関谷 東司
Toji Sekiya
| 昭和28年に町村合併促進法が施行され、翌年元狭山村から合併の申し入れをしました。 | In 1953, the Law of Promotion of Merger of Towns and Villages was enacted, and we received a proposal for a merger from Moto-Sayama village the following year. |
| 大多数の村民が合併を望んでいましたが都県境の各地に、東京都への編入を希望する声が高まっていたこともあり、行政の混乱を恐れる埼玉県は、合併阻止運動を強力に展開しました。また、県会議員や県選出の国会議員も選挙地盤の思わく等もあって、この運動を支援したので一層激しさを増した訳です。私達は当時、血気盛んな年代でしたから「元狭山合併促進青壮年同盟」を結成し、各方面への陳情活動等を行いました。合併申し入れから4年余、激しい攻防の結果は、分村合併という、村民の意志を踏みにじった、本当に残酷な政治結着でした。昭和33年10月瑞穂町へ編入し、同年11月祝賀式が瑞中で行われましたが県に残った多くの人達のことを思うと、とても、複雑な思いでした。昭和42年にこの青壮年同盟は解散し、その記念に三小の南側の高台に「愛村の碑」を建立しましたが、あの碑文を読むと、当時の色々な事が思い出され、年がいもなく目頭があつくなります。 | While most villagers wanted the merger, Saitama Prefecture launched a powerful anti-merger campaign, reflecting its fear of administrative confusion given the growing clamor from various parts of the capital-prefectural border that they be transferred to Tokyo. On top of this, lawmakers of the prefectural assembly and Diet members elected from the prefecture responded to their electorates’ expectations by supporting this movement, thus further intensifying the merger debate. Being young and energetic age in those days, we formed the "Moto-Sayama merger promotion youth and adult alliance", and actively petitioned the relevant bodies. The result of our fierce battle, in the more than four years from the original merger proposal, was a really cruel politics-driven ending – the Bunson merger, involving one part of the village by dividing our community in half, a result that trampled the clear wishes of the villagers. In October 1958, the village was incorporated into Mizuho town. At the anniversary celebration held in November at Mizuho Junior High School, I had mixed feelings when thinking about many of those who still remained in the prefecture. In 1967 this Youth and Adult alliance was disbanded, and we erected in the memorial "the Monument for the love of our village" on a hill on the south side of the Third Elementary School. Whenever reading that inscription, I am reminded of various events from those days, and my eyes still fill with tears even after so many years. |
| (駒形富士山) | (Komagata-Fujiyama) |