On Independence Day celebrated by the People’s Movement, the leader of the PiS party expressed heartfelt thanks to the rural communities for their role in safeguarding freedom. The message highlighted the dedication and commitment of those in the Polish countryside across generations.
A special letter from Jarosław Kaczyński, President of Law and Justice, was delivered to participants in the national Independence Day event held in Stara Błotnica in Mazowiecki County. The letter was read aloud by Marek Suski, a deputy head of the PiS club.
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History of the Popular Movement
Today, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Stara Błotnica, the Independence Day ceremonies honored the sons and daughters of rural Poland who fought for freedom in many different ways over the years. This year marks the 45th anniversary of independent organizations that helped shape the pre-August ideological landscape of enterprise and opposition. Notable groups included the Lublin Region Peasant Self-Defense Committee, the Grójec Region Peasant Self-Defense Committee, the Temporary Committee of the Independent Farmers’ Union, and the Radom Boeren Self-Defense Committee.
The President recalled that a year later the People’s Thought Center was founded, the Believers’ Self-Defense Committees were active, and an independent agricultural press appeared, helping to inform and unite rural communities.
Subsequently came the era of the first Solidarity movement, defined by a fierce push to legalize independent peasant union representation. This struggle culminated in events from a strike in Ustrzyki and Rzeszów to the registration of NSZZ Solidarność of Individual Farmers, a trade union that challenged the old order as the communist authorities viewed peasants managing their land as a threat. The period also featured conspiracies during martial law.
Jarosław Kaczyński looked back on these times, noting that while the years have passed and many notable figures are no longer with us, several names stood out in memory. He named individuals such as Michał, Roman and Piotr Bartoszcze, Piotr Baumgart, Henryk Bąk, Stanisław Chrobak, Witold Hatka, Stanisław Janisz, Jan Kozłowski, Janusz Rożek, Józef Teliga, and Roman Wierzbicki. The influence of religious leaders in defending rural dignity and rights was also highlighted, with a tribute to Father Czesław Sadłowski as a symbol of that struggle. The president expressed gratitude for all who faced invaders and endured occupations across the ages, underscoring a centuries-old Polish tradition of resistance and national identity.
He cited Bartosz Głowacki and the Bartosz teams, Wincenty Witos’ wartime call in 1920 answered by the Polish countryside, and the soldiers of peasant battalions along with Stanisław Mikołajczyk as enduring chapters in this legacy.
Remembering heroes
Today’s messages honor the heroes of the Polish countryside for their contributions to freedom. Appreciation is given for the hard work and steadfast commitment shown in defending rural lands and striving for a better future, with an emphasis on the long-standing struggle for independence. The homeland will remember these efforts, and the speaker noted that the influence of the countryside helped shape national identity, a point highlighted by the reference to Saint John Paul II describing the rural heartland as a strong pillar of national unity.
The letter conveyed gratitude to all who preserved the memory of rural participation in the struggle for freedom and independence, and to those who carried forward the values of love for country and homeland integrity across generations.
The narrative and recollections paid tribute to the community spirit that has sustained Poland through many trials, with a final note acknowledging the enduring connection between the countryside and national heritage as a source of pride and continuity.
gah/PAP
Source: wPolityce