Comrade Nguyen Van Cu - An outstanding leader, an exemplary communist model

(Baonghean.vn) - Although Nguyen Van Cu's life was short, he was murdered by the enemy when he was only 29 years old, he left us a brilliant revolutionary career of a young General Secretary with great ambition, talent, loyalty to the country, and devotion to the people.

Comrade Nguyen Van Cu was born on July 9, 1912, in a poor patriotic Confucian family in Phu Khe commune, Tu Son district, Bac Ninh province.

Inheriting the family's tradition of patriotism and studiousness, growing up on the land of "spiritual land and talented people", imbued with the national cultural identity of Kinh Bac, from a young age Nguyen Van Cu showed intelligence, indomitable fortitude, ardent patriotism, and willingness to sacrifice for a greater cause.

Former General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu. Photo archive

In 1927, after finishing the Bac Ninh Military Academy, sponsored by a relative, Nguyen Van Cu entered Buoi School with excellent results and was awarded a scholarship. Here, Nguyen Van Cu was exposed to progressive books and newspapers, became enlightened about the revolution and was admitted to the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association, becoming an active member. Due to his opposition activities and attacks on the school supervisor, Nguyen Van Cu was arrested by secret police for 5 days and expelled from the school.

Returning to his hometown, Nguyen Van Cu continued to connect with comrades in the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association, building a revolutionary base in the locality. Right in his hometown, Nguyen Van Cu met comrade Ngo Gia Tu, a communist soldier whom he greatly respected. Ngo Gia Tu directly taught and guided Nguyen Van Cu to study the work The Revolutionary Path and many other important works of leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, helping him to understand more deeply his revolutionary theses.

The house, birthplace and place where former General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu grew up in Phu Khe village, Phu Khe commune, Tu Son district, Bac Ninh province.

In the fall of 1928, Nguyen Van Cu was arrested for the second time by the secret police, accused of political activities, detained for 12 days, and brutally tortured. But immediately after his release, he continued his revolutionary activities. Implementing the decision of the Provincial Committee of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association in Bac Ninh, Nguyen Van Cu participated in the "proletarianization" movement in the Hon Gai mining area, immersing himself in the masses to penetrate into reality, build the association organization and enlighten the workers.

As a professional revolutionary, he had the opportunity to travel to many places and meet many workers and laborers in many different professions. After only one year of “proletarianization”, in 1929, at the age of 17, Nguyen Van Cu became the direct leader of the workers’ movement and the communist movement in the area with the largest concentration of workers in our country.

At the same time, comrade Nguyen Van Cu became one of the first members of the Indochinese Communist Party. At the end of February 1930, he established the Communist Party of Vietnam cell in Mao Khe mine - the first cell of our Party in the Quang Ninh mining area. After that, under his leadership, the Party cells in Uong Bi, Vang Danh, Hon Gai, Cam Pha, and Cua Ong were established one after another.

Portrait of General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu with the work "Self-criticism"

In February 1931, comrade Nguyen Van Cu was arrested by the French colonialists and imprisoned in Hon Gai and Hoa Lo prisons, then exiled to Con Dao. During the years of suffering in prison, Nguyen Van Cu and his comrades turned the prison into a revolutionary school, a place to forge the will and mettle of a revolutionary soldier.

Comrade Nguyen Van Cu devoted his entire life to the revolutionary cause and the noble ideals of the Party. His revolutionary life was a model of the noble qualities of a communist. In addition to his enthusiasm for learning, training and constantly improving, with his faith and determination, he turned the imperial prison into a school of revolutionary theory, equipped himself with a profound understanding of political science, and became the General Secretary - the highest leader of the Party.

Not only was his spirit of learning admirable, he was also a shining example of mass connection, close attachment to the masses and mass mobilization. Wherever he was, living among his fellow miners or fellow prisoners in Con Dao, whether he was a party member or held the highest position of the Party, he always showed himself to be a cadre with pure revolutionary ethics, simplicity, exemplary in life, with a friendly and approachable manner towards everyone, with the ability to gather and unite cadres, party members and the people, and was loved and admired by the people.

The work "Self-criticism" by General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu.

With the enemy and reactionary and destructive elements, he resolutely fought and rejected them without compromise. With the mistakes and shortcomings of cadres and party members, he always discussed them gently, sincerely, regularly, with reason and emotion, making an important contribution to strengthening solidarity within the Party, fighting against ideological degradation and change in political ideology among cadres and party members, contributing to moving the Vietnamese revolution forward.

Comrade Nguyen Van Cu wrote: “Communists have the duty to tell the truth to the masses, to lead the masses, not to follow them or deceive them.” And even if there are mistakes or failures, “we must have the courage to open our eyes and see the truth.” “We can never blame all the causes of failure on the enemy’s suppression and the unenlightened voters. We must recognize the subjective shortcomings that we ourselves caused, and we must take full responsibility.”

He believed that the Party “has the duty to analyze the situation accurately, not to be pessimistic or panicky, but also not to be complacent, to find the causes of failure and to study methods to correct mistakes and make progress.” Therefore, he required the Party to: “Openly, boldly, and honestly point out its mistakes and find ways to correct them, to fight against the tendencies of being proactive and compromising, which does not weaken the Party, but makes the Party strongly unified.”

Memorial site of late General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu in Phu Khe Thuong village, Phu Ke commune, Tu Son town, Bac Ninh province.

At the age of 26, with his outstanding virtue and talent, comrade Nguyen Van Cu was unanimously elected General Secretary of the Party by the 5th Central Conference (March 1938). And, comrade Le Duan once commented: “In terms of age, Mr. Cu is 5 to 10 years younger than us and comrades Le Hong Phong and Ha Huy Tap, but he is an outstanding intellectual of the Party, very sharp and politically sensitive, and has the ability to unite and persuade his comrades. He is a communist with very pure moral qualities, respected by everyone.”

On the occasion of the 105th anniversary of his birth, following the shining example of learning of the late General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu, our entire Party, army and people are determined to implement the Party's policy, build a learning society, and move towards a civilized, modern and developed country.

In which, studying and learning one of the invaluable assets that the late General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu left behind is extremely meaningful and practical. That is the work "Self-criticism" with its views on self-criticism and criticism within the Party: "Openly, boldly, honestly pointing out one's own mistakes and finding ways to correct them, opposing the tendencies of being proactive and compromising, like that does not weaken the Party, but makes the Party unified and strong"

Peace

(Synthetic)