August Revolution is one of the most glorious milestones, a great turning point in the history of building and defending the country. The event has receded, but its stature, significance, and lessons are still valid. One of the lessons is: Revolution is the cause of the masses under the leadership of the Party. In order to successfully lead the revolution, the Party must rely on the people, always stick closely to the people, promote the people's strength to a high degree; arouse the power of patriotism; on that basis, build a united front for wide unity of all classes of people to fulfill the urgent requirement of the revolution to liberate the nation, gain independence and freedom for the nation.

Building the “people’s heart and mind posture”, considering the factor of “people's heart and mind” as one of the most important factors, a foundation for promoting the strength of the entire nation, is a great lesson in the history of national construction and defense of our nation, inherited by the Communist Party of Vietnam during the revolution. Building the “people’s heart and mind posture” is the synchronous implementation of political, economic, cultural and social solutions to make the people full, easeful, affectionate and believe in the Party, the State and the socialist regime. This is the development in the Party's theoretical thinking on “people's heart and mind”, on promoting the synergy of the entire nation in the cause of national construction and defense.

The cause of national renewal, construction and defense over the past 35 years of our country has achieved many great achievements of historical significance, and the initial results of the fight against corruption have reinforced the people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State; “people’s heart and mind posture” has been strengthened. However, limitations and weaknesses emerging in the development of the market economy and international integration; manifestation of degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” of a number of cadres and party members; the sabotage of hostile forces and their increasingly sophisticated and tricky “peaceful evolution” conspiracy and activities, etc., are significantly affecting people’s beliefs and affection for the Party, the State and the socialist regime. This requires that the entire party, people, and army to have appropriate guidelines and solutions to build a solid “people’s heart and mind posture”, creating a foundation to promote the strength of the great unity bloc for successfully realising the goals of “rich people, a  strong, democratic, equal and civilised country”. This is not only an objective requirement but also an urgent task at present and is a normative issue of the Vietnamese revolution.

Being born from the people, fight for the people, and being closely linked to the people, over the past 75 years, under the absolute and direct leadership of the Party, the Army has always performed well its functions and tasks as an army for combat, an army for work and an army for production. In any circumstances, with the spirit of “for independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for the happiness of the people”, cadres and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army are always willing to sacrifice, overcome difficulties and hardships to fight, defend the country, protect the people; act as the core, with the people, in preventing, controlling and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, epidemics, environmental disasters, search and rescue, etc., brightening the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period, thereby contributing to consolidating the people's belief in the Party, the State and the Army. To bring into play that result, in the coming time, in order to build, together with all levels and branches, a firm “people’s heart and mind posture”, agencies and units in the whole Army should focus on well implementing the following contents:

Firstly, continuing to raise awareness of the position, meaning and importance of the “people’s heart and mind posture”. Party committees, commanders, political commissars (junior commissars) at all levels must educate and thoroughly grasp cadres and soldiers and propagate to make people fully aware of the importance of the “people’s heart and mind posture” in Fatherland construction and defence in general, and in building the all-people’s defence in particular. Currently, hostile forces are urgently promoting “peaceful evolution” activities, promoting internal “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”, and “military depoliticisation”. One of their targets is “people’s heart”, i.e. undermining the national unity bloc, and making people skeptical about the leadership of the Party and State, and the socialist regime. Therefore, the sound awareness of the position and the importance of the “people's heart and mind posture” must be deeply grasped at all levels, branches, agencies, units and all people; consider it the responsibility of the entire political system, of the whole society, not just the Army alone.

Lai Chau Provincial armed forces join hand in building local infrastructure (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Second, promoting propaganda on the Party's lines, the State's policies and laws; the nation’s tradition of solidarity, patriotism, and self-reliance in national construction and defence. By rich and creative forms, agencies and units should conduct propaganda and education for cadres, party members and soldiers in the Army, all classes of people to make them deeply and firmly grasp Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought; undertakings and lines of the Party, policies and laws of the State as well as policies on socio-economic and cultural development, national defence and security, movements and campaigns launched and led by the Party and State, the Fatherland Front, party committees, local authorities and mass organizations. Promote propaganda and education, especially for the young generation about patriotism, the tradition of solidarity, national pride; on the role of the leaders and historical heroic figures, about exemplary examples in leadership, command, production, training, fighting, learning, and working, etc. During propaganda and education, it is necessary to resolutely combat against and expose the nature, intrigue and tricks of hostile forces and political opportunities aiming to incite, disrupt, undermine the great national unity bloc, divide the Party, the State, the Army and the People, contributing to protecting the Party's ideological foundation, thereby, reinforcing the trust and creating social consensus among all classes of people in the Party’s leadership and the cause of Fatherland construction and defence.

