The story of Mr. Ma Seo Chu, head of Kho Vang village, Coc Lau commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province, who rescued 115 villagers from a landslide, has been widely discussed in recent days. This story offers a glimmer of hope amidst the immense suffering and grief caused by the natural disaster.
Along with the story of Mr. Ma Seo Chu, the image of the village head of Lang Nu, where the tragedy occurred in Bao Yen district (Lao Cai province), also moved the community with the dedication of village head Hoang Van Diep.
When heavy rains continued, village head Ma Seo Chu immediately assembled a group of energetic and healthy villagers to survey the mountain behind the village. Upon discovering a 20cm wide, 30m long crack that posed a potential disaster, the village head, barely over 30 years old, immediately urged all the villagers to evacuate to a safer mountain.
The young, strong men cut bamboo, erected tents, and stretched tarpaulins, while the women ensured the safety of the children and the elderly. Then, just as Ma Seo Chứ had predicted, the mountain behind the village collapsed, burying everything. They lost their homes and possessions, but most importantly, 115 residents were spared. The villagers' refuge in Kho Vàng was far from the center and they lost contact by phone.
Authorities arrived at the village, found no residents, and seeing houses buried under landslides, thought no one was left. Then, as if by a miracle, the villagers were still alive. And the person who created that miracle was the village head of Kho Vang. Some jokingly say: Ma Seo Chu is the "gold mine" of Kho Vang village, a figurative expression of admiration for the young village head, because the safety of 115 villagers is worth more than any gold, silver, or jewels.
Unlike the 115 people in Kho Vang village, the victims in Lang Nu village were not so fortunate, but they also had a dedicated village head. When the search and rescue teams were working, Village Head Hoang Van Diep knew every house, every location, and every circumstance. He knew everything so thoroughly and in such detail that it deeply moved the journalists present at the scene. One must be deeply involved and dedicated to the people to understand them so meticulously.
And that same village headman has spent the past week working tirelessly with the rescue forces to find each victim, arranging funerals and burials after finding the bodies; coordinating relief efforts, providing the survivors with clothes and cooking pots to help them get through these painful and difficult times.
While the two touching stories of village heads Ma Seo Chu and Hoang Van Diep inspire so much admiration, it's impossible not to feel sad that, also in Lao Cai, during those days of relentless natural disasters, two commune chairmen, instead of being present in their leadership positions to direct disaster prevention and mitigation efforts, stayed home because the roads were blocked by landslides, preventing them from reaching the scene.
These are Mr. Ly A Khoa, 42 years old, Chairman of the People's Committee of Pa Cheo commune, and Mr. Ma A Chung, 34 years old, Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Leng Ho commune, Bat Xat district (Lao Cai province). Both commune leaders have been temporarily suspended from their duties. The decision to temporarily suspend them by the People's Committee of Bat Xat district is based on Regulation 148 QD/TW dated May 23, 2024, on the temporary suspension of duties for "Officials who deliberately delay, shirk, or evade responsibility, and fail to perform tasks within their authority according to their assigned functions and duties."
If the two chairmen of the commune People's Committees have been appropriately punished, then the authorities will certainly give well-deserved rewards to the two village heads of Kho Vang and Lang Nu. This reward would not only honor their decisive and dedicated actions, but this story would also serve as a lesson for officials, especially grassroots officials in mountainous areas.
Those familiar with the Northwest region almost universally acknowledge the fact that every "leader" must possess, and needs must possess, the qualities of a "leader." Perhaps the unique characteristics of life lived for millennia in the high mountains and deep forests, facing countless dangers and threats, have forged such individuals.
The story of Ma Seo Chu's decisive relocation of the entire village (and the dedication of village head Hoang Van Diep) exemplifies the essential leadership spirit that deserves recognition, especially in the remote, mountainous areas of Northwest Vietnam, which we witnessed during the recent natural disasters.
AN DU
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ban-linh-nguoi-dung-dau-post759422.html
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