W.Minh Tuan

More than 60 years ago, on October 12, 1945, Uncle Ho wrote an article titled “How to win the hearts of the people?”, signed Chien Thang, published in Cuu Quoc newspaper, the predecessor of Dai Doan Ket newspaper  of nowadays.

The article is short, less than 600 words, but its meaning is up to now, every official with positions of power should read it again to study, to “how to win the hearts of the people”.

In that article, Uncle Ho wrote:

“We notice that around the People’s Committees, in some places, there are more people complaining than people praising. The people trust the Central Government more than the local Committees. Those Committees are not only not loved by the people, but are also despised and hated by the people.

First, the people hate the Presidents and Commissioners because of their arrogant habit of trusting their position and power… People even whispered and pointed at the Provincial Governor who takes the state car and carries his wife out for fun every afternoon. …”

After stating some bad manifestations of revolutionary cadres hated by the people, Uncle Ho clearly stated:

“If you want to be loved by the people, want to win the hearts of the people, you must do your best to do anything that is beneficial to the people, avoid doing anything that is harmful to the people.

People must avoid it as much as possible. We must pay attention to solving all problems, no matter how difficult, problems related to people’s lives. We must accept applications and process lawsuits for people every time they bring them.

In addition, towards all people in all walks of life, we must have an attitude of flexibility, tact, tolerance, and respect for people’s personalities. We must let everyone know that work is a common job, if there is no one to take on the responsibility, we will step up.

If someone replaces us, we will take a break to do other things, ready to give up to those who want to do it and can do it.”

Finally, Uncle Ho’s article concluded:

“In short, if you want to be loved by the people, if you want to win the hearts of the people, you must first love the people, must put the people’s interests above all else, and must have a spirit of impartiality”.

It has been more than 70 years since this article by Uncle Ho appeared, has our revolutionary government run out of cadres who are unpopular, hated, and despised by the people?

Not yet!

If this is gone, there will be another.

Even now, the number of officials who are hated and despised by the people is even greater.

Because not everyone of our cadres and party members now learn exactly what Uncle Ho said in that small article.

Even now, if you ask party officials and members if they know that article, many people will probably say they never knew that article.

But not knowing that article is not bad, but rather, being a leader but not knowing how to make people trust and love is reprehensible, is deserving condemnation.

To be fair, besides the number of cadres who are hated and despised by the people, there are also many cadres who are very popular with the people, truly bring high prestige to the Party and State, and strictly follow Uncle Ho’s teachings as in that small article stated.

Mr. Pham Quang Nghi, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, during a meeting in Hanoi on September 7, 2008, frankly stated:

“Most complaints and denunciations stem from failure to properly implement policies. Even many officials do not understand or understand the policy.”

A high-ranking leader and Politburo member frankly pointed out the errors of officials in handling people’s complaints and denunciations like Mr. Pham Quang Nghi, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, which made people respect the leaders and cadres.

President Nguyen Minh Triet, during a meeting with voters in July 2007, also frankly criticized that many people’s letters, including those sent by the President to the authorities, were also “rejected”, disappeared”, no one found a solution or answer.

Faced with the pressing situation of the people, if everyone was as straightforward as the two leaders mentioned above, how could the people continue to complain for a long time, and how could they not be loved by the people?

In the past, in our country’s history, many wise Kings always cared about the people.

King Ly Thai Tong, the second king of the Ly dynasty, in 1052, had a large bell cast and placed in Long Tri palace, (in the Imperial Citadel area of Hanoi today), “Is there any injustice for the people?” If you can express it, then ring that bell to announce it.”

King Ly Thanh Tong, the third king of the Ly Dynasty, in the cold winter of 1055, told the mandarins left and right: “I am in the palace, heating coals of animal bones, wearing mink fur coats and still being this cold,

thinking of the prisoner imprisoned in prison, suffering from shackles, not knowing his integrity, not having enough to eat, not fully clothed, suffering from the cold wind, or someone who died for no reason, I feel very sorry for him. So order the company to distribute blankets and mats, and provide two meals a day.”

During the Tran Dynasty, King Tran Nhan Tong, the third king of the Tran Dynasty, whenever he went outside to play, whenever he met the prince’s family, he would call them to visit, and then tell his bodyguards not to scream. chase. After that, the king said to the left and right: “On normal days, there are guards left and right, but when the country is in trouble, they are the only that common people present.”

Such gentle Kings, why don’t the people love them, and explain why when the country has foreign invaders, the people always unite around the court. to fight the enemy.

Uncle Ho’s lesson “How to win the people’s hearts” is also the ancient lesson of our ancestors, which is how to unite the people’s hearts around the Party and State, to promote the reform process. a new level.

If you win the hearts of the people, you can do anything.

Without winning the hearts of the people, all development is unstable and contains unforeseen risks.///