Comrade Le Canh Cai with outstanding activities in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement

Comrade Le Canh Cai (also known as Le Canh Xung, alias: Cu), was born in 1911 in a poor farmer family in Phong Nam village, Xuan Lam commune (now Ngoc Son commune), Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province.

Le Canh Cai's family had 6 children (4 boys, 2 girls). The whole family only had a few acres of rice fields, but because his grandfather was illiterate, some of them were robbed by the tyrants, and the rest had to be sold due to famine to raise their children. From then on, Le Canh Cai's parents had to rent land and plow for the landlords. Because the family was poor, the two eldest brothers had to work for the landlords to make a living. Le Canh Cai, the youngest son, was sent by his grandparents to study with a teacher in the village, so that later he would know how to pray for the death anniversary and make a deed to avoid being deceived by the tyrants. During the time he was taught by teacher Toc [1], Le Canh Cai was also educated by him in the spirit of patriotism, love for the people and deep hatred for the enemy through progressive books and newspapers and patriotic poems and literature of Phan Boi Chau.

In 1925, the Phuc Viet Association was born and quickly developed in many areas of Thanh Chuong district and Xuan Lam commune. During this time, Le Canh Cai saw that Mr. Toc, Mr. Co [2] and Mr. Dong [3] often went to Te Thanh restaurant at the beginning of the village to talk. Many days, Mr. Toc even brought his young student along and told him to report to him if there were soldiers on patrol. From then on, Le Canh Cai was trusted by his teacher and assigned the task of guarding secret meetings.

In March 1926, under the leadership of Vo Van Dong, the people of Phong Nam rose up to fight against the exploitation of the landlords. In March 1928, indignant at the landlords' land-grabbing tactics, the people continued to rise up to fight and demand that the village chief return the land. At this time, Le Canh Cai followed the villagers to fight for their rights.

In September 1929, comrade Nguyen Phong Sac and comrade Phan Thai At went to Thanh Chuong to establish the first Indochinese Communist Party organization of the district. Under the guidance of the comrades, Thanh Chuong district had 3 Indochinese Communist Party cells, including: Hanh Lam - La Mac cell (with comrade Vo Van Dong as Secretary), Xuan Truong cell and Vo Liet cell. Immediately after that, comrade Vo Van Dong was assigned by the organization to build a party base in Phong Nam village.

After the Communist Party of Vietnam was born, on March 20, 1930, the Thanh Chuong District Party Committee was also established. Mass organizations such as the Red Peasant Association, the Communist Youth Union, the Women's Liberation Union, etc. also developed rapidly. In Phong Nam village, comrade Vo Van Dong contacted village teachers Nguyen Phung Trop and Nguyen Sy Co to establish a Party cell. During this time, Le Canh Cai was also introduced by teacher Nguyen Sy Co to the Phong Nam Village Youth Union, led by comrade Le Canh Nhuong. The Village Youth Union was under the direction of the Youth General Department, with the task of promoting struggles, protecting the people in demonstrations, and mobilizing young people in the village to participate in the struggle.

Implementing the plan to celebrate International Labor Day (May 1), Thanh Chuong District Party Committee directed the hanging of red hammer and sickle flags and the distribution of leaflets throughout the district. Receiving instructions from his superiors, Le Canh Cai was assigned the task of mobilizing young men in the village to join in hanging flags on tall trees along both sides of the village roads. From early morning on May 1, 1930, throughout the communes in the district, people gathered at the village communal house to listen to speeches, then marched to demonstrate.

Then, on June 1, 1930, with the encouragement of the party bases, comrade Le Canh Cai and the youth union of Phong Nam village and the people of Phong Nam, Nguyet Bong, and Ngoc Son villages marched to the district capital to fight and demand: "postponement of tax collection until October; abolishment of crop tax, abolishment of patrol tax, compensation for those shot dead in Hanh Lam and other places; release of all political prisoners and those arrested".

In August 1930, under the leadership of the Phong Nam, Nguyet Bong, Ngoc Son, and Phuc Xa branches, the revolutionary masses marched up to destroy the house of Deputy General Thinh Toan, taking rice to distribute to the people. Then, on the morning of September 1, 1930, Le Canh Cai and the people of Phong Nam and Nguyet Bong enthusiastically participated in the struggle on an unprecedented scale in the district. The group from Cat Ngan crossed the Giang and Trai rivers to join the Vo Liet, Xuan Lam and Dai Dong groups to meet and crowded the Nguyet Bong ferry. Frightened by the momentum of the masses, the soldiers fired at the protesters, killing comrade Nguyen Cong Thuong and injuring two others.

