The village's special "advisor".

From the main road leading to Hamlet 6, Khe Sanh town, Huong Hoa district, we asked the Hamlet Head, Deputy Secretary of the Hamlet Party Branch Ho Van Hieu, to take us by motorbike to the house of Mr. Ho Xuan Pay, located quite isolated in a secluded hamlet about a kilometer away. Wearing a faded light-colored shirt and smart trousers, Mr. Pay was waiting at home, his demeanor still neat and tidy, just like in his days as a "government official" working at the Huong Hoa District Party Committee.

The fish pond provides a significant source of income for Mr. Ho Xuan Pay's family - Photo: TT

The reason I suddenly remembered Mr. Pay, whom I had met in 2013 at the conference summarizing the five-year implementation of Prime Minister's Directive 06 on promoting the role of influential figures among ethnic minorities in the cause of national construction and defense, was because at that time, Mr. Pay was the only person from Quang Tri province to be honored with a commendation from the Minister and Chairman of the Government's Committee for Ethnic Minorities.

When I casually mentioned the name Ho Xuan Pay, Hamlet Head Ho Van Hieu said: “He just attended the 4th Congress of Ethnic Minorities Representatives of Huong Hoa District in 2024. Now that you've met Mr. Pay again, you'll surely have many more interesting stories to write about. Because, despite his age, he still maintains the flame of enthusiasm and responsibility in his role as a member of the Hamlet 6 Party branch committee and a member of the mediation team – he is loved by the villagers as someone who specializes in untangling knots, resolving conflicts and disputes in the locality, educating children to stay away from social evils, and keeping the hamlet and village peaceful.”

Recalling the past, Mr. Pay remembered his years of dedication and experience in various positions. Before retiring in 2005, he was the Head of the Organization Department of the Huong Hoa District Party Committee. After completing his professional duties, he continued to participate in association work as the Chairman of the Association for the Protection of Disabled People and Orphans, and the Chairman of the Elderly Association of Huong Hoa District until 2022. Many profound memories from his years working with the Huong Hoa District Party Committee leave a lasting mark on Mr. Ho Xuan Pay's career.

“Around the 1990s, many villagers migrated to Laos to work and settle illegally. At that time, as the Head of the Resettlement Committee of Huong Hoa mountainous region, I actively went to Laos to persuade the villagers to return to their villages to work and live. The persuasion process was not simple; it took months of living and eating together, coordinating with Lao officials to explain things thoroughly so that the villagers would understand before they agreed to return,” Mr. Pay confided.

As the head of the neighborhood mediation team, Mr. Pay (wearing a white shirt) always closely monitors and understands the thoughts and aspirations of the people in Hamlet 6 - Photo: TT

The experience gained from mobilizing the people through events like this has greatly helped him to get closer to the people, understand them, and thus speak in a way they understand, act in a way they trust, and follow.

The Party cell of Hamlet 6 currently has 22 members, many of whom are elderly. Despite being 79 years old this year, Mr. Pay was still trusted by the Party cell to be elected to the Party committee because of his extensive experience, understanding of Party work, and the prestige and influence he has within the Party cell and the residential area.

“Mr. Pay often reminded us that, in order for Party members to fully understand the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws and regulations, the Party committee must first have a firm grasp of the Party's charter, the functions and duties of Party members, and the guidelines and policies to disseminate them to Party members participating in meetings. During these meetings, his experience was to prepare concise, focused, and concise content, avoiding rambling so that Party members can easily understand, absorb, and follow it. In conducting year-end reviews, it must be clear and transparent, emphasizing self-criticism and criticism among Party members, and encouraging constructive feedback for mutual progress. Especially in Party development, Mr. Pay's valuable experience helped the Party committee select candidates for Party membership, ensuring they met the standards of political qualities, ethics, and lifestyle… Within the Party branch, Mr. Pay acted as a special "advisor," working alongside the Party committee to successfully complete the tasks of the grassroots Party organization. For the people of Hamlet 6, he "Pay is a shining example, always encouraging his descendants to stay away from social vices, helping families in difficult circumstances, managing 11 clans harmoniously and peacefully, and contributing to the development of the village's regulations. Actively promoting the role of a respected figure, he coordinates and effectively carries out the work of preventing, combating, and reporting various types of crimes and social vices in the residential area and especially in the border region," Mr. Hieu enthusiastically shared.

