At the opening of the 2nd Plenum of the 8th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on 16 December 1996, which focused on strategic orientations for the development of education and training, science, and technology in the period of industrialisation and modernisation, General Secretary Do Muoi reaffirmed the national tradition of virtue, wisdom, and courage. He stated: "These are the qualities that President Ho Chi Minh consistently sought to instil into our cadres, party members, and people. He himself was the embodiment of great virtue, wisdom, and courage".
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| President Ho Chi Minh and other members of the Party Central Committee Standing Board discuss the launch of 1953 - 1954 Winter - Spring Offensive and Dien Bien Phu Campaign (file photo/laodong.vn) |
Ho Chi Minh - a man of great virtue
Ho Chi Minh was a revolutionary, a leader born from people, who lived among people and, at the end of his life, wished to return to people. He led a simple, unpretentious life, contemptuous of fame and personal gain. Even before he embraced Marxism - Leninism, the word “compatriot” had already been engraved in his heart. As a man of great virtue, Ho Chi Minh was full of compassion, patriotism, and love for the people. His devotion to the nation, to his compatriots, and to oppressed people around the world was deep and unwavering. He sincerely cared for and wholeheartedly supported his comrades and fellow citizens, while firmly opposing any thoughts or actions that could harm the Party and the people.
His thoughts and actions were always directed towards the interests of the nation and the happiness of the people. Wherever he was, at any moment, his only goal was to serve the country and benefit the people. As long as the nation remained divided and the people continued to suffer, he could neither eat nor sleep with ease. He willingly endured hardships before the people and only enjoyed happiness after the people; he had no desire for wealth, no fear of hardship and no submission to power. Throughout his life, he had only one aspiration for Vietnam’s complete independence, for the people's full freedom, and for compatriots' equal access to food, clothing, and education. That is why, immediately after the success of the August Revolution in 1945, his top priority in building the new regime was to combat hunger and illiteracy to ensure that the people were fed, clothed, sheltered, and educated.
Sharing the pain of the people and the nation, President Ho Chi Minh loved all people without exception, from members of the armed forces, workers, peasants, intellectuals, youth, the elderly, women, children, religious and non-religious people, and ethnic minorities to those in both upland and lowland areas. He lived in modesty and selflessness for his entire life. At the time of his passing away, there was not a single medal on his chest. When he passed away, he had no regrets - only the sorrow that he could not serve the revolution, the country, and the people more and for longer. One great heart ceased to beat, but his compassion continues to shine forever.
Ho Chi Minh’s love for humanity was never confined to his own nation, embracing mankind. He upheld his life philosophy that to live as a human means to love one's country, one's people, and all those who are oppressed. After many years of traveling the world and witnessing the suffering of oppressed peoples and the destitute, he committed himself to the mission of liberating the oppressed and advancing human freedom. While deeply loving his homeland and fellow compatriots, he also expressed affection for countries like France and the United States, and their peoples. He only opposed injustice, inequality, oppression, cruelty, and colonialist or imperialist domination. To him, the life of any person, regardless of nationality, was equally precious. In his compassionate mind, French or Vietnamese blood was still blood; French or Vietnamese people were still humans. He made it clear that there are only two kinds of people in the world: the oppressors and the oppressed, and only one true form of solidarity: proletarian friendship.
Ho Chi Minh – a man of great wisdom
Throughout history, when it comes to Ho Chi Minh’s intellect, people have often emphasised his independent and creative mindset. He charted his own revolutionary path for the nation to follow. When he encountered the scientific and revolutionary theories of Marxism - Leninism, he regarded them as a lighthouse illuminating our road to victory, “a lodestar for action, not the Bible”.
However, to describe Ho Chi Minh as a man of great wisdom based solely on this understanding would be insufficient. Although he remained loyal to and steadfast in Marxism - Leninism, he did not approach it as bookworms "who merely memorised texts by rote". Instead, he applied and developed it creatively in the context of Vietnam’s reality. Ho Chi Minh's great wisdom is historically evidenced by gaining independence from colonial rule, establishing a democratic republic, building a pure and strong ruling Party, gradually transitioning to socialism, and simultaneously carrying out two strategic missions (namely, constructing socialism and resisting American aggression to save the nation, to liberate the South, and to reunify the country). These are also vivid testaments to the mettle and intellect of our Party and people. These victories are marked with significant imprints of Ho Chi Minh. Under his leadership, our military and people adapted to all circumstances, dared to fight, and knew how to fight and to win, thereby embodying the distinct Vietnamese identity in both resistance wars against foreign aggression and nation building.