Indignant at the actions of the French colonialists, the revolutionary masses stormed the district office, broke into the prison to free political prisoners, and burned down the house of the district chief Phan Sy Bang. Panicked, the district chief Phan Sy Bang, his officials, and soldiers fled for their lives. In just one day, the revolutionary masses of Thanh Chuong had destroyed the government from the district, the canton, to the commune. The demonstration of more than 20,000 farmers in Thanh Chuong ended in victory. The French newspaper Cong Luan reported: "The attack on the Thanh Chuong district office was organized by the revolutionary army with discipline and military rules." This struggle marked the first birth of the Nghe Tinh Soviet government.

After the struggle on September 1, 1930, comrade Le Canh Ton was summoned to work at Xuan Lam Headquarters, and comrade Le Canh Cai was trusted by his superiors to hold the position of Phong Nam Youth Headquarters. From here, Le Canh Cai actively mobilized the young men in the village to practice day and night, finding ways to borrow rice to help the people starve.

In early 1931, Thanh Chuong suffered a great famine. In that situation, the District Party Committee decided to confiscate and borrow rice from landlords to help the people. In Xuan Lam commune, comrade Pham Tinh, from Nguyet Bong, was the commander-in-chief, and comrade Le Canh Cai was assigned to lead the Phong Nam youth self-defense group to protect the people who borrowed rice. From dawn, the revolutionary masses gathered to surround and guard the communal house of Trang Den Parish. The priest refused to cooperate, and the masses stormed the rice warehouse to share with the people. The struggle won, strongly encouraging the fighting spirit of the masses.

After a period of active work in the Phong Nam Youth Headquarters, at the end of March 1931, comrade Le Canh Cai officially joined the Party and was assigned the task of liaison for the Finance Department of the Central Region Party Committee, headed by comrade Chat Lu [4]. Taking on the new task, Le Canh Cai did not fear difficulties and dangers, successfully transported documents of the Central Region Party Committee from Trang Ri to Vinh many times, as well as guided the way for comrades: Le Canh Muoi, Le Canh Nhuong, Ton Thi Que, and Chat Lu to safely retreat to Kim Nhan and Trang Ri.

In February 1932, comrade Le Canh Cai was assigned to guide comrade Chat Lu from Trang Ri to Don Nhuong. While resting at Ke Tre pagoda (Hung Nguyen), the two comrades were surrounded and arrested by the French colonialists. Comrade Chat Lu was shot and died on the spot, comrade Le Canh Cai was arrested and taken to Hung Nguyen prison, then transferred to Vinh prison. Here, the French colonialists used all means to bribe him to reveal the party base and questioned him about comrade Chat Lu, but he insisted: "My parents died early and I have no one left, I have to beg for food so I don't know who this person is." When they failed to persuade and bribe him, they used a cowhide whip with nails to whip him directly. Another time, they used bamboo tongs to clamp his 10 fingertips until they bled, used electric shock on him, etc. At Vinh prison, the French colonialists also tried to kill prisoners by eating and drinking. They fed the comrades rotten rice, full of chaff and sand, rotten fish with maggots, no soup, no water, not enough for daily needs. When they were sick, there was no medicine to treat them,… so many comrades died in Vinh prison due to dysentery.

To fight against the brutal torture policy and miserable diet at Vinh Prison, comrade Le Canh Cai and his fellow political prisoners turned the prison into a revolutionary school, fighting against the harsh prison regime in many forms such as: hunger strikes, shouting slogans, and cheering to force the French colonialists to make concessions.

After being imprisoned in Vinh prison for nearly a year, the French colonialists brought comrade Le Canh Cai to trial and sentenced him to 3 years of hard labor, and sent him to re-education camp at Kim Nhan prison. At the end of 1934, when Bao Dai returned to power, political prisoners were pardoned and comrade Le Canh Cai was released.

Returning to his homeland, comrade Le Canh Cai quickly sought to establish contact with a number of newly released cadres and party members such as comrades Le Canh Lieu, Hoang Chinh, Le Canh Xoan, etc. and sought to reconnect with the General Committee and Provincial Committee. By May 1935, comrade Phan Sy Cong (Vo Liet) had contacted comrade Le Canh Cai to re-establish the Phong Nam Party Cell, including comrades Le Canh Lieu, Hoang Van Lien, Le Canh Xoan, Le Canh Cai, with comrade Le Canh Cai as Secretary.

In July 1935, comrade Le Canh Cai was assigned by comrade Chin Resolution A1 of Thanh Chuong District Party Committee on the work of developing party members and strengthening grassroots party cells. Receiving instructions from his superiors, he quickly convened comrades in Phong Nam Party Cell to implement the content of the Resolution. During the meeting, the French colonialists suddenly raided and searched, the meeting was exposed, and all four comrades were arrested. This time, the French colonialists sentenced comrade Le Canh Cai to 13 years of hard labor in Cua Rao prison.

