From patriotic tradition to patriotic emulation movement

(Baonghean.vn) - “Patriotism” is a broad and comprehensive concept, but during his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh approached the concept of “patriotism” with a very progressive, simple and easy-to-understand ideology: “Competition is patriotism, patriotism requires competition. And those who compete are the most patriotic.”

Patriotism has become a precious tradition, an unchanging cultural value of the Vietnamese people and a profound source that urges generations of Vietnamese people to be ready to sacrifice blood and bones to gain independence and freedom for the Fatherland; to resolutely protect every inch of land, to preserve the territory and borders that our ancestors worked hard to build, cultivate and preserve over thousands of years in the conditions of war after war.

President Ho Chi Minh is an exemplary moral example, always taking the lead in implementing emulation movements.

In the process of leading the revolution, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh gradually summarized practices, linked emulation with patriotism, patriotism with emulation, propagated, mobilized, and called on the entire nation to enthusiastically compete, causing patriotic emulation movements to continuously appear, gradually spreading widely throughout all fields, sectors, and circles.

Although in different fields, there are patriotic emulation movements with different criteria, contents and slogans of action, which can be supplemented and adjusted to suit the requirements and tasks of each historical period, the most common goal is still to actively contribute more and more to the process of building and defending the Fatherland.

In which, it must be "everyone tries to do things quickly, well, and beautifully, regardless of whether their work is related to material or spiritual life, regardless of whether they work in the rear or the front line, as long as it benefits the country so that they can progress". Therefore, "Patriotic emulation is beneficial to oneself, beneficial to the family, beneficial to the village, to the country, and to the nation".

The spirit of patriotism and active patriotic emulation truly became a revolutionary action movement of the entire people, organized and directed uniformly from the Central to the grassroots level under the leadership of our Party and State since 1948, associated with the Directive dated March 27, 1948 of the Central Party Standing Committee launching the patriotic emulation movement and the Call for Patriotic Emulation dated June 11, 1948 of President Ho Chi Minh.

Since the resistance war against the French colonialists (1945-1954), there have been many emulation movements in various forms such as: "Eliminate hunger, ignorance, foreign invaders", "popular education", "resistance rice jar", "soldiers at the front compete to kill enemies and gain achievements, compatriots in the rear compete to increase production", "fields are battlefields, hoes and plows are weapons, farmers are soldiers, the rear competes with the front", "everyone competes, every industry competes, every day competes, we will definitely win, the enemy will definitely lose" ... attracting compatriots and soldiers across the country to actively contribute in all aspects to the revolution, contributing to the Dien Bien Phu victory that resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world.

The patriotic emulation movement truly flourished in all professions, all classes, and all fields during the resistance war against the US to save the country, especially since the North implemented the first 5-year plan and when the Resolution of the Central Party Secretariat on January 26, 1961 was issued, the emulation movement flourished, contributing greatly to the great victory, completely liberating the South, unifying the country, typical of the movements "Three best", "Gio Dai Phong", "Song Duyen Hai", "Thi em Hap Xa Thanh Cong", "Hai tot", "Ba san chan", "Nam bao phong"...

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

In March 1965, the "Three Responsibilities" movement appeared, later changed to "Three good men" with the content: Responsible for production and work, replacing husbands, children, and brothers who go to war. The Southern Liberation Women's Union launched the movement "Building a glorious family" and the movement "Association of Soldiers' Mothers" which were effective in caring for and nurturing soldiers, wounded soldiers, contributing to promoting the emulation movement to join the army, emulation to kill enemies, labor production, and building a strong armed force.

Since January 1966, the movement "Three determinations"appeared in the intellectual community with the content: Determined to serve production, combat and life; promote technical revolution, ideological and cultural revolution; promote the building of a socialist intellectual team to attract a large number of Vietnamese intellectuals to actively participate in the cause of fighting against the US, saving the country and building socialism.

On March 25, 1963, the Central Office for Southern Vietnam launched the movement "Ap Bac emulation, killing enemies and making achievements"with the goal of: Strengthening political struggle, building combat communes, fighting against encroachment, destroying strategic hamlets, and military mobilization; Strengthening production, saving, raising troops, preventing spies and protecting secrets, supporting troops and guerrillas.

On September 23, 1963, the Central Office of Southern Vietnam launched the movement "Patriotic emulation, anti-American"with four major slogans: Emulation in solidarity to fight, emulation in killing enemies and making achievements, emulation in economical production and emulation in studying and making progress.

