(The following article appeared in the March 13, 1981 issue of the French Trotskyist weekly Rouge. The translation is by Intercontinental Press.]
POZNAN-"Farmers! Our strength is in unity. Let's follow the example of Workers' Solidarity. Let's not be divided." This was the appeal from the organizing committee of the first congress of the Independent Self-Run Union of Independent Farmers (NSZZRI) Solidarity, which took place in Poznan on March 8 and 9
The gathering was a unity congress in that it brought together representatives of the different associations that had been established recently. The 490 delegates came from all regions of the country, representing between one-fifth and onethird of Poland's three million independent farmers.
On the platform were Jan Porozniak, the worker who initiated the strike at the Gdansk shipyards; Father Sadlowski, the small, well-known priest from Zbrosza Duza (the only village to have gone on strike in August in support of the workers); and a representative of miners' Solidarity. Their presence symbolized the organizers' desire to do everything possible to strengthen the ties between workers and farmers.
"We do not preach provocation, but there is no question of backing down. This union must exist, it must be legalized. Everything depends on us, on us all, Lech Walesa stated in his opening remarks.
"We will do all we can to help you," added Stanislaw Wondolowski in the name of the National Coordinating Commission (KKP) of Solidarity. But he quickly added: "No, we're not going to help you, we are all going to help ourselves because we have common interests."
The majority of independent farmers work under impossible conditions. No agricultural machines, no spare parts, no fertilizer, no construction material, not to mention the impoverished social services and the discrimination against farmers in regard to retirement and all sorts of allocations.
The objectives of the farmers' union are both simple and ambitious. They are simple in the sense that they aim above all to defend the interests of the union members-to guarantee ownership of the land against the bureaucracy's expectations, and to improve the conditions of life and social position of farmers.
They are ambitious because they call for the right to "a real self-management that would make it possible to regain the confidence of the farmers, which has been destroyed by years of errors regarding agricultural policy" (NSZZRI Solidarity from the Poznan region).
"We are not antisocialist," a farmer from Torun told me. "Socialism has existed for thirty-five years. It has to be transformed that's for sure, but we must go forward."
There has not been any decline whatsoever in the combativity of the farmers that was seen in the strikes that took place in southern Poland and in the street demonstrations organized in solidarity by the farmers in a number of cities in the north.
"The regime is making a fool of itself: it refuses to legalize Rural Solidarity, but the government representatives signed the Rzeszow accords with a strike committee 'acting in the name of the founding committee of the independent national union of independent farmers.' It would be good if it yielded!" said one of the leaders of the Rzeszow strike.
There are many who remain optimistic, asserting that it won't be necessary to have a test of strength to force the government to legally recognize Rural Solidarity.
Others, however, are preparing a response. The farmers of the Poznan region are already projecting a total halt to all sales of agricultural produce to state stores if the regime refuses to recognize the farmers' union. They would sell their products directly to the workers in the factories and would directly organize with Solidarity.
One leader stated: "The so-called good will of the authorities toward the farmers, which has filled columns of the press for some time, will be measured by one thing: whether or not they agree to legalize our union.
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For many who, even a week ago, were under the illusion that social peace was possible, the events of recent days showed that to "go forward" means an inevitable confrontation with the regime.
But this does not seem to frighten them. Responding to questions from several journalists about what they planned to do if the repressive measures were stepped up, they stated very simply "we will fight."
Other reporters were nervous that the spirit of the farmers did not seem to reflect what the regime was prepared to grant. The little priest from Zbrosza Duza, who was one of the organizers of the press conference, answered them in this way:
"When Lenin began the revolution, he did not ask permission. He charged ahead!"