For more than half a century, every May, Vietnamese people across the country respectfully remember President Ho Chi Minh - the genius leader of the nation - who devoted his whole life to the independence, freedom of the Fatherland and the happiness of the people.

This year, the 135th anniversary of his birth is even more meaningful, reminding us of his immense contributions to the nation. As the late General Secretary Le Duan, on behalf of the entire Party and people, emotionally affirmed about Uncle Ho: “Our nation, our people, our country gave birth to President Ho, the great national hero, and it was he who brought glory to our nation, our people, and our country”[1].

That saying has become a sacred truth, touching the hearts of Vietnamese people when mentioning his name - beloved Uncle Ho. His image remains in everyone's mind, always present, adding strength to our nation on the path of development. It has been 56 years since his passing, but Uncle Ho still accompanies us on every journey of the country today and tomorrow.

THE GREAT LEGACY OF A SIMPLE MAN

The great revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh has left an invaluable legacy. From the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh who left Nha Rong port in 1911 to find a way to save the country, he traveled across five continents, absorbed Marxism-Leninism and found the path of proletarian revolution to liberate the nation. He founded the Communist Party of Vietnam in the spring of 1930 - a brilliant milestone, ending the crisis in the way to save the country at that time. Under the leadership of the Party he founded and trained, our people achieved the great victory of the August Revolution in 1945, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, opening an era of independence for the nation. Next, he led the entire nation to wage two resistance wars against colonial and imperialist invaders, achieving the resounding Dien Bien Phu victory (1954) and the Great Spring Victory that shook the world (1975), reuniting the country and bringing it into an era of independence, unity, peace and the building of socialism.

President Ho Chi Minh worked in Viet Bac during the resistance war against French colonialism. Photo: VNA

Not only was he a great leader in the cause of national liberation, President Ho Chi Minh also laid a solid foundation for the future of the country with his noble ideology and moral example. His ideology is a comprehensive and profound system of views on the Vietnamese revolution, crystallizing the traditional values of the nation and the quintessence of human thought. The core of that ideology is the aspiration for national independence associated with socialism, because the ultimate goal is to bring freedom, prosperity and happiness to the people. Even in the most difficult years, he still affirmed an immutable truth: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom". That saying has become the motto for our entire Party and people in the struggle to protect the Fatherland, and to this day it remains intact. Ho Chi Minh's ideology is also reflected in all fields: from the viewpoint of considering the people as the root of all work to the strategy of great national unity; from the ideology of building a State “of the people, by the people, for the people” to the foreign policy of peace, friendship and cooperation with other countries. He always emphasized the role of the people: “it is a hundred times easier without the people, it is ten thousand times harder to do it with the people”, promoting the solidarity of the patriotic Vietnamese people. He always cared about building a truly clean and strong ruling Party; promoting revolutionary ethics with the qualities of “diligence, thrift, integrity, impartiality and selflessness” as the foundation.

In President Ho Chi Minh, morality and ideology are harmoniously unified in a simple, modest, and extremely noble lifestyle. Throughout his life, he lived a pure and humble life. Because of that pure morality, President Ho Chi Minh left a vivid and concrete example for generations to learn and follow. The qualities of "diligence, thrift, integrity, uprightness, impartiality" that he taught are not only ideals for every cadre and party member to follow, but also become standards for everyone to aspire to. He affirmed: "A nation, a Party, and each person, who were great and had great appeal yesterday, are not necessarily loved and praised by everyone today and tomorrow, if their hearts are no longer pure."

He not only talked but also practiced, leading by example, saying less and doing more. That style created a great solidarity and absolute trust of the people in his leadership. His simplicity, sincerity, caring and close behavior made him a special leader, always living in the hearts of every Vietnamese person and "thinking about him makes our hearts purer".

