President Ho Chi Minh's call for patriotic emulation remains forever valuable.

Over the past 68 years, following his ideology and under the leadership of the Party, our people's patriotic emulation movement has successfully carried out revolutionary tasks, leading to great victories in the cause of national liberation, in building and defending the Fatherland.

Uncle Ho with delegates attending the first National Congress of Heroes, Emulation Fighters and Exemplary Cadres (May 1952).

Immediately after the success of the August Revolution in 1945, in the context of famine and illiteracy raging everywhere, foreign invaders lurking, plotting to overthrow the young revolutionary government, in the face of a revolutionary situation hanging by a thread, on June 11, 1948, President Ho Chi Minh issued an "Appeal to Patriotic Emulation" to encourage compatriots and soldiers to promote their patriotic traditions to carry out urgent tasks against famine, illiteracy and foreign invaders, contributing money and labor to the cause of national construction and defense "Like that: The resistance will definitely win. National construction will definitely succeed".

Responding to his call, the whole country united, promoted the spirit of self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride, overcame all sacrifices and hardships, not only firmly protected the revolutionary government, created brilliant milestones in the two resistance wars of the nation, successfully completed the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country, but also joined hands and strived to bring the Vietnamese people on par with international friends.

Uncle Ho participated in bailing water in Ha Tay, 1959.

Uncle Ho wished that all compatriots, regardless of their position or job, must actively compete in patriotism: “The duty of the Vietnamese people, regardless of whether they are scholars, farmers, workers, merchants, or soldiers, whatever they do, must compete with each other: Do it quickly/Do it well/Do it a lot. Every Vietnamese person, regardless of age, gender, rich or poor... must become a fighter on the front lines: Military, political, economic, cultural. Implement the slogan: All-people resistance/Comprehensive resistance. The way to do it is: rely on: The people's strength/The people's spirit, to bring: Happiness to the people”. To do so: “Everyone competes/Industries compete/Every day competes/We will definitely win/The enemy will definitely lose”.

With simple, familiar, easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement language, yet profound and comprehensive, His call for patriotic emulation has the power to spread widely, strongly attract, and urge all sectors, all levels, and all people to compete to build and defend the Fatherland.

Emulation must be practical, linked to the daily work of each person, bringing benefits to the individual, the community and the country. He wrote: “It is mistaken to think that emulation is a different job from daily work. In fact, daily work is the foundation of emulation”. He advised: “Patriotic emulation must have the right and solid direction… There must be a detailed plan. That plan must be discussed carefully, understood thoroughly, and happily implemented by each small unit, each family, each individual… The content of the plan must be practical, clear, and appropriate”. Each sentence, each word in Uncle Ho's “Call for Patriotic Emulation” opened the way for patriotic emulation movements to be enthusiastic and widespread throughout the country, contributing effectively to the victory of our country's revolution.

Uncle Ho talks with farmers and members of Lai Son Agricultural Cooperative, Vinh Phuc, March 30, 1958.

In his letter to the youth on patriotic emulation, dated August 1, 1951, he pointed out: Emulation is a very good and practical way to make everyone progress. Emulation makes solidarity tighter. And to be closely united to compete forever, we must harmonize three tasks together: increasing production, daily work and studying (politics, culture, domestic and international situations). In patriotic emulation, we must clearly state the spirit of diligence, thrift, integrity, and uprightness...

On May 1, 1952, at the National Congress of Emulation Fighters and Exemplary Cadres, He emphasized, “Emulation is a practical and active way of patriotism. Emulation is patriotism, patriotism requires emulation. And those who emulate are the most patriotic…”. “Patriotic emulation has three main purposes: to eradicate hunger, illiteracy, and foreign invaders. That is, to make the people well-fed, warm, literate, and to make the Fatherland independent and free.”

Uncle Ho went down to the fields to plant rice with the farmers.

Not only launching emulation movements, He also required a preliminary and final summary, timely commendation, setting examples, and rewards to motivate and encourage those participating in the movement. He wrote: "After the emulation period, it is necessary to practically inspect, summarize, disseminate experiences, reward exemplary people, and support those who are incompetent". He paid special attention to and valued the exemplary role of cadres and party members. As early as 1927, when publishing the work "The Revolutionary Path", He stated 23 things about "The qualities of a revolutionary", including: "If you say something, you must do it". "Cadres go first/The people follow/No matter how difficult the task is/You can do it all".

In his speech to the emulation fighters on May 3, 1952, he taught: Cadres must compete with the masses, volunteer to be role models for the masses so that the resistance war will quickly win and the nation will soon be successful. He believed that a living example is worth more than a hundred propaganda speeches. “Heroes and emulation fighters are pioneers in production, and are also models of revolutionary morality… Heroes and emulation fighters must always guide and help those around them to progress together. Everyone must try to keep up with the heroes and fighters; heroes and fighters must progress continuously.”

President Ho Chi Minh with representatives of heroes and emulation fighters of the People's Armed Forces of the South's liberation visiting the North on November 11, 1965.

In response to President Ho Chi Minh's call, patriotic emulation movements have developed widely in all regions and attracted the participation of people from all walks of life. During the resistance war against the French colonialists, emulation movements such as: "Eliminate hunger, eradicate ignorance, eradicate foreign invaders", "Popular education", "Resistance rice jar"... attracted, encouraged, and motivated a large number of people and soldiers nationwide to enthusiastically work and produce, practice thrift to fight hunger; emulate studying to eradicate illiteracy, fight illiteracy and bravely and tenaciously fight against foreign invaders, creating the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu "famous in 5 continents, shaking the world".

During the resistance war against the American imperialists, emulation movements continued to be maintained and flourished in all fields, regions and areas of the country, such as: "Each person works as two for the beloved South" in the North, the Ap Bac emulation movement to kill the enemy and gain merit in the South. The "Co Duyen Hai" movement in industrial production; "Gio Dai Phong" in agricultural production; "Co Ba Nhat" in the army; "Trong Bac Ly" in education; "Thanh Nien Ba San Su"; "Women Ba Dung".

Farmers in Hai Hung (now Hai Duong) reported production results to Uncle Ho.

The slogan of action: every family competes, every person competes, every industry competes, we will definitely win, the enemy will definitely lose, all for the beloved South, all for the frontline, all for victory. The American invaders encouraged, cheered, and mobilized all the human and material resources of the great rear in the North to support the great frontline in the South, arousing the combined strength of the entire nation to unite to "fight the Americans out, fight the puppets to fall", completely liberate the South, unify the Fatherland, and the whole country together build socialism.

The whole country is entering a period of innovation, industrialization and modernization. Besides advantages, the country is facing many challenges and difficulties, requiring the highest promotion of patriotism, self-reliance, self-strengthening and national pride in every Vietnamese person in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

On March 4, 2008, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 258/QD-TTg on taking June 11 every year as "Patriotic Emulation Tradition Day". This is an opportunity for people to promote studying and following President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on patriotic emulation, associated with the widespread and effective implementation of the campaign "Studying and following Ho Chi Minh's moral example"; raising awareness and responsibility of Party committees at all levels, authorities, socio-political organizations and people for organizing, mobilizing and responding to patriotic emulation movements in the period of accelerating industrialization, modernization of the country and international integration. Actual results continue to affirm the great value and significance of the patriotic emulation movement that beloved Uncle Ho launched exactly 68 years ago.