Interpellation Concerning the Servitude Pasture of the Village of Zarechcha

of the members of the Sejm from the Belarusian Club to the Minister of Agrarian Reform, concerning the seizure for military settlement of the servitude pasture of the inhabitants of the village of Zarechcha, Haradzieja gmina, Nyasvizh county.

Since the abolition of serfdom the peasants of the village of Zarechcha (Haradzieja gmina, Nyasvizh county) have used the servitude pasture on the Zarechcha manor estate. After the Polish authorities occupied the Belarusian lands, a colonization policy began in these territories, and in due course the division into parcels of the said Zarechcha manor estate for military settlement was also begun. In connection with the parcelling work that had begun, the peasants of the village of Zarechcha applied several times to the county land office with a request to leave the servitude pasture for the peasants' continued use. The land office promised to grant their request, yet the result was that this year the settlers have completely forbidden the peasants to use the pasture.

Likewise the requests of the land-poor peasants of the village of Zarechcha, that plots of land in the parcelled manor estate be allotted to them, have remained unfulfilled.

Thus Belarusian land, soaked with the blood and sweat of the working people, is given away to newcomers. The Polish government consistently strives for the economic oppression of the Belarusian population, for tearing the land from it, for the implementation of economic serfdom….

On account of the above, and invoking the slogans of justice, the undersigned ask the Minister:

1) Does he intend to return the pasture to the peasants of the village of Zarechcha?

2) Does he intend to allot to the local land-poor peasants suitable plots of land on the Zarechcha manor estate?

Warsaw, 27 May 1924.