The prison of Cua Rao was built on the top of a mountain, from the foot of the mountain to the station, one had to go through 120 steps, the diet was miserable, not enough food, working from 10 to 12 hours a day, when coming home from work, each prisoner had to carry clay up the mountain to make bricks to build the station. Here, comrade Le Canh Cai continued to call on political prisoners to go on hunger strike to force them to improve their diet, reducing working hours to 8 hours a day.

After being imprisoned at Cua Rao prison for more than a year, the French Popular Front came to power and issued an amnesty policy for political prisoners. Comrade Le Canh Cai was sent back to Vinh to enjoy the exile regime. During his exile in Vinh, Le Canh Cai took the opportunity to teach the national language to his fellow prisoners. With no paper or pen to study, he used his fingers as pens, drinking water as ink, and the floor as paper. With the spirit of those who knew how to read and write to those who did not, after a short time, many comrades were able to read and write fluently. By the end of 1939, he was released.

With revolutionary enthusiasm, after returning home for a few months, Le Canh Cai, along with comrade Muoi, made contact with comrades Linh, Yen (Nguyet Bong), Chu (Xuan Truong), Ngoan, Mien (Kim Bang), and sought ways to rebuild the revolutionary base. In June 1940, Le Canh Cai fell into the enemy's hands for the fourth time. This time, the French colonialists arrested Le Canh Cai and comrade Le Canh Muoi and imprisoned them in Thanh Chuong district prison, which was extremely humid and dirty. The prisoners' sleeping floors were made of bamboo with split eyes, and the floor was muddy and extremely smelly. Most of the prisoners here were tortured and beaten very brutally, their wounds were ulcerated, and flies were all over their bodies. They were not allowed to go outside to relieve themselves, sick or healthy people all slept on the bamboo floor, even those who died early in the morning slept with the living until the next day when they were carried out. Comrade Le Canh Cai was imprisoned here for more than a year before being released.

Returning home, to avoid being tracked and to find the organization, comrade Le Canh Cai learned the profession of cooking medicinal herbs for hire to have the opportunity to go here and there. In early 1943, while cooking medicinal herbs for hire for Mr. Duong's family in Vinh Giang, he learned that comrade Tran Huu Doanh [5] who was imprisoned in Buon Ma Thuot prison had successfully escaped and was hiding in Vinh Giang, so he tried to find a way to contact him. Knowing that boss Duong was a person with a good heart for the revolution, comrade Tran Huu Doanh and Le Canh Cai influenced and convinced Mr. Duong to contribute money to open a tile kiln. Comrade Tran Huu Doanh played the role of the factory owner who often found and hired workers, comrade Le Canh Cai was responsible for urging and guiding the workers. Thanks to this job, Le Canh Cai and Tran Huu Doanh had the opportunity to meet and gather patriotic youth, instructing them on how to mobilize the masses, how to fight a guerrilla war, and how to build bases to fight the French and Japanese.

Besides, Le Canh Cai also tried to reconnect with some political prisoners to return to activities. From 1943-1944, by many means, taking advantage of every situation, comrade Le Canh Cai and comrade Tran Huu Doanh restored and further developed revolutionary mass bases in Vinh Giang, Tra Na,... In April 1945, comrade Tran Huu Doanh sacrificed at Truong Giong, the revolutionary base was exposed, comrade Le Canh Cai returned home.

After a while, comrade Le Canh Cai was sent by comrade Con, from Xuan Duong, to discuss work and assigned the task of liaison for the Viet Minh Headquarters in Thanh Chuong. From here, he embarked on a new task until the success of the August Revolution.

After the August Revolution, comrade Le Canh Cai was sent by the district to study military at the Red Blue Military Administration class and was assigned to train the district's militia until his retirement. Regardless of his position, he always excellently completed the tasks assigned by the Party and the People.

With many contributions to the revolutionary cause, comrade Le Canh Cai was awarded many noble titles by the State, such as: Third-class Independence Medal; Second-class Resistance Medal; Revolutionary cadre before 1935, etc. In 1973, due to old age and the consequences of torture in the imperial prison, he passed away in his hometown, at the age of 62.

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References

- History of Thanh Chuong District Party Committee (1930-1975), National Political Publishing House, 2005.

- History of Ngoc Son Commune Party Committee (1969-2015), Labor Publishing House, 2020.

- Revolutionary memoirs of comrade Le Canh Cai, kept at the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum.

- Story of comrade Le Canh Cai's family members.