, the extreme limit of convergence, where differences seize to matter though they still exist, because they allow the total fusion into that infinite but definite point.

It is either coincidental, or planned by means beyond our comprehension, that  it had to be this particular spot with this particular meaning, that startled the Maltese nation into a state of consciousness and sensitivity we haven't seen for years.

Over time, many of us have manifested the typical zonqor mentality of protecting anything our government does if it is the political party we support that is in power.

Most of us  have suffered of this malaise at some point or other in our little lives.

A more recent metamorphosis of the above zonqor position was to support no matter what, the government of the political party we have switched our vote to. The latter is a more fashionable version of the former, borne out of a stronger more optimistic will to survive local politics.

In any case, both positions are weird, I must say, but understandable and explainable nevertheless.

The foremost is the easiest way to divest oneself of the   arduous responsibility of having to think, reason and judge.

It is easy, undemanding and appealing and is the surest key to a protracted  existence in mediocrity.

The metamorphosis position, on the other hand, is very simply a protective mechanism against sinking deeply into a depression or outright going mad.

Having gone through the painful process of dealing with utter disillusionment, the road to settling into 'HOPE at last' mode and ultimately ending up putting your trust in something  that had  previously  been alien to you, in a tangible active way, is not easy. And once you get there it is normal and expected to protect your choice with your life.

Therefore, though much has gone on throughout our current government's  attempt at governing this nation, in the last two years, it had to be the call to save Zonqor Point from the hungry claws of the arrogant pack, that brought our compatriots to their senses and broke the spell that lifted the shroud.

It’s been a long time since academia,  students, NGOs, politicians, Church authorities, political parties and the masses found enough common ground to join forces and scream loud enough to shake the government back into 'thinking rational ' pre election mode... Or so we hope.

Also, there is an important previously concealed reality, which is now glaring at us as a result of the handling or mishandling of this issue, and that is that a people reeling from being fooled by a previous government where our environment was concerned, will take no nonsense from the government they have put in the right place at the right time to contain and stop the damage.

People have expressed their anger and that anger is not just about Zonqor. It is about meritocracy, positions of trust, accountability, transparency, democratic credentials, profligacy, planning, health care, roadmaps, power stations, deadlines,  homelessness, poverty , arrogance and detachment to mention but a few.

Zonqor Point has just galvanised the outrage.

What happens in the next few weeks with regard to the this issue, will leave its mark not only on our natural environment, but also on our political history.

The writing is on the wall for all to see.

Zonqor will decide.

The Hunger Games shall cease ... Or the fire will spread.