Moreover, Ho Chi Minh as a man of great wisdom also had a clear, honest mindset which was not misdirected by selfishness and personal gain. That is the reason why we recognise that Ho Chi Minh truly understood Marxist - Leninist theory in depth, rather than merely memorising it. He steered the revolutionary ship of Vietnam through storms towards independence, freedom, and happiness with his clear-sighted thinking. He was a shining example of sharp insight in selecting capable and virtuous individuals and staying vigilant against deceitful ones. In selecting cadres, he taught: “One must be clear-sighted enough to avoid being surrounded by unworthy people and thus distanced from good cadres”. At its core, his wisdom was most evident in knowing how to pursue what benefited the Party, the nation, and the people and how to avoid what harmed them. He always placed the interests of the nation and the people above his own. Notably, he early recognised and valued the “qualities and worth of the people” as the foundation of revolutionary success, believing that the revolution was the cause of the masses. He affirmed that the more the people support us, the greater our success will be; if their support is limited, success will also be limited; and if they give their full support, victory will be complete. According to him, the Party’s success lied in its ability to chart the right course, leading, organising, and mobilising the people’s boundless revolutionary strength while the people played a decisive role in bringing about historic victories.
Ho Chi Minh - a man of great courage
With regard to "courage", people often think of fighting battles and being willing to sacrifice for the nation and the people. That is true, but not sufficient when it comes to Ho Chi Minh, a man of great courage. Though he did not personally wield weapons on the front line, he embodied the spirit of determination: “we can complete any missions, overcome any hardships, and defeat any enemies”. Ho Chi Minh’s courage was defined by his composure, nerve, and fearless spirit. He was allergic to cowardice and submissiveness. He taught cadres and exemplified himself the spirit of daring to speak, daring to propose ideas, daring to take responsibility, daring to work, and daring to promote capable people. He equated the tendency to produce coward, submissive cadres with the Party's failure.
Ho Chi Minh was a steadfast leader who ventured into danger, endured hardship, and was ready to sacrifice his life for the Party, the nation, and the people. One of the most admirable aspects of his great courage was his ability to resist illegitimate wealth and glory, and to keep himself away from the lure of fame and personal gain. He accepted the role of Head of the Government as a duty entrusted by the people and affirmed that he was willing to take a back seat whenever the people wished him to do so. He declared before the National Assembly and the world: “Ho Chi Minh is not the one who clings to power or yearns for wealth”.
His great courage was also demonstrated in his uncompromising frankness. He stated that a Party that conceals its shortcomings is a degenerate Party. He made it clear that instead of fearing mistakes or shortcomings, we should fear failure to confront and correct them and more importantly, leaders who make no effort to help cadres to rectify the latter's errors. Ho Chi Minh consistently called for open acknowledgment of mistakes, identification of their root causes and efforts to correct them, which serve as the yardstick of a true revolutionary Party. Even in his capacity as Party Chairman, he humbly described himself as someone of "limited talent and virtue, who has yet to fulfil the aspirations of the people”. He set an example through serious self-criticism, assuming responsibility, and leading by example in addressing faults to build a pure and strong Party. He candidly acknowledged: “Because we lack democracy, we hear little and see little. So now we must practise democracy. I take responsibility during this turbulent time. The entire Party leadership must listen, observe, think, and act accordingly”.
President Ho Chi Minh left us a priceless legacy, ushering the nation into an era of independence, freedom, and socialism. As the 14th National Congress of the Party approaches, which marks a turning point and a new stage of national development, the key to achieving our goals lies in each cadre and Party member, especially those in leadership positions; in other words, they shall continually cultivate their virtue, wisdom, and courage.
Cadres are the ones who bring the Party and State’s policies into life. If they lack virtue, intellect, and courage, they cannot accomplish even the smallest task. The policies, albeit sound, will not be implemented effectively and even harm the people and the nation. Therefore, “building a contingent of cadres, particularly leaders with firm political resolve, moral integrity, outstanding competence who dare to think, speak, act, take responsibility, and innovate as well as willingly face challenges and act for the common good, enjoy high credibility, and lead by example as the nucleus of unity”, proves decisive and manifests the values of “virtue”, “wisdom”, and “courage” as exemplified by President Ho Chi Minh.
As our country enters a new era of development, every cadre and Party member must deeply internalise the complete moral character of President Ho Chi Minh - a man of great virtue, great wisdom, and great courage, who dedicated his life wholeheartedly to the Fatherland and the people. Following his noble example is essential to enabling our nation to be on a par with the world's great powers, fulfilling our beloved Uncle Ho and people's aspirations.
Associate Prof. BUI DINH PHONG, PhD