Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh) (Part 45)

2018-6-19

Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh) (Part 45)

Edited by: Mohsen Kazemi

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2002 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

Landlord-peasant struggle

Despite the occurrence of the Islamic revolution in Iran, establishment of justice, and elimination of oppression and discrimination and class distinction, still in some parts of the country tribal chiefs and landowners did not hear (or did not want to hear) the voice of the revolution and they insisted on their void procedure and oppression and exploiting peasants. Feudalists and landlords, who considered their survival in exploiting peasants by using force and oppression, were still in the shadow of support of some gendarmes. And the gendarmes let them feel supported and also helped them in their goals and acts.

Once we were called from Kermanshah and were informed that a conflict had been occurred between landlords and peasants in a village near Asadabad. This trouble should be rapidly solved and did not extend. Our Guard brothers said that there was a gendarmerie there, and since the land owner and the great owner of village were well connected with gendarmerie and were protected by them, they could do nothing.

It seemed that the villagers were colonizer there, that is, they worked for the land owner in summers, and were unemployed in winters, and they passed their life with too little livelihood. The landlord was the owner of land and engines, and the peasants worked for them and, as an agent of production, received some wages.

The villagers, who had become frustrated by oppression and profiteering of landlords, took advantage of the victory of the Islamic Revolution for reclaiming their lost rights. They plowed some hectares of dead-lands, which belonged to landlords, to cultivate it.

When the landlord became aware of the subject, he claimed the lands and then the villagers invaded and a struggle occurred between them, and the gendarmerie was involved in favor of the landlord.

After informing about this struggle, along with a number of Guard brothers, we headed to the village with four "Zil" army vehicles.

The village located on the top of a hill and the car traversed hardly and in a spot it stopped completely and we had to climb up the hillside on foot.

The villagers, who were informed we were going to go there for solving the problem, were gathered at the top of the hill and one of them held a white thing. I immediately told one of the brothers to get there and tell them if they sacrifice an animal, sister Dabbagh will return.

When we met the villagers, after greetings one of them said: ‘We wanted to sacrifice a cock in front of your feet but they didn’t let us to do that. If Ashraf would come here, we would sacrifice a cow.’ It was not their fault. Ashraf was like a taboo for them that was still unbroken and they compared me with her. I thanked him smilingly. In the meantime, I saw the landlord who had worn a tie and stood there and several servants had surrounded him. I asked him to leave and said, I want to speak with the villagers to calm them down; so that we negotiate with people to choose a representative and send to Hamadan. You also come to Hamadan for negotiation, so we will find out who is the owner of the land. Our friends had informed us that Imam would remark upon these kinds of dead-lands [1] today, to the effect that anyone who plant seeds in a dead-land and revive it, is the owner. For this reason, I said villagers: ‘These lands are yours, if you plant seeds in it tonight. I promise that if you do this, then the landlord can no longer do anything; but if not, and the landlord plant seeds, I can’t give a promise anymore, and I can't do anything, because Imam’s view is the same too.’

After seeking clarification of the subject, I returned to Hamadan. Listening to my remarks, the villagers planted seeds in the lands. Shortly thereafter, Imam's speech about the lands broadcasted.

After a few days, the landlord came to the city with some of his men and after gathering in front of IRGC’s office, they complained the villagers had usurped their lands. We ordered the landlord and his companions to be arrested, and then we sent him and his two sons to Tehran; later we informed that he was related to Israel and the Baha'is of Hamadan. He was executed.

To be continued…