Comrade Truong Nghiem and his contributions to the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement

Although his family was poor, Truong Nghiem was still given the opportunity to study like his friends in the village by his father, Truong Tuy, and his mother, Thi Thuynh. After a period of studying at the village school, Truong Nghiem had to quit school and stay home to work in the fields to help his family overcome their difficulties.

Every day, witnessing the brutal oppression and exploitation of the people by the colonial and feudal governments, and absorbing many new ideas through progressive patriotic books and newspapers secretly distributed in Dien Chau, Truong Nghiem, like many other enthusiastic young people, quickly became enlightened about the revolution. As if being given more spiritual strength, he enthusiastically participated in propagating Marxism-Leninism and progressive books and newspapers in his homeland.

Shortly after the Central Region Indochinese Communist Party was established, in September 1929, the Indochinese Communist Party cell in Hoang Truong commune was also quickly established, including comrades: Truong Chau, Chu Trang, Chu Dan, Ho Nhiep, Ho Xien, Chu Toan, Chu Hue, Ho Hung, Truong Nghiem, Le Ty, and Le Tai.

The two Van Phan and Hoang Truong Party cells were assigned by the Ky Bo to be the vanguard in the early days of the movement to establish the Party in the country. Comrade Truong Nghiem was assigned by the Party cell to be in charge of propaganda work, mobilizing the people to participate in the patriotic movement. With the assigned task, he tried his best to research and study propaganda methods suitable to the level of the people, paying special attention to the habits and customs of the people to skillfully bring the content of the movement to the people in a natural and appropriate way. Thanks to the responsibility and enthusiasm of comrade Truong Nghiem, after only a short time, the masses of the people changed their awareness, ready to stand up to fight against the colonial and feudal government, demanding their rights.

Despite the enemy's terror and harsh repression, comrade Truong Nghiem was still active, especially in the work of building mass organizations, including the Red Self-Defense Force. He was one of the leading team leaders, enthusiastically selecting outstanding young people with both health and steadfast stance, training day and night to participate in revolutionary activities and protect the masses.

When the wave of struggle of the Nghe Tinh people spread to many localities in the two provinces, the French colonialists and their lackeys intensified white terror in order to suppress the revolutionary movement of the masses. Faced with the new situation, on October 22, 1930, the Provisional Executive Committee of the Government Committee held an expanded meeting with the participation of representatives of four branches: Van Phan, Ly Trai, Thai Xa and Hoang Truong, deciding to launch a struggle movement and plan for a demonstration in the whole district on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution.

On October 26, 1930, with careful preparation, Hoang Truong Party Cell organized a demonstration demanding tax reduction, tax deferral, and the abolition of guard duty... Comrade Truong Nghiem and the Red Self-Defense Force enthusiastically participated, protecting the safety of the masses, while also organizing the arrest of henchmen and reactionaries, keeping watch over all activities of the mandarins, contributing to the victory of the struggles.

On the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the October Revolution, the Government Committee continued to organize a general demonstration at the provincial capital to make demands, demanding tax reduction, confiscation of rice and public land from the rich to distribute to the poor.

On the morning of November 7, 1930, the drums from Long An village communal house resounded loudly, urging the masses to gather at the gathering point. Under the leadership of the party cell, comrade Truong Nghiem and the Red Self-Defense Force and the People of Hoang Truong commune gathered at Nu field in My Quan village, then along National Highway 1A entered the prefecture. The crowd marched forward, with banners, slogans, and loud slogans mixed with the cheers of the masses, forming a mighty stream of people charging towards the prefecture. The fighting spirit was like a dam bursting, making the prefect Vo Vong fearful, the prefecture was in chaos, the commander of Dien Chau station mobilized soldiers to concentrate their guns and fire at the protesters, and at the same time called the Giat, Yen Thanh and Vinh stations to support.

Despite the enemy's bullets raining down, the red hammer and sickle flags were still fluttering, and banners with slogans were still raised high. The protest group was only about 10 km from the capital, but the enemy had closed the city gate, the group gathered, behind them the soldiers chased and fired indiscriminately, many people fell, the blood of the masses and party members dyed the Bung River red. 30 people died on the spot, 8 people were injured and the enemy executed them at Ben Tai to intimidate the fighting spirit of the masses. Although the struggle of the masses was brutally suppressed, it did not shake the spirit of patriotic young people like comrade Truong Nghiem. Always at the forefront of the struggles, not afraid of sacrifice and hardship, comrade Truong Nghiem, with his pioneering and exemplary spirit, became a typical communist model and created trust and love among the masses.