Thirdly, to actively participate in socio-economic development, contribute to improving the material and spiritual life of the people. Over the past years, performing the functions and tasks of “an Army of work, an Army of production”, agencies and units of the Army through mass mobilization, repaying activities, and construction of new countryside, ... have contributed to helping people, especially those in ethnic, remote, border and island areas eradicate hunger, alleviate poverty, improve people's knowledge, prevent and overcome the consequences of natural disasters, pandemic and settle down. It can be affirmed that where there is soldier, public relation activities are effectively carried out. To bring into play that result, agencies and units should continue to respond and implement the Patriotic Emulation movement, the campaigns that the Party, State, Fatherland Front, organizations, branches and localities have launched with a high sense of responsibility. Well implement the emulation movements of “Skillful Public Work”, building “Good-Public- relation unit”, the campaigns of “Repaying”, “The Military strives to build new countryside”, “The Military joint hands for the poor - not leaving anyone behind”, and people's health care programs, ... with diverse and practical activities.  Military cadres and soldiers should uphold their responsibilities in overcoming difficulties, be willing to sacrifice themselves, and join hand with the people in preventing, combating and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, pandemic, search and rescue. Continue to effectively implement projects on building and developing economic-defense zones, especially in strategic areas and extremely difficult areas along land border, sea and island areas, thereby, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction, improving people's knowledge, building new countryside, developing culture - society associated with strengthening national defense and security. At the same time, closely coordinate with the police force in accordance with Decree No. 03/2019/ND-CP, dated September 5, 2019 of the Prime Minister on the coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense in performing the duties of protecting national security, social order and safety, crime prevention and fighting, and defense tasks for the peaceful life of the people.

Fourthly, to promote the role of the Military in contributing to improving the quality and efficiency of the grassroots political system to meet the requirements and tasks. The participation in building all strong grassroots political system is the nature and tradition of our Military, which is one of the important tasks of the units, especially those on duty in strategic localities, remote, border, island, ethnic minority and religious areas. Through activities, such as: intertwining, exchanging, recruitment, educating and fostering knowledge of national defense and security, deploying border officers to local party committees,... agencies and units of the Military have directly contributed to building, consolidating and improving the quality of operations of thousands of communes, wards, villages and hamlets; consolidate party organizations and mass organizations, operate effectively, create strength and prestige to consolidate people’s confidence.

Thoroughly grasping and implementing the resolutions and directives of the Party and Government on building strong grassroots political system, the entire Military should actively coordinate and advise local Party committees, authorities, departments, and unions to improve the quality of operations of the grassroots political system, focusing on communes in remote, border, island, ethnic minority and religious areas. To attach importance to participating in building strong party organisations in politics, ideology, organization and ethics; improving leadership capacity, fighting strength, especially the capacity to concretize the Party's guidelines and policies suitably with local situations; building a strong grassroots governments which always close with the people, understand and pay attention to the people's legitimate feelings and aspirations; well implementing the Grassroots Democracy Regulations. At the same time, helping the Fatherland Front at the grassroots to renew its content and forms of operation; bringing into play its core role in gathering and mobilizing the people, effectively implementing the policy of great national solidarity to create the foundation to firmly consolidate the “people’s heart and mind posture”.

Fifthly, continue to build the Military revolutionary, regular, seasoned and increasingly modern. In order to promote the role of the Army in building “people’s heart and mind posture”, it is necessary to pay attention to building the armed forces in general and the People's Army in particular revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and increasingly modern, really the core in the cause of national construction and defense. Agencies and units should promote the implementation of the Central Resolution 4 (12^th tenure) on Party building and rectification associated with the implementation of Directive No. 05-CT/TW, dated May 15, 2016 of the Politburo (12^th tenure), Directive No. 87-CT/QUTW, dated July 8, 2016 of the Standing Office of the Central Military Commission on "Promoting the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style" and Directive No. 855-CT/QUTW, dated August 12, 2019 of the Standing Office of the Central Military Commission on promoting the campaign "Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving Uncle Ho's Soldiers” in the new period. Uphold the exemplary role of cadres, party members, especially the leading cadres at all levels for the masses to follow; strictly maintain the regime of combat readiness, improve the quality of training, strictly observe the State laws, Military disciplines, and regulations for communicating with the people, etc. Thereby, building clean and strong party organizations, all strong typical agencies and units; improving the overall quality, combat strength of the Military. Officers, party members and soldiers must show no signs of deterioration in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”, always stick to the people, ready to accept and successfully complete all assigned tasks; constantly beautify and spread the image and quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period.

Building “people’s heart and mind posture” is of important significance, directly relating to the core interests of the nation, the survival of the Party, the State and the socialist regime in the country. This is a big problem, requiring the efforts of the entire Party, the entire people, the entire Military, and the entire political system under the leadership of the Party, the centralized and unified management of the State. With its functions and duties, the Vietnam People's Army should further promote the role and responsibility in synchronously implementing the above solutions, contributing to building firm “people’s heart and mind posture” to create foundation for building firm all people’s national defence and people's security, bringing into play the strength of the great national unity bloc, successfully implementing the cause of building and defending the Socialist Vietnam Fatherland.

General LUONG CUONG

Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Standing Member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Political Department, VPA