On April 18, 1964, the Central Party Secretariat issued a Directive launching the movement "Each person works as two for the sake of the South.On October 15, 1964, the youth of the whole country launched an emulation movement to follow the example of the heroic martyr Nguyen Van Troi, turning hatred into strength, determined to defeat the American invaders and save the country.

On November 18, 1964, the 3rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company launched an emulation movement, determined to fight and gain achievements, and avenge Nguyen Viet Xuan. Spiritaim straight at the enemy and shootbecame a battle cry that urged soldiers and militia to shoot down many American planes.

May 1965, launched the movement "Determined to defeat the American invaders”. On July 20, 1965, Uncle Ho called on the entire Party, the entire army, and the entire people to fight against the US to save the country. In September 1969, the Vietnam Fatherland Front launched a campaign of “Study and follow President Ho's Testament", calling on the people of the whole country to be determined to defeat the American invaders.

In some localities, many movements also appeared with slogans such as: "Stick to the land and protect the village"; "Don't move an inch, don't move a millimeter", "Kill the enemy and make achievements", "Brave warriors destroy the Americans", "Find the Americans to fight, find the puppets to destroy", "Stick to the enemy's belt and fight", "Stretch the enemy out to fight, surround them and destroy them"...

During the period of national unification and socialist construction, especially the period of renovation and international integration, many emulation movements have emerged. Currently, people across the country are making great efforts to carry out movements such as: "The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas"; "The whole people unite to build a cultural life"; "The whole people protect national security"; the campaign "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods"...

Over the past 68 years, the patriotic emulation movement has contributed greatly to the victory of the revolutionary cause of national liberation, building and defending the Fatherland, for the goal of a rich people, a strong country, democracy, equality and civilization. However, besides the positive results, the patriotic emulation movements and the propaganda work of patriotic emulation still have many limitations that need to be overcome. These limitations can be considered as a direct consequence of the limitations in the organization and propaganda work of patriotic emulation movements.

President Ho Chi Minh talks with agricultural heroes and emulation fighters (2751957).

To meet the requirements and revolutionary tasks of the new period, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, it is necessary to actively innovate and improve the quality of patriotic emulation in all aspects.

Firstly, it is necessary to propagate to raise awareness of Party committees at all levels, authorities, functional departments and branches, cadres, Party members and people of all walks of life about the position, role, importance and inevitability of the patriotic emulation movement for the revolutionary cause of our Party and people.

Second, strengthen the leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels in patriotic emulation propaganda work; focus on launching and actively propagating patriotic emulation movements associated with the implementation of political tasks of units and localities, especially focusing on propagating peak emulation campaigns to carry out urgent and key tasks, creating strong effects in communication.

Third, launch practical emulation movements in all fields, but must have a focus, key points, and the necessary level of priority, suitable to the specific conditions of each agency, locality, and unit. There must be forms and measures of propaganda that ensure richness, diversity, and suitability for each object, locality, and time, ensuring practicality, effectiveness, and depth.

Fourth, strengthen the dissemination of typical models, good people, good deeds, good, creative, effective and practical ways of doing things in patriotic emulation movements associated with the implementation of Directive 05-CT/TW of the Politburo on "Studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle", creating a spread in the community.

Fifth, promote the practice of thrift, link increasing labor productivity with fighting bureaucracy, corruption, and waste; link timely rewards and punishments to the right people and the right jobs, fight against false reporting, fight against formalism; promptly promote and replicate good models, typical advanced examples, and new factors.

Sixth, strengthen patriotic emulation propaganda in the press, promptly commend, encourage and reward press agencies with achievements in propaganda work, reporters, editors and collaborators with quality articles and press works promoting new factors, advanced models, and examples of "good people, good deeds"; spend more time promoting online exchanges on television.

Seventh, organize professional training courses for cadres working on patriotic emulation propaganda; build and organize a widespread team of collaborators to discover new, typical and advanced factors in industries and fields, in localities, agencies and units, promptly propagate, disseminate and replicate in society; attract the intelligence of the whole society, improve the quality of information, increase the richness and diversity of information on propaganda media about patriotic emulation movements.

Eighth, strengthen inspection and supervision of emulation and reward work to ensure fairness, accuracy and timeliness; invest in equipment, have mechanisms and policies to support and encourage patriotic emulation propaganda.

Dr. Le Duc Hoang

Department of Propaganda, Central Propaganda Department