Letters, telegrams, speeches,Uncle Ho's article for his homeland Nam Dan

LETTER TO THE ELDERLY TEAM OF NAM DAN DISTRICT

February 17, 1949

To the Nam-dan veteran team

On behalf of the Government, I am very pleased to congratulate the Nam Dan Veterans' Team on its establishment and hope that other districts and provinces will also establish Veterans' Teams.

In my opinion, the Veterans' Teams need to be properly organized and work practically on three main points:

1. Military: Urge the village militia to organize properly, practice thoroughly, and guard carefully. Encourage young people to enthusiastically join the army to kill foreign invaders.

2. Economy: Urge people in the district to increase production to have enough food and clothing and help the army to fight hunger.

3. Culture: Urge people to enthusiastically go to school to eradicate illiteracy.

In short: The main task of the Veterans' Team is to make the patriotic emulation movement vibrant, widespread, practical, and persistent, to make the holding phase quickly victorious and fully prepare for the general counter-offensive.

I wish the Veterans Team to grow.

Best regards and best wishes

Ho Chi Minh

(Archives of the Nam Dan District Information Office and the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee's Party History Research Board, 1949)

Printed in: Uncle Ho with his homeland Nghe Tinh, Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee History Research Board, 1977)

LETTER TO MR. HOANG PHAN KINH AND TRAN LE HUU

PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM

Independence – Freedom – Happiness

Office April 1949

To: Hoang Phan Kinh and Tran Le Huu

Nam-lien commune - Nam-dan district

Reply to uncle and aunt.

1. I am very grateful to you and your uncle for sending me letters. I have not been able to visit, not because I am indifferent to my homeland, but for this reason: While the French invaders are trampling on our country, the duty of every Vietnamese is to forget home for the country, forget personal interests, and be a common servant of my compatriots, I must be even more so, so I have not had time to write or visit.

2. Our people have just overthrown the feudal regime of thousands of years and broken the chains of slavery for nearly a century, to build a new Vietnam.

While tearing down the old walls and building the new castle, there will inevitably be scraps, broken bricks and other disgusting rubbish. We will gradually sweep them away. During the resistance war and the nation-building process, our people have had great and glorious successes, but there are also shortcomings. We will gradually correct these shortcomings. We will definitely correct them, because we are determined to correct them.

3. My duty, the Government's and local agencies and organizations' duty, and also the duty of all citizens, is to do things that are useful to our compatriots and to the country. Therefore, I, the Government's and local agencies and organizations' duty are very pleased to receive criticisms, initiatives and suggestions from our compatriots. At the same time, the citizens have the duty to thoroughly carry out the Government's orders.

4. I hope that you and your uncle, together with the elders, the dignitaries and gentlemen, will often help me and the Government by sending criticisms, initiatives and suggestions. I also hope that you and your uncle, together with the elders and gentlemen, will urge and help the local people to volunteer to compete in patriotism, making Nam Dan a model, Nghe An a model province, in all the work of resistance and national construction.

Dear uncle and aunt, please convey my warm greetings and best wishes to your relatives, elders, and fellow countrymen in the village and district, and give many kisses to the children.

Grandchildren

Ho Chi Minh

(Document stored at Kim Lien Relic Site archive, printed in: Homeland in Uncle Ho's heart - National Political Publishing House, April 1995, pp. 16, 17)

TELEGRAM OF PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH TO THE NGUYEN SINH FAMILY

November 9, 1950

Hearing that my eldest brother* had passed away, I was very sad. Because the country's affairs were heavy and the distance was long, when he was sick I could not take care of him, and when he passed away I could not take care of him.

Alas! I confess my sins before his soul and ask for your forgiveness for a son who sacrificed his family for the sake of national affairs.

Ho Chi Minh

(Archived at the Kim Lien Relic Site archive. Printed in: Uncle Ho with his homeland. Nghe Tinh Provincial Party History Research Board 1970, page 24)

*Mr. Nguyen Sinh Khiem, President Ho Chi Minh's older brother, was born in 1888 and passed away in Kim Lien commune on August 25, Canh Dan year (1950).

** Not a brother: Not a brother

*** Ingredient: Forgiveness

MODEL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE(Written about Nam Thuong commune, Nam Dan district)

Nam Thuong (Nam Dan district, Nghe An province) is one of the model communes.

After the flood in September 1954, the commune suffered heavy damage. Then came famine. However, thanks to the cadres who followed the Party and Government's policies correctly, skillfully led the people, resolutely organized production for self-rescue and encouraged people to help each other. Thanks also to the people's trust and enthusiasm. The result was:

Young people volunteered to repair houses for people and do other work.

