There are photos that do not need any caption to make people speechless. The photo capturing the moment when Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hugged a mother who had just lost three children in the flood in Dien Bien , is such a moment.
The mother is Sung Thi Ly, from Xa Dung commune, Dien Bien province. The flash flood struck early on the morning of August 1st while the whole family was still fast asleep. Her three children were unable to escape in time and were buried by rocks and soil, and their small house was devastated.
During his inspection and visit to the flood victims on the afternoon of August 3, the Prime Minister met a 28-year-old mother with a haggard face after many sleepless nights searching for her child in vain. When the Prime Minister reached out his hand, she leaned her head on his shoulder. Without saying a word, without needing any introduction, without any formality.
The Prime Minister visited and encouraged people affected by heavy rains, floods and landslides. (Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac)
At that moment, it was as if she had found a place to cry. Permission to cry. Cry for the three children she had just lost. Cry for the days of heavy rain and floods, when mud had buried everything. Cry for the fatigue, resentment, and indignation that she had previously had to swallow to take care of the funeral, to stand firm among so many people.
And the Prime Minister, who had just walked over the landslides, through the ruined roofs, and deep mud pits, also became silent. He gently placed his hand on her back, hugging her like a father comforting his child who had just suffered an indescribable loss. The mountains and forests seemed to have stopped roaring, the mud had stopped rolling, and only the sobs of a head of government and a mother who had just lost all three of her children in the flood remained.
This is not the first time that flood victims have seen Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh appear amidst mud and tears. Last year, in Lang Nu - the flood-prone area of Lao Cai, he used a cane to wade through thick mud to enter isolated villages. At that time, he did not just go to inspect, but also to witness the ultimate suffering: houses collapsed, adults were buried under the soil, children drowned, schools disappeared, entire villages had no phone signal...
The media captured the image of the Prime Minister wiping away tears during a meeting with provincial leaders. A leader who has experienced political turmoil, been to the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, and stood in the middle of socio-economic hotspots, still could not hide his emotions when hearing about the lives of the little ones swept away in storms and floods.
The head of government can be tough in parliament and fierce in meetings, but he is still a person with a soft heart when it comes to the people's pain. And perhaps, that is the image that makes people trust and love him the most.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits communes severely damaged by floods and landslides in Dien Bien province. (Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac)
According to statistics, as of August 2, the flood in Dien Bien has killed 10 people, injured 7 people, hundreds of households lost their homes, and their properties were swept away. Many traffic works, bridges, schools, and medical stations were destroyed or deeply flooded. Some areas were completely isolated, and traffic was paralyzed.
Among those numbers are countless heart-wrenching stories like that of Ms. Sung Thi Ly. The lost voice calling for her child. The father's hand digging in the ground to find his child. The bewildered eyes of survivors who have lost their loved ones, their homes, and their fields.
We still remind each other that every year there are storms and floods, and every year there are children who die before they grow up. But in this sad repetition, people need more than ever the presence of caring leaders not only on paper, but also through concrete and sincere actions.
The Prime Minister did not speak much during those trips. He observed, listened, and asked each person and each rescue team questions. He stood next to houses that had just been flattened, talked to children who had just lost their parents, and many times, his eyes were red. That emotion was not for the sake of creating an image, but came from genuine empathy.
The photo of the Prime Minister hugging a mother who lost her child will be shared many more times, because it not only captures an emotional moment but also becomes a symbol: a symbol of closeness, of a leader who knows how to suffer with the people, knows how to cry, knows how to hug his compatriots in the most difficult moments.
And sometimes, a tight hug, a tear is what makes people believe more than a thousand promises.
Vtcnews.vn
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/giot-nuoc-mat-va-cai-om-cua-thu-tuong-ar957748.html
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