Comrade Tran Ngoc Que - Secretary of Can Tho Provincial Party Committee during the August Revolution in 1945

Nearly 80 years ago, on the morning of August 26, 1945, tens of thousands of people from Can Tho town and surrounding areas gathered at Can Tho Stadium to hold a large rally, witnessing the launch of the Provincial National Liberation Committee and then gathered at Tay Commune Palace, forcing Provincial Governor Luu Van Tao to hand over the government to the people. Contributing to this important historical event was comrade Tran Ngoc Que, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial National Liberation Committee of Can Tho.

Comrade Tran Ngoc Que - Secretary of Can Tho Provincial Party Committee during the August Revolution in 1945. Photo archive

Comrade Tran Ngoc Que was born in 1902 into a well-off family in Tan An village, Dinh Bao commune, Can Tho province (now Tan An ward, Can Tho city). He was soon enlightened about revolutionary ideals, nurtured the will to fight against colonialism and feudalism, and harbored the desire to liberate the nation and bring freedom and prosperity to his people.

On September 7, 1926, comrade Tran Ngoc Que and his friends Chau Van Liem, Tran Minh Quan, Tran Kim Giap, Tran Ky Nguu, Tran Nhat Tan, Le Van So, Nguyen Ngoc Canh, Nguyen Van Hien met at Minh Su Pagoda in Binh Thuy to establish the "Vietnam Restoration Party". This was a patriotic organization that was born early in Can Tho province. In 1927, he was sent to study in China and was admitted to the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association.

In 1929, comrade Tran Ngoc Que was captured by the enemy while on a trip to Saigon to report the situation to the Ky Bo. The Criminal Court sentenced him to 5 years of house arrest and exiled him to Con Dao. In 1935, comrade Tran Ngoc Que was released from prison and continued his secret activities.

Comrade Tran Ngoc Que and the August Revolution in Can Tho

In early May 1945, at Cai Muong canal, Thuong Phuoc village, Phung Hiep district, Can Tho province, the Conference to establish the Western Inter-Provincial Party Committee was held. Comrade Tran Ngoc Que was nominated to the Standing Committee of the Western Inter-Provincial Party Committee. In June 1945, the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee was established, and comrade Tran Ngoc Que was elected as Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee.

On August 19, 1945, Provincial Party Secretary Tran Ngoc Que convened an emergency meeting to establish the Can Tho Provincial National Liberation Committee. The Committee's task was to carry out an uprising, calling on everyone to unite around the Viet Minh Front, determined to rise up to liberate the nation. The meeting elected comrade Tran Ngoc Que as Chairman of the Provincial National Liberation Committee.

With the momentum of the August Revolution's victory across the country, on August 22, 1945, comrade Tran Ngoc Que chaired a meeting of the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee, assessing the situation and discussing the province's uprising plan. In Can Tho at that time, the French colonial puppet apparatus in many villages had disintegrated, and in some places the revolution had seized power since August 19, 1945. The Japanese army was also disintegrating, from the Western provinces, gathering in Can Tho town. The pro-Japanese reactionaries were aggressive, ready to suppress the people's uprising. But the insurgent forces knew how to cleverly take advantage of the common opportunity to divide the enemy, not allowing them to interfere in Vietnam's internal affairs.

On August 25, 1945, the Can Tho Provincial National Liberation Committee held an emergency meeting, chaired by comrade Tran Ngoc Que, to agree on the date and time of action. The Provincial Party Committee also held a military conference to arrange the uprising forces. At this conference, comrade Tran Ngoc Que affirmed that the political force of the masses with the support of armed forces would be used to seize power, and the armed forces would be prepared to respond when unexpected situations arose.

Early in the morning of August 26, 1945, at Can Tho Stadium, a large rally with about 20,000 participants took place, full of uprising spirit. The Provincial National Liberation Committee led the mass forces to march on the streets, gathering at Tay Xa Palace to force Provincial Governor Luu Van Tao to hand over the government to the people. Comrade Tran Ngoc Que, on behalf of the Provincial National Liberation Committee, stood up to receive the government, solemnly declared that the government had returned to the people, and called on everyone to support and help the people's government.