General Secretary To Lam looks at documents and artifacts at the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site. Photo: VNA

Not only the Vietnamese people, but also peace-loving and progressive people around the world respect and remember Ho Chi Minh as a symbol of peace, freedom and national liberation. UNESCO honored him as a "Hero of National Liberation and Outstanding Man of Culture" in 1987. Ho Chi Minh's ideology contributed to promoting movements against colonialism and imperialism around the world, while inspiring the work of building a more just and humane world.

FOLLOWING UNCLE HO'S FOOTSTEPS

More than half a century since Uncle Ho passed away, his thoughts and example continue to light the way, leading our nation to reap many great achievements of historical significance. The reality of nearly 40 years of Doi Moi has clearly demonstrated: every correct policy of the Party, every policy that satisfies the people reflects the inheritance and creative development of Uncle Ho's thoughts. Today, in all fields from economy, society, education, health to national defense, security and foreign affairs, we can clearly see the imprint of Ho Chi Minh's thoughts - the foundation for the orientation of the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in the new era.

Economically, our country has achieved remarkable development thanks to its steadfastness on the path chosen by the Party and Uncle Ho. From a poor, backward country before Doi Moi, Vietnam has risen to become a middle-income developing country with a rapidly growing economy and deep integration into the world economy. The average GDP growth rate from 1986 to 2023 reached about 6.5-7%/year, bringing Vietnam into the group of 35 leading economies in the world and in the top 20 countries with the largest trade scale. Our country has not only firmly ensured food security for more than 100 million people, but also become a leading exporter of rice and many agricultural products in the world. It can be seen that, thanks to the creative application of Ho Chi Minh's ideology on independence, self-reliance combined with openness and integration, we have built a stronger economic potential than ever. The achievements of the Renovation process have once again affirmed that the Party's development path based on Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought is completely correct and creative.

In the social field, President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of "taking the people as the root" is clearly shown in social security policies, hunger eradication, poverty reduction and improving people's lives. In his Testament, he advised: "The Party must have a good plan to develop the economy and culture, in order to constantly improve people's lives".

Uncle Ho once said, “The policy of the Party and Government is to take utmost care of the people’s lives. If the people are hungry, the Party and Government are at fault; if the people are cold, the Party and Government are at fault; if the people are ignorant, the Party and Government are at fault; if the people are sick, the Party and Government are at fault”[2]. Imbued with these teachings, our Party and State always consider improving the material and spiritual life of the people as the top priority, consistent in all strategies and plans for national development. In recent years, national target programs such as new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas have been widely implemented and have achieved important results; the social security system is increasingly improved, and the fields of education, health care and culture have all made significant progress. In particular, the policy of eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses is being strongly implemented nationwide, aiming at the goal of no one having to live in difficult conditions or without housing by 2025. Cultural and spiritual life is also invested in with many practical activities and movements, enriching spiritual life and improving people's quality of life.

Illustration: Hoang Ha

Regarding education and training, Ho Chi Minh's ideology always emphasized the role of "cultivating people" for the future of the nation. He advised: "For the benefit of ten years, plant trees, for the benefit of a hundred years, cultivate people", considering education as the top national policy. Inheriting that ideology, our country has focused on developing the education cause and has achieved many important results. Up to now, Vietnam has universalized education at all levels of basic education nationwide, bringing the literacy rate of adults to nearly 100%. Many policies for fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training have been implemented, closely following the orientations that Uncle Ho had set out since the founding of the country. Thanks to that, today's young generation of Vietnam not only has solid knowledge but is also educated in ideals, ethics, and lifestyle, continuing the revolutionary cause passed down by the previous generation.

