Nghe An ethnic minorities are always in Uncle Ho's heart.

UNCLE HO AND HIS HOMETOWN NGHE AN

For President Ho Chi Minh, homeland is “a great love and affection”. Although he had to leave his homeland at a very early age, his homeland was always deeply in his mind and heart. Although he worked in many places around the world, Uncle Ho still kept the character, soul and language of his homeland.

When he returned to his hometown for the first time (June 1957), as soon as he arrived home, Uncle Ho stood silently in the yard for a while before going inside. When he looked up at the newly rebuilt altar, he said sadly: “In the past, my family was poor. The altar was only made of bamboo, without legs, but only used two wooden bars nailed to the two sides of the pillars to support the altar, the bamboo frame, and a wooden mat on top...”. After that, he went out to look around the yard and garden, then told everyone: “In the past, in the garden there were guava trees, grapefruit trees and beautiful areca trees”.

Talking to the people in his hometown, Uncle Ho always advised everyone to know how to unite, love each other, always promote the traditions of the revolutionary homeland, and build the homeland to be more and more beautiful. He said: "People come back to visit their homeland, both happy and sad, but I come back to visit my homeland this time with only joy, not sadness, joy because my homeland has escaped from the miserable slavery."

During his second visit to his hometown in December 1961, President Ho Chi Minh visited and talked with cadres and people of his hometown in Vinh town (now Vinh city), Vinh Mechanical Factory, Nghe An Mountainous Pedagogical School; Dong Hieu Farm (Nghia Dan district); Vinh Thanh Cooperative (Yen Thanh district), etc. Wherever he went, he kindly asked about everyone's health, advised and reminded cadres and party members to set high examples and be pioneers in order to strive to build the regime and build a prosperous homeland.

As a person who sacrificed his family to take care of the country, during his entire life of revolutionary activities, Uncle Ho only visited his hometown twice (in 1957 and 1961). However, he always followed all developments in his hometown to promptly send letters of praise and encouragement for achievements as well as criticism and reminders of shortcomings and shortcomings.

For his hometown Nghe An, President Ho Chi Minh always had the heartache of a son far from home, always wishing for his hometown to be rich, strong, developed, and become "one of the most prosperous provinces in the North". In his letters, telegrams, articles, and speeches to his hometown, he was happy and excited about the progress and exemplary role of the cadres and party members, praised their achievements, shared experiences in activities, and encouraged and motivated "comrades from the province" to strive, lead the people to carry out revolutionary tasks, and always did not forget to improve the revolutionary spirit and ethics of cadres and party members.

He frankly criticized shortcomings and shortcomings and always reminded his “provincial comrades” to be exemplary in practicing revolutionary ethics. That is, they must be exemplary in leading revolutionary movements, must be fair and impartial, must care for the people and the country, must stay away from negative manifestations, must know how to self-criticize and humbly listen to criticism and suggestions from the people, etc.

In “Letter to Comrades in the Home Province”, the first letter Uncle Ho sent to Nghe An just 2 weeks after reading the Declaration of Independence, he did not use his title as President, “only used the title of an old comrade to write to share some experiences” with the leaders in the province.

In the letter, Uncle Ho warned the “comrades of the province” to immediately correct their shortcomings, including the abuse of power, and at the same time reminded cadres and party members to be on guard against corruption. He stated: “Many of our cadres are “bowing and devoted”, extremely loyal to their duties and to the Government... But there are also those who are corrupt, pretending to be revolutionary officials, or acting arbitrarily, or using public power for private gain. They even use public law to take revenge for private gain, causing people to resent the Government and the Union.”[1].

More than 3 months after Nhan Dan Newspaper published the article "Improving revolutionary morality, wiping out individualism" on February 3, 1969, on May 19, 1969, Uncle Ho sent his portrait to his home province with the words: "Cadres and party members must be exemplary in all work, must wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly serve the people."

And two months after giving the portrait, Uncle Ho sent his last letter to the Nghe An Party Executive Committee, in which he expressed his feelings, responsibilities, and longings for his homeland. At the beginning of the letter, he was "happy to see that cadres at all levels and sectors in the province had initially corrected bureaucracy and commandism, and tried to stay close to the people to organize and mobilize them to implement the policies of the Party and the State".

He paid special attention to the work of practicing democracy with the people and taking care of their lives. He devoted most of the content of the letter to reminding the Provincial Party Committee to "More actively practice democracy with the people". He gave detailed instructions on what to do so that the people could exercise their democratic rights in all matters, discuss and participate in Party building. To do so, cadres and Party members must set an example of self-criticism, encourage people to criticize and humbly listen to people's opinions. At the end of the letter, he wrote: "I sincerely hope that the people and comrades of the province will strive to make Nghe An one of the best provinces in the North."[2].