Despite their advanced age, Mr. and Mrs. Pay still diligently cultivate rice to ensure food security for their family - Photo: TT

The story became increasingly imbued with the spirit of community and neighborly love, especially when Mr. Hieu mentioned the fire that occurred at Mr. Ho Van Luu's family at the end of April 2024.

Due to a moment of carelessness in not completely extinguishing the stove fire after cooking, a fire destroyed the entire house and over 100 million VND that the couple had saved over many years to prepare for renovations. Immediately after the incident, Mr. Pay stepped forward to call on everyone to contribute their labor and resources, "helping those in need," to join hands in helping Mr. Luu's family build a temporary house and buy necessary household items to start a new life.

Mr. Lu shared with us: “I am grateful for the help from the government and benefactors, and especially grateful to Mr. Pay for calling for support and assistance for my family during this difficult time. Following Mr. Pay's encouragement, 'as long as there are people, there is hope,' my wife and I are working hard to save enough money to rebuild our house and make it more secure.”

Hamlet 6 in Khe Sanh town currently has 226 households with 1,014 inhabitants, primarily engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture. Previously, the people were accustomed to a single-crop farming system, meaning that after harvesting the rice crop, the land was left fallow, waiting to be cultivated again the following year, or left fallow for many years. This led to numerous "tragicomic" stories within the hamlet related to land disputes, causing conflicts between families and even resulting in complaints filed with the district authorities.

“Due to the custom of cultivating one crop and then leaving the land fallow for a long time, many years ago, the families of Ms. Dinh Thi N. and Ms. Ho Thi C. had a conflict, leading to a land dispute, and filed a complaint with the district. I discussed it with the hamlet leader, invited the village elder and respected people in the hamlet to preside over the mediation between the two families. Before inviting the two families to the mediation, we investigated and re-determined the origin of the land from the district's records, based on legal documents, and applied customs and traditions, analyzing the situation in a way that was reasonable and empathetic. In the end, the two families reconciled. Not only this case, but over the years, I and the mediation team have resolved many cases, resolving conflicts between households regarding land, and cases related to customs and clans, with the view of turning big issues into small ones, and resolving conflicts into friendly relations so that everyone understands and lives together more closely,” Mr. Pay shared.

As the sun began to set, we followed Mr. and Mrs. Pay to the pond to feed the fish. Despite their age, they remain hardworking. Mr. Pay has a fish pond raising various types of carp, tilapia, and a flock of over 30 chickens for eggs and meat. He also cultivates 1 hectare of melaleuca trees, a lush fruit orchard with bananas, longan, mangoes, and lychees, and grows upland rice, ensuring a food supply for his family while also generating a significant additional income.

Following the steep path, where the feet of the person in front almost touched the chest of the person behind, Mr. Pay jokingly remarked, "If even rice plants can endure growing on sloping land and yield golden grains, why can't people be patient and overcome difficulties?" Indeed, despite being planted on less fertile hillside soil, the seedlings still grew lush and green, waiting for the right time to yield golden rice grains for a prosperous life.

Suddenly, we thought about the simple things Mr. Pay shared: "If you want people to listen and follow you to develop the economy, you must set an example first. The greatest happiness is when your voice and actions are trusted, listened to, and emulated by the people. As for what you can do and how you can help the people, you must try your best to make their lives more prosperous."

Thanh Truc

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/co-van-dac-biet-cua-ban-lang-187838.htm