The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1984 (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1984-03-01 / 3. szám
“All national and religious minorities in this country are united in seeking redress in our plight, and at the same time many Rumanian workers sympathize with our cause, for they are suffering also, if not in the same degree, from the terroristic policies of the Nationalist-Communist Party, which rules our country today.” LEGALIZED WAGE DISCRIMINATION IN RUMANIA The TWF News Agency reports: The new wage-law introduced in this country by dictator Ceausescu abolished the hourly wages and wages by piece work. Instead, a merit-system was introduced, giving full authority to the “overseers” who are appointed by the local communist parties to every workunit. It is their job to decide, on the basis of “co-operation and political behavior”, who gets full wages at the end of the week and who gets 50% or less. At the end of the second week of December 1983 in the Kolozsvar-Cluj shoe factory the 24 Hungarian workers still employed there received only half of their usual pay because they were talking in Hungarian among themselves during the lunch break, which is regarded as very “unpatriotic behavior”. 5|c s|e % 5|c * PILGRIMAGE ON RUSTY NAILS AND BROKEN GLASS Mrs. Elizabeth Szakats, prominent T ransylvanian Hungarian journalist living today in West Germany, visited her homeland during the summer of 1983 with a group of tourists eager to take part in the famous pilgrimage of Csiksomlyo. She writes: “Already on the tour-bus we had to endure the offensive attitude of the Rumanian government agent disguised as a tourguide, who was constantly entertaining us with obscene jokes aimed at church and priesthood. As we drove through the once prosperous Hungarian farming villages — which, our ‘guide’ insisted were inhabited by Rumanians only — groups of emaciated children clothed in rags were running along our bus begging for a piece of bread. In Csiksomlyo thousands and thousands of Hungarians were gathered for the occasion. But on the way up to the many centuries old shrine the dirt road was covered with broken glass and rusty nails — which is one of the attempts of Rumanian government agencies to discourage religious activities — and since most of the pilgrims from the nearby Hungarian villages were without any footwear , on both sides of the road we could see men, women and children trying to bandage each others bleeding feet ...” ***** NEWEST STATISTICAL DATA The total population of the Carpathian Basin, known as the thousand-yearold historical, cultural, economical and political unit of HUNGARY, including today’s Hungary, Transylvania, Northern Hungary, Southern Hungary and the Burgenland is about 25 million. Broken down into nationalities: Hungarians 14,600,000, Rumanians 3,900,000, Slovaks 3,700,000, Germans 600,000, Croatians 200,000, Carpato-Ukrainians 700.000, Serbians 700,000, Others 600.000. /Published by the Hungarian Scout Association, December 1983./ KOSSUTH AN IMPROMPTU Listen to the patriot warrior! Let him fill your inmost souls, With a burning love for Freedom, While the blood-stained Danube rolls; Turn, then, home your sickened spirits— Gaze with vision holy, clear! And a work will rise before ye, Not less grand that it lies near! At your very door it lieth, While you strain your sight so far! From your mother-earth it crieth. Blood-stained with Oppression’s war! Cheer the stranger with your kindness— Let him to your hearthstones come! But forget not, in your blindness, Groaning millions crushed at home! Zdenko. The National Era, Vol. 6, (January 29, 1852). HERITAGE TOURS to HUNGARY 1984 New York Departures Fully-escorted tours include: • AIR • 1st CLASS HOTELS • ENGLISH-SPEAKING GUIDE • SIGHTSEEING and • 34 MEALS Departures: May 10th, July 5th and September 20th Call or Write for Full Color Brochure FUGAZY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 770 U.S. Highway #1 Phone: 201-828-4488 North Brunswick, N.J. 08902 201-297-2300 Page 18 Eighth Hungarian Tribe