In response to Uncle Ho’s sentiments, the people of Nghe An have always been “at the forefront” in all revolutionary movements. Nghe An has contributed a lot of human and material resources to the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, gaining independence for the nation.

In the process of building and renewing the country and especially implementing Uncle Ho's advice: "strive to make Nghe An quickly become one of the most prosperous provinces in the North", the Party Committee and people of Nghe An have united, promoted internal strength, overcome difficulties and challenges, strived to achieve important achievements in the fields of socio-economy, national defense - security and Party building, making Nghe An increasingly prosperous, strong and civilized.

UNCLE HO WITH ETHNIC PEOPLE
NGHE AN MINORITY

During his lifetime, Uncle Ho had a lot of affection for the Thai, Mong, Kho Mu, Tho, O Du, Dan Lai, etc. Although he did not have the opportunity to visit the mountainous regions of Nghe An, the people were always in his heart.

When he returned to his hometown for the second time in 1961, although he had very little time, he visited and talked with teachers and students of Nghe An Mountainous Pedagogical School on December 9, 1961. Uncle Ho's inquiries and advice to the ethnic minority students at Nghe An Mountainous Pedagogical School contained his affection, understanding, and concern for their lives and progress. That was also the great affection that Uncle Ho had for the ethnic minorities of Nghe An.

Also during this second visit to his hometown, Uncle Ho visited Dong Hieu Farm on December 10, 1961. Here, he did not forget to advise the farm cadres and workers to know how to unite internally, unite between the farm and the local people... and "The farms have the duty to unite and help the local people. The techniques of the farm are more advanced, so the local people need to unite with the farm, learn the farm's working methods, build good cooperatives, the lives of the cooperative members will become more and more prosperous, that is socialism..."[3].

The speech when visiting Nghe An Mountainous Pedagogical School contained many feelings, concerns and expectations of Uncle Ho for the ethnic minorities of the province:

“I am very pleased to see you happy and healthy. I visited a bedroom, which was quite clean. Is it like that every day? Or did you clean it when you heard I was coming?”

How many ethnic groups are there here? Why do you all dress like the Kinh people?

- Where are the Tho children? Why are they dressed like Kinh people?

- Where are the Thai kids?

- Where are Thanh's children?

- Where are the Tay Muoi children?

- Where are the Tay Hay children? Is there only one child? Why is there no girl? Next time there must be a girl.

- Where are the Dan Lai children?

- Where are the Lao children?

- Do you understand each other?

- Can you talk to each other? What language do you speak?

In the past, the Westerners and feudal kings made the ethnic groups hate each other, the Muong people hated the Kinh people. Now, all ethnic groups are brothers. The ethnic group that is larger, has more people, and is more progressive must help other ethnic groups so that they can all progress equally, and unite like brothers and sisters. Can it be done? Here, what are you competing for? I advise you to study well. What is good study? Studying well means that politics and culture must be closely linked to labor and production, not just studying for long periods of time. The purpose of studying is to make progress in economics, politics, and culture, and to unite all ethnic groups. What else is studying for? To build socialism.

What is socialism? It is warmth and comfort. What else? It is unity and health. What must we do to achieve socialism? We must study, work, and unite. What else must we do? We must increase production, produce more rice, more potatoes, and all kinds of things. A lot of cloth will keep us warm, a lot of rice and potatoes will make us full. What else must we do? We must save. Increasing production means making more, but we must also save.

Do you want to build socialism? To build socialism, you have to be frugal. The Soviet Union built socialism in 20 years, but was devastated by two invasions. Now, we build socialism with the help of the Soviet Union, China, and other fraternal countries. It is easier for us than the Soviet Union in the past because we have friends to help us, but we still have to tighten our belts.

Do you have to pay for your meals here? The people, workers and farmers are now tightening their belts to build socialism, but you here study for free, eat for free, sleep for free, so you are already living under the communist regime. To repay the favor, you don't have to study and stay here, but must return to help your people.

I came to visit you and wish you progress"[4].

In 1965, after completing the first 5-year cultural supplementary plan one year ahead of schedule, the cadres and people of the mountainous district of Que Phong received a letter of praise from Uncle Ho. In the letter, Uncle Ho was very happy with the achievements of the ethnic minorities of Que Phong district and kindly asked about the elderly, youth and children of the district.

“

TDear compatriots and cadres of all ethnic groups in Que Phong district, Nghe An province
He was very pleased to praise the people and cadres of all ethnic groups in the district for their efforts and for successfully completing the 5-year plan for cultural education 1 year ahead of schedule. He hoped that the people and cadres of the district would strive to compete and achieve many achievements in increasing production, being ready to fight and continue to serve the people.Continue to study and make further progress, contributing worthily to the cause of fighting America and saving the country of our entire people.
I send my regards to the elderly, young people and children.
Best regards and good luck!
Hanoi, April 12, 1966
Uncle Ho