Regarding people's health care, President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of "loving and serving the people" has permeated the country's health sector. During his lifetime, he once said: "Every healthy citizen means the whole country is healthy", setting the task of building a nation that is physically and mentally healthy. Today, we have a constantly growing health system, from the grassroots to the central level. The network of hospitals and medical examination and treatment facilities has been expanded throughout all regions, and many advanced medical techniques on par with the world have been mastered. The spirit of "a good doctor is like a mother" has been aroused, and the team of doctors are devoted day and night following Uncle Ho's example in caring for the sick. We are aiming to build a healthy Vietnam, where all people can live long, healthy, healthy, and happy lives. These results and policies all bear the deep imprint of President Ho Chi Minh's humanitarian ideology and philosophy of comprehensive human development.

Regarding national defense and security, President Ho Chi Minh shaped the strategic line of "building the country while protecting the country" for the Vietnamese revolution. He founded the Vietnam People's Army and the People's Public Security, laying the foundation for a solid national defense and people's security. He taught: the revolutionary armed forces are the offspring of the people, born from the people, for the people to propagate, work, fight and sacrifice. In compliance with Uncle Ho's teachings, fighting and sacrificing to protect the truth "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom", we have been building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and gradually modern armed force, capable of firmly protecting the Fatherland in all situations. The national defense posture associated with the people's security posture is increasingly consolidated, creating an unparalleled strength to protect the country early and from afar. Thanks to that, Vietnam has maintained political stability, social order and security for many years, creating favorable conditions for economic development, while being ready to defeat all plots and sabotage tricks of hostile forces. Ho Chi Minh's thought on national defense, combining national strength with the strength of the times, continues to be the guiding principle for us to modernize the armed forces, enhance national defense potential, and firmly protect the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

Parade, march to celebrate 50 years of national reunification.

Regarding foreign affairs, the Ho Chi Minh era diplomacy has been creatively applied by the Party and State, helping Vietnam rise to a new level in the international arena. President Ho Chi Minh soon proposed the principle of independent, autonomous, diversified, and multilateral diplomacy - the core of which is to maintain national interests and peace and friendship among nations. Since 1947, he affirmed that Vietnam's policy is to "be friends with all democratic countries and not create enmity with anyone", demonstrating a long-term vision of a peaceful and cooperative diplomacy.

Today, that ideology has become a motto for action: Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community. The foreign affairs achievements we have achieved so far have contributed to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development, while raising Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena to the highest level ever. It can be affirmed that these brilliant foreign affairs achievements originate from the thorough understanding of Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic ideology - a smooth combination of steadfastness in principles and flexibility in strategies, putting national interests above all, while actively contributing to peace, progress in the region and the world and human civilization.

ENDLESS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

More than anyone else, President Ho Chi Minh understood that the revolutionary cause is a long-term process, requiring successive generations to join hands and hearts. His thoughts, morality and style therefore not only illuminate the past, but also shine as an endless source of inspiration for the present and the future.

Our Party affirms that Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought will always be the ideological foundation, the flag leading the nation to socialism. The strategies and plans for socio-economic development until 2030, with a vision to 2045, all focus on the goal of "rich people, strong country, democracy, equality, civilization" - that is Uncle Ho's wish during his lifetime for a peaceful, unified, and prosperous Vietnam. Major orientations such as sustainable development, growth coupled with social progress, building a self-reliant economy, improving the people's cultural and spiritual life... all originate from his consistent ideology. Learning from Uncle Ho, our entire Party and people will further promote the will of self-reliance, the aspiration to rise up, and innovate to bring the country forward quickly and strongly on the path of industrialization and modernization. Uncle Ho's spirit of daring to think, daring to do, and devoting himself to the country and people has inspired today's generation to be determined to realize great goals and aspirations, making Vietnam a powerful and developed country in the future.

Ho Chi Minh's moral example and style will forever be a torch to light the way for every Vietnamese person in training and self-cultivation. Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on Party building and revolutionary ethics are especially meaningful in the current Party rectification and fight against individualism, corruption and waste.

Photo: Hoang Ha - Pham Hai

During his lifetime, Uncle Ho always reminded cadres and party members to "keep our Party pure, worthy of being both a leader and a truly loyal servant of the people". Following his example, the entire Party is making every effort to strengthen discipline and order, resolutely fighting against all signs of degradation, "self-evolution", and "self-transformation" within the Party.