After this bloody demonstration, implementing the directive of the Dien Chau Provincial Party Committee, turning grief into action, comrade Truong Nghiem and the people in the commune also organized many struggles to commemorate the fallen, denounce the enemy's crimes and call on the masses to rise up and fight. The Party organization and the masses were gradually consolidated and developed. The Provincial Party Committee Executive Committee was strengthened, the inter-branch Executive Committees were also rearranged, the Hoang Truong merged Party cell was split into 4 new Party cells, creating favorable conditions for directing the movement. Comrade Truong Nghiem worked in Party Cell B with many other Party members.

After the Soviet government was established in many localities, the French colonialists intensified their repression and terror against the people's struggle movement. The revolutionary movement of Hoang Truong commune was therefore also heavily affected. Khe Sanh, a rugged and secluded area bordering the three districts of Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, and Quynh Luu, was chosen by Party Cell B as a secret residence to direct the people's struggle movement.

On August 16, 1931, comrade Truong Nghiem was arrested in Dien Chau. After a period of imprisonment, torture, and unsuccessful bribery, in December 1931, he was sentenced by the enemy to 3 years in prison and 2 years of house arrest according to the verdict 195 dated December 1, 1931 of the Nam t Court.

Nghe An Province. On January 16, 1932, he was imprisoned by the enemy at Phan Rang Prison. On Tet 1933, comrade Truong Nghiem was released from prison.⁽¹⁾.

Returning to his hometown, he connected with other comrades to continue his activities. In 1936, semi-legal public struggles, organizing many discussion conferences, establishing petitions demanding amnesty for political prisoners, freedom of movement, freedom of association, etc. took place vigorously. In 1937, comrade Vo Gia and comrade Ho Thi Hieu - Secretary organized and consolidated the Hoang Truong Party Cell with 6 party members, including comrade Truong Nghiem. With the policy of secret activities, comrade Truong Nghiem and the party cell took advantage of the French colonialists' reform policy to organize the masses to fight legally, against the lackeys, the supervisors, the cheaters of the laborers' wages, and against some village chiefs who embezzled people's money. Thanks to the efforts of comrade Truong Nghiem and the Party cell, the movement achieved many victories, contributing to encouraging the spirit and creating trust among the masses, creating a foundation and increasing strength for Party members to enthusiastically work.

In 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, in the face of the new situation, the Regional Party Committee, Provincial Party Committee and Dien Chau Prefectural Party Committee launched a movement to demand the abolition of the Central Region Resident's tax increase project. Through various forms of activities in the countryside, the Party cells propagated and mobilized the masses to sign the petition and send it to the House of Representatives. From here, the revolutionary movement in Hoang Truong continued to develop, creating a new fighting spirit, and many outstanding masses were admitted to the Party. The Hoang Truong Party cell continued to be consolidated, including the following party members: Ho Thi Hieu (Secretary), Ho Kham, Ho Phan, Chu Phuong, Chu The, Truong Nghiem, and Chu Thua. Comrade Truong Nghiem and other party members in the cell became the core of the movement. With experience working in the Red Self-Defense Force, comrade Truong Nghiem was assigned to be in charge of one of the important organizations, the Farmers' Association for National Salvation.

Faced with the development of the new revolutionary movement, colonialists and feudalists sought every way to suppress it. They tried their best to hunt down and arrest party cadres and destroy revolutionary organizations. On September 1, 1943, comrade Truong Nghiem was arrested for the second time. After nearly a year of imprisonment, torture and bribery, in July 1944, he was sentenced by the enemy to 3 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest according to judgment No. 154 dated July 19, 1944 of the Nghe An Provincial Court. By Tet 1945, he was released.⁽²⁾.

During the August Revolution of 1945, he and the people of Nghia Dan fought successfully to gain power. In 1947, he was sent to Thanh Hoa to work, then returned to his locality to work in the commune government. After many years of tireless dedication, he retired under the regime.⁽³⁾.

In 1989, he passed away in his hometown, mourned by his family, clan, and homeland.

Having devoted his whole life to the revolutionary cause of the Party, especially in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, comrade Truong Nghiem became a communist soldier who was tempered through hardships and challenges, steadfastly overcoming all difficulties and hardships, always standing side by side with the People in the struggles. Despite being imprisoned and tortured many times in imperialist prisons, he was never shaken, always maintaining his steadfast loyalty to the Party and the People. In recognition of comrade Truong Nghiem's ​​contributions, our Party and State recognized him as a veteran revolutionary cadre.

Note:
(1), (2) According to the Prison Records of Comrade Truong Nghiem kept at the XVNT Museum
(3) Nghe An - Communist examples, volume 6, Nghe An Publishing House, pp. 119, 120