On August 27, 1945, the Can Tho Provincial Administrative Committee was established with comrade Tran Van Kheo as Chairman. Comrade Tran Ngoc Que was in charge of Party affairs and served as Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. The young revolutionary government of Can Tho province had just been established and had to face many great difficulties. As Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, comrade Tran Ngoc Que chaired a conference to assess the situation, find ways to resolve and protect the achievements of the revolution.

Bringing comrades back from Con Dao

After the success of the August Revolution, under the leadership order disseminated by comrade Nguyen Van Tay, the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee was assigned the task of organizing the reception of political prisoners imprisoned by the enemy in Con Dao to return home. Comrade Tran Ngoc Que and the comrades in the Provincial Party Committee were very happy with the important responsibility assigned to them.

On September 22, 1945, one day before Saigon opened fire against the French colonialists, the ship "Phu Quoc" and many fishing boats from Soc Trang and Go Cong carried a group of political prisoners from Con Dao, including more than 1,800 comrades, heading to Dai Ngai. That same night, the group of political prisoners was welcomed by the Provincial Party Committee and the people of Soc Trang to the town to recuperate, at Taberd School (now in Soc Trang ward, Can Tho city). Comrade Tran Ngoc Que, who was assigned to be in charge of government work, together with the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee, paid great attention to preparing to welcome the comrades from Con Dao, arranging food and accommodation; and treating sick comrades. Comrade Tran Ngoc Que was also a prisoner of Con Dao prison, so he understood and always prepared the best conditions for the comrades to be cared for and encouraged.

On September 30, 1945, the second “Phu Quoc” ship carrying more than 200 comrades from Con Dao docked at Can Tho wharf. The cadres and people of Can Tho welcomed them with deep affection.

The political cadres who returned from Con Dao prison were reinforced for the Southern Party Committees at all levels. Later, comrade Tran Ngoc Que still remembered them forever, including comrade Ton Duc Thang, comrade Le Duan, comrade Pham Hung, comrade Nguyen Van Linh...

On October 25, 1945, comrade Tran Ngoc Que, representing the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee, attended the expanded Regional Party Committee Conference in Thien Ho, Cai Be, My Tho Province, to discuss plans to prepare for the resistance war against French colonialism that was expanding throughout the South. He fully grasped the spirit and content of the conference to deploy, implement and propose the tasks that the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee needed to do: consolidating the Party's base among the people; expanding the great national unity bloc; urgently building and organizing armed and paramilitary forces; and establishing the Can Tho Provincial Resistance Committee.

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In June 1946, while on a business trip, comrade Tran Ngoc Que was captured by the enemy. After two months of exploitation, the enemy had to give up before the steadfastness of the staunch communist Tran Ngoc Que. They forced him and 10 other cadres to the North and hand them over to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. After that, he returned to the South and worked at the Zone 9 headquarters.

After the Geneva Agreement, comrade Tran Ngoc Que went to the Central Committee to take up his duties, holding many positions: Head of the Office of the Prime Minister (1955-1958); Party Secretary of the Dong Xuan Knitting Factory, Hanoi (1959-1960); Member of the Inspection Committee of the Ministry of Light Industry (1961-1963). In 1964, due to poor health, comrade Tran Ngoc Que retired and underwent medical treatment. Comrade Tran Ngoc Que passed away on October 3, 1974 in Hanoi.

Comrade Tran Ngoc Que, Secretary of the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee during the August Revolution of 1945, a delegate of the first, second and third National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He accompanied the army and people of Can Tho in the arduous resistance war against the French, and together they won the government for the people during the August Revolution of 1945.

To commemorate the contributions of comrade Tran Ngoc Que, his name is given to many schools and streets in Can Tho city today.

Tran Ngoc Que Secondary School, An Binh Ward, Can Tho City. Photo: DUY KHOI

PV

This article is abridged from the book "Precious Gems" (volume 1), Propaganda Department of Can Tho City Party Committee, National Political Publishing House Truth, 2021

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/dong-chi-tran-ngoc-que-bi-thu-tinh-uy-can-tho-trong-cach-mang-thang-tam-nam-1945-a189696.html