On the role of Government officials in the people’s revolutionary movement, Uncle Ho stated that “they are the roots of any success”. That’s why, he devoted his whole revolutionary life to train and educate them to become “true loyal servants of the people.”

Uncle Ho’s heartfelt teachings

In 1925, immediately after returning from the former Soviet Union to Kwang Zhou, in China to prepare for the setting up of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh held many political training courses to train future officials for the Party. In his book “The Revolutionary Path”, he gave priority to the conduct of revolutionary officials. He wrote, “Government officials should be industrious and economic, persevering and cautious but not timid. They should understand every matter, be public-spirited and selfless and should not be fame-seeking and self-important. They should make their deeds meet their words, strictly follow socialism and not desire material possessions…”

Uncle Ho’s teachings became the objective of many revolutionary generations. In the most difficult pre-revolution periods, many Party members were captured, imprisoned, tortured and killed. However, they still highlighted the good qualities and undauntedness of the communist. They included Tran Phu, Nguyen Van Cu, Le Hong Phong, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, To Hieu, Ha Huy Tap and many others.

After the success of the August 1945 Revolution, the authorities belonged to the people and the Communist Party became the ruling Party. Then, Party members and Government officials were required to be of better quality and capacity. That’s why on Nov. 14, 1945, Ho Chi Minh wrote an article entitled “Talented people and national construction” in the National Salvation newspaper, calling on talented and virtuous people to join national construction. At a ceremony announcing the Vietnam National Alliance on May 28, 1946, Uncle Ho said, “The nation and people’s affairs can’t be assigned to incapable and immoral people. We must gather talented and moral people to shoulder the nation’s affairs. On Nov. 20, 1946, he wrote another article on the National Salvation newspaper, calling on all localities in the country to recommend people with talent and good morals to work for the country.

As a result, in a short period of time, Uncle Ho succeeded in mobilising many capable people regardless of their original social class. They all devoted themselves to the revolution. They included strong-willed scholar Huynh Thuc Khang, mandarins of the former Nguyen dynasty such as Bui Bang Doan, Phan Ke Toai and Pham Khac Hoe and patriotic personalities such as Phan Anh, Pham Quang Le, Ton That Tung, Tran Huu Tuoc, Ta Quang Buu and others.

Enemies within the revolution

During the most difficult period of history, when the nation’s destiny was in jeopardy, and the fledgling administration had to cope with numerous difficulties including internal and external enemies, most Government officials still remembered uncle Ho’s teachings during the wars of resistance war and the national construction process. However, quite a few Party members and Government officials were corrupt and became arbitrary and isolated from the masses. To bring this to a stop, in Oct. 1947, at the Viet Bac revolutionary base, Uncle Ho wrote the book, “Reforming working styles.” He pointed out many bad practices that were eroding the conduct and behavior of many Party members and Government officials. They included abusing power, hiding their ignorance, and being eager for fame and factionalism.

Uncle Ho called those unethical practices enemies within the revolution. He pointed out that to deal with such practices, each Party member and Government official should firmly stick to the Party’s principles of criticism and self-criticism.

More than 60 years have elapsed, but these bad practices still exist among Party members and Government officials from central to grassroots levels, which was a permanent concern for Under Ho.

Will Uncle Ho’s wishes become a reality? We should remember and apply his teachings of 60 years ago in training, recruiting and promoting Government officials during the national construction process, particularly in the campaign to study and follow Uncle Ho’s moral example. Only by doing so will Party members and Government officials become real servants of the people as Uncle Ho’s wished.