People helped each other with 11 tons of food (rice, corn, potatoes) to eat and produce.

Grown more than 100 acres of corn and more than 3,500 squash bushes.

Planted more than 115 hectares of rice and many crops.

Organize night patrols to prevent landlords from destroying crops.

Organize groups to dig ditches and bail water to fight drought and pests. The people's spirit of "self-reliance" has defeated hunger.

Nam Thuong commune has not only fought hunger but also helped a neighboring commune with 2 tons of corn, potatoes, beans and helped them increase production. Another commendable thing is that Nam Thuong commune has cleverly combined other activities with production to fight hunger. The organizations have regular activities. The popular education program has been praised by the district. The youth have been elected as models in the province. Agricultural taxes are paid on time and at the right level. The labor exchange groups have also been strengthened. The whole commune raises 250 pigs. Currently, the people in the commune are competing to grow more vegetables and potatoes. This is a model commune that other communes should imitate.

CB*

* Pen name of President Ho Chi Minh; Article published in Nhan Dan newspaper on June 21, 1955

LETTER FROM UNCLE HO TO THE 'ELDERLY FATHERS' OF NAM LIEN COMMUNE, NAM DAN DISTRICT

Dear "ignorant elders",
I thank you for your letters and am pleased to know that our village has eliminated illiteracy.
They have made great efforts to urge and help their compatriots in popular education, so they truly deserve the title "old and strong".
I really hope that from now on you will continue to urge and help the people in the commune.
- Try to study more to further improve your cultural level.
- Promote the movement of labor exchange groups and cooperatives urgently and firmly, build many small-scale irrigation farms, use more fertilizers, improve techniques, compete to increase production and practice thrift, to further improve living standards.
- Closely unite, build and develop good customs and traditions.
As you know, our compatriots and people from other countries pay great attention to our commune. Therefore, our commune should strive to become a model commune in all aspects: economic, political, cultural and social.
I wish you good health and longevity and ask you to convey my warm greetings to all my brothers, relatives, youth and children in our commune and neighboring communes.
Hanoi, December 19, 1958
HO CHI MINH CITY
Photocopy of the autograph, kept at the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
(Printed in: Ho Chi Minh (2011), Complete Works, National Political Publishing House Truth, H., Vol. 11, p. 582.)

LETTER OF PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH TO THE PEOPLE AND CADRES OF NAM LIEN COMMUNE

(February 13, 1962)

Dear compatriots and cadres of Nam Lien

I thank our commune for the New Year's greetings. I am very pleased to know that our commune has made many advances such as:

• Over-cultivation.

• Get rid of the habit of planting rice without fertilizer (but 2 quintals of fertilizer per sao is still little, so try to fertilize more). One basket of fertilizer is one kilogram of rice.

• Party members and youth union members set an example to increase working days and labor productivity.

Here I would like to raise a few points for the attention of compatriots and cadres:

• Members of a cooperative, and of one cooperative with another, must love and unite like family. When there are difficulties, they help each other to solve them. For example: Help Ngoc Dinh solve food difficulties, we must learn the spirit of international communism like the brother countries that help us.

• Conservative ideology is like the ropes that tie people's feet and hands. We must cut them off. If we want to progress, we must have a bold spirit: dare to think, dare to do. In this as well as in everything else, cadres, party members, and union members volunteer to go first, then the people will follow.

• The more the cooperative develops, the more work there is. To lead well, you have to do it right.

Collective leadership, assignment of responsibilities, the board of directors must be truly democratic and fair, finances must be public, everything must follow the mass line, by doing so all difficulties can be resolved.

I hope that the leaders and cadres will try to build Nam Kim into a model commune, and wish everyone progress and peace.

Uncle Ho

(Documents stored at Kim Lien Relic Site Archives, 1962)

PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH'S LETTER TO STUDENTS OF NAM COMMUNELIEN – NAM DAN

Hanoi, March 15, 1967

Dear students of Nam Lien commune

I have received your letter and I am very happy. You students have tried your best to study well and work hard, contributing to building your homeland to fight against the Americans and save the country.

He welcomed the people, Party committees and authorities at all levels, teachers of Nam Lien commune for taking care of teaching and learning, ensuring good air safety for teachers and children.

Uncle kisses the children

Uncle Ho

(Printed in: Uncle Ho and his homeland Nghe Tinh, Party History Research Board, Nghe Tinh Provincial Party Committee, 1977, p.155

Ho Chi Minh (2011), Complete Works, National Political Publishing House Truth, H., Vol. 11, p. 582)