The 'first mover' and the new

The first place to wake up

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, our country was immersed in slavery. Many patriotic movements broke out one after another, inThanh Chuongfamous for the Giáp Tuất uprising (1874) of Bachelor Trần Tấn, Đặng Như Mai,… But, all failed. That was a period of crisis in policy.

In 1911, from Nha Rong Port, Nguyen Tat Thanh left to find a way to save the country. WhenPhan Boi ChauInitiating the Dong Du movement, many patriotic youths in Thanh Chuong, typically Dang Nguyen Can, Le Quy (Luu Quoc Long), Tran Dong Phong, ... responded. BachelorDang Thuc Hua, once "Traveled East", then explored and opened a new path - "Traveled West", went to Thailand to open a Farm, a facility of long-term significance, having a great impact on the Vietnamese Revolution.

Painting of the Nghe Tinh Soviet climax by author Nguyen Duc Nung.

When the Communist Party of Vietnam had not yet been established, in Thanh Chuong there was already the Phuc Viet Association - a patriotic organization of which Ton Quang Phiet was one of the founders; then Nguyen Sy Sach, Dang Thai Mai and many patriotic youths in the district. By 1928, the Phuc Viet Association changed its name to Tan Viet Party, operating very actively. Thanh Chuong had up to 10 sub-groups out of a total of 17 sub-groups in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh at that time. Later, with the direction of the Indochinese Communist Party's Ky Bo and the acumen of Tan Viet, it selected, recruited party members and established a Communist Party cell.

Thus, before the Party was founded, in Thanh Chuong there were 3 branches of the Indochinese Communist Party - the predecessor of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The provisional Party branch of the district was established on March 20, 1930 at the foot of Tien Mountain, Thanh Long Commune. Under the leadership of the Party, consecutive protests broke out in Phong Nam, Xuan Duong, Dai Dong, Quang Xa, Hanh Lam, Luong Dien,Sandbank,… in April, May, June 1930.

The movements were suppressed by French colonialists and feudalists but were truly historical milestones and legitimate pride of the homeland.

On the same day, May 1, 1930, in Vinh, there was a demonstration by workers at Thi and Ben Thuy schools; in Vo Liet, there was a demonstration and strike by more than 100 teachers and students of the French-Vietnamese Cho Ro Primary School; in Hanh Lam, there was a demonstration by farmers from Hanh Lam, La Mac, Nhuan Trach, Yen Lac, Duc Nhuan villages, etc., who fought fiercely and destroyed Ky Vien plantation. Notably, on September 1, 1930, with a spirit like a rising tide and a waterfall, 20,000 farmers from 5 communes in the district, under the leadership of the Party, destroyed the feudal district government and established the first Soviet government in the country.

History once recorded: “This fierce demonstration had never been seen in Annam before…”; “This was one of the highest peaks of the revolutionary movement.XNghe Tinh cell phone1930 - 1931". At that time, Thanh Chuong had 20 party cells with 200 party members. The movements were terrorized by the French colonialists and feudalists, drowned in a sea of ​​blood, hundreds of people fell, dozens of villages were burned,... but they were truly historical milestones, legitimate pride of the homeland.

Vo Liet Communal House in Vo Liet Commune (Thanh Chuong) is also the place that marked many typical historical events in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement (1930 - 1931). Photo: Huy Thu

During the resistance war against France and the US, Thanh Chuong was one of the typical districts with the slogan "Not a pound of rice is missing, not a soldier is missing". The district and 12 communes were awarded the title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and the State. In 1964, the district advocated the relocation and dispersal of the population, transferring 960 households and 5,000 people, establishing 17 bases, reclaiming 4,493 hectares of land on the right bank, and developing many new economic zones.

After the Great Victory in Spring 1975, the whole country embarked on a campaign to overcome the severe consequences of the war against the US. In the Spring of 1976, with the determination to "Redraw the map of Thanh Chuong according to the requirements of reorganizing production", the district launched a campaign to move people to the hills of 4 communes in Cat Ngan area. More than 30,000 people moved 2,059 households with 4,700 houses, liberating 500 hectares of land for agricultural production in just 15 days.

Promoting tradition

In 2001, the province had a policy of lending cement to build rural traffic and intra-field irrigation. Thanh Chuong people were like “thirsty people found coconut water”, mobilizing all resources to build more than 600 km of new inter-village and inter-commune roads, 480 km of intra-field canals, gradually solving the “four-way traffic jam” and irrigation problems in agriculture. Thanh Chuong also pioneered the “agro-forestry combination” movement, eliminating mixed gardens, building VAC, VAC.DD; mobilizing farmers to accumulate land for the second time to industrialize and modernize, etc.

Tea trees bring great profits to many households in Thanh Chuong. Photo: Mai Hoa

The tradition of enthusiasm, “taking the lead”, and a desire for new things are conditions and opportunities to launch movements and create development. That is good, positive, and fundamental, and needs to be nurtured and promoted. However, without careful preparation and planning in terms of ideology and material facilities, it is easy to fall into subjectivity, dogmatism, and voluntarism, leaving unpredictable consequences, and easily leading to ups and downs, and even failure.

During the 1930-1931 Revolution, the Party's policy was to launch a patriotic movement and not to organize violence when the armed forces were still in their infancy. When conditions were not yet ripe, the movement was drowned in blood by imperialism and colonialism, suffering heavy losses.

Being "first to rise up" means having no precedent, no experience, having to be brave, decisive...

During the migration and dispersal of people, excessive enthusiasm, lack of careful preparation in both ideology and material facilities, etc., have caused difficulties in the lives of a part of the people. In socio-economic development, there are also times when "making movements" in a narrow sense, making examples is good but not being able to be widely replicated, going first, coming later, etc. Many movements and implementation models are not successful. There are also contents that are bustling when launched, but when facing difficulties, they stagnate, or even fail.

Perhaps, to cope with the harsh nature and constant wars, it has fostered the qualities of the imperial examinations, the will to "lose ten thousand times to heaven is not as good as losing to a friend by one cup" - even though it is a separatist, adventurous, and risky situation, it must still be accepted? Perhaps those conditions and circumstances have urged people to have the commitment and desire to open up, change - as we now call it "breakthrough"? Being "a pioneer" means there is no precedent, no experience, one must be brave, decisive,...

Thanh Chuong town seen from above. Photo: Nguyen Sach

The new is often in its infancy, “looming”, and weak. The new is often strange, immature, difficult, easily scrutinized, envied, and even crushed by conservatism, jealousy and empiricism. Therefore, while there needs to be caution in selection and discussion, there also needs to be “guarantee”, encouragement, and support for breakthroughs, openings, and innovations, so that the new can soon be shaped in its true nature and develop.

Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the homeland's tradition, recalling a profound lesson of history, hoping to have a positive effect on cadres, party members, and people - especially the young generation. Grasp the laws of development, closely follow the direction of superiors, creatively apply them to practice; each time leading, directing, and implementing a movement, it needs to be carefully and scientifically researched, suitable to practice, and feasible. Especially, in the current socio-economic development programs to create rapid, comprehensive, and sustainable development./.