The fight against corruption and negativity in recent years has achieved many outstanding results, greatly encouraged by the example of integrity and uprightness of Uncle Ho. Every cadre and party member today reflects on himself according to the ethical standards that Uncle Ho set, from small to large matters, upholding the spirit of "diligence, thrift, integrity, and uprightness" and the awareness of serving the people.

In particular, for the young generation - the future owners of the country, President Ho Chi Minh is a shining example of patriotism, self-reliance and ambition to contribute. The simple but touching stories about his sacrifice and modest, simple lifestyle always strongly inspire Vietnamese youth to study and strive. From young students who know every verse and song about Uncle Ho, to young people and intellectuals who are diligently creating in various fields, all find in Uncle Ho a great source of spiritual motivation. It is this inspiration that has urged countless young people to volunteer to take on difficult tasks, to volunteer to go to difficult places, to join hands in building the country to be "more decent and more beautiful" as his last wish. It can be said that the vitality of Ho Chi Minh's ideology continues to shine in every Vietnamese person, creating a soft power to support our nation on the path towards the future.

The road ahead for our nation is full of opportunities, but also many great challenges, both objective and subjective. Globalization, the fourth industrial revolution, climate change, strategic competition between major countries, etc. are increasingly affecting all aspects of the country's political, economic and social life. Domestically, internal difficulties such as low labor productivity, an unstable scientific and technological foundation, development gaps between regions, the degradation of political ideology, ethics and lifestyle among a number of cadres and party members, corruption and waste, etc. are still urgent issues that need to be dealt with resolutely and effectively.

Deeply aware of their responsibility to the people and history, our Party and State are firmly committed to the goal of developing the country along the socialist path chosen by President Ho Chi Minh, while resolutely implementing strategic breakthroughs to create clear changes in the new period. The important breakthroughs being focused on include: streamlining the apparatus, improving the effectiveness of national governance; innovating the growth model, developing the green economy and digital economy; promoting science - technology, innovation; improving the quality of education and human resources; building a clean and strong Party and political system in all aspects. Each step of change is aimed at fully realizing Uncle Ho's wish, building our country "ten times better than today", "standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers".

In that context, continuing to study and follow Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style is a constant and urgent requirement. We need to learn from Uncle Ho every day - learn from big to small things, learn at the ideal level but also learn in each behavior, each specific action. Learn from Uncle Ho to live with ideals, discipline, love, responsibility, dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility for the common good. Learning from Uncle Ho is not to praise him in a formal way, but to add confidence, motivation and courage to the cause of building the country today.

Every cadre, party member and every Vietnamese citizen vows to engrave in mind Uncle Ho's teachings, constantly cultivate, train, unite and join hands for the common goal. The strength of great national unity under the light of Ho Chi Minh's thought will continue to be an endless source of energy, helping us overcome all challenges and gain many victories in the cause of innovation, integration and development.

Photo: Nguyen Hue

The 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves once again of our responsibility to the Fatherland and the people. The more proud we are of Uncle Ho, the more we must strive to make his wishes come true. Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style will forever be precious assets for our nation on the path of development. Forever, Uncle Ho will march with us - he will still live in every action, every victory of the cause of building and defending the Fatherland of Vietnam. We vow to follow the revolutionary path that the Party and Uncle Ho have chosen, determined to build a prosperous and happy Vietnam, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's great powers, worthy of the great contributions of our beloved President Ho Chi Minh. And that is the sacred truth that has gone down in history: " The great President Ho Chi Minh lives forever in our cause! "

[1] Eulogy of the Central Executive Committee of the Party read at the memorial service for President Ho on September 9, 1969.
[2] Ho Chi Minh complete works sdd-T9-Tr578.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-bac-van-cung-chung-chau-hanh-quan-2402321.html