20 years is quite a long period

20 years is quite a long period
By The Post
Tue 26 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

Twenty years is quite a long period. We are glad to have had the chance to witness, and take part in, many dramatic changes in life in this country. It is said that time dampens enthusiasm. This is not true for us. Our own experience over the last 20 years has shown that time multiplies the enthusiasm and adds to it awareness.

But we are glad to say that the magnificent support and solidarity given on so many occasions to us has not changed at all. It is an outward symbol of one other unchanging factor which we value above all – the support and loyalty given to us by so many people in this country throughout the last 20 years. All those whose prayers – fervent, we hope, but not too frequent – have sustained us through all these difficult years, are friends indeed. We give you all, wherever you may be our most humble thanks. Without your support and solidarity the 20th anniversary of The Post wouldn’t be there.

Open identification with The Post, under any regime over the last 20 years, is not something that can be taken for granted. There has always been a high price to pay for supporting The Post, for identifying with The Post,, for being there for The Post,– indeed for being a friend of The Post.

We have no right to be ungrateful to all our friends and supporters who have always been ready to endure all sorts of hardships on account of being our friends. Of course, when it comes to relations with us, we have always told our friends to do whatever suits their immediate financial, economic or political interests.

We know how difficulty it is to survive in this country without access to government business or jobs. We also know how difficult it is to survive in this country with those in power fighting you every day, trying to destroy or frustrate everything you are doing, simply because you are believed not be with them. We have never wanted anyone, or taken pleasure in anyone, having any difficulties on account of us. We don’t have that kind of problems, and those in power have run out of ways to make things more difficult for us.

We have always believed that there is nothing wrong in people taking their time to have open relationships with us until they decide that the right time has come for them to do so. We have always thought this is the best way to show our sincere and selfless policy. We believe in dealing with others on their terms, taking into account their situations. For us, it has been a difficult 20 years. These have been unusual difficult times. To survive and continue moving forward, we had to defy all sorts of persecutions and harassment, and even run the risk of being annihilated or exterminated.

We look back over the last 20 years with pride because of what we have done, we have accomplished. There are many people in this country who under difficulties, small and big, have hired themselves or surrendered to the powerful. This has never been the case with us – we have never been there for hire. We have confronted every difficulty, pressure and all other kinds of harassment.

We still confront these difficulties. We have lived the last 20 years fighting for the survival of our newspaper. And we have not only survived the last 20 years, we have advanced from a newspaper employing 15 people to now employing over 300 full-time staff and a good number of part-time staff, correspondents, casuals and street vendors across the width and breadth of our country.

We are proud because despite the many limitations and defects we have, we have managed to do everything with the sense of justice, dignity, self-respect, respect for others, and love for our fellow citizens. To us, a sense of justice, dignity, self-respect, respect for others and love for your fellow men have a great deal to do with happiness, as have moral principles; the feeling of being free, equal, and respected and taking part in the battle for the progress of one’s country, the country you live in; and working like beavers shoulder to shoulder with the rest of your people.

We have made progress, and we will continue to do so, but it won’t be easy. And nobody should think that things are going to be easy for us. We must be prepared to meet difficulties. We have difficulties now, and we will have even greater ones in the future, even if we do things the right way – we have to do them the right way, even if it calls for our greatest efforts. We have to cope with the objective problems of poor governance, abuse of power and corruption in our country and the increasing number of punitive measures, corrupt politicians, tyrannical leaders will take against us.

It is said that the future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted; it belongs to the brave. Injustice has to be fought and abuses have to be denounced. But those who are involved in them don’t like this, don’t like what we are doing, what we are writing. They are not happy with the fact that after 20 years we are still here. If it was left to them they would make sure we don’t see the 21st anniversary.

This doesn’t bother us, we will continue fighting injustice, abuse and the degradation of our fellow citizens. Robert Kennedy once said, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

If there is anything left to state it’s that despite our problems, we feel confident, optimistic and we are absolutely convinced that we will do everything we set our minds to. We will do it with the principles, the pride and honour of every one of our staff, directors, shareholders and other associates. It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. Don’t you surrender. Suffering breeds character. Character breeds faith. In the end faith will not disappoint. These are the reflections that come to mind today. Let history judge this epoch objectively.