President Ho Chi Minh with aspiration for independence of the nation, freedom and happiness of the People

Celebrating the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 – May 19, 2023), we bear in mind a great man of our times, devoting his whole life to the national liberation of Vietnamese people. He changed the nation’s destiny, from a slave country to a free and independent nation.

The narrator of Bac Son Uprising Museum, Bac Son district introduces the significance of the museum’s reception space to the delegation of Lang Son Geopark – Photo: LA MAI

National independence in Ho Chi Minh has always been associated with the people’s freedom and happiness. He affirmed that “the independence of a country where people do not enjoy happiness and freedom makes no sense”.

Seeking ways to save the country and realize the aspiration for national independence

Witnessing the fact that the people lost their country and became slave, the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh left to find a path for liberating the nation. After traveling to many countries and continents, studying major revolutions and famous theories in the world, he found the only right way to save the country which was the path of proletariat revolution, national independence associated with socialism. Therefore, he promoted the establishment of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1930) with the mission of leading the People to gain independence and freedom, meeting the demand for national liberation of the masses.

On January 28, 1941, he returned home to directly lead the national liberation struggle. On May 19, 1941, in the mountains and forests of Pac Bo, at the initiative of leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, Viet Minh Front was founded while the Vietnamese people were under control of both French colonialists and Japanese fascists, the nation’s destiny was hung by a thread. With a determination clearly defined in the program “to make Vietnam completely independent, to make the Vietnamese people happy and free”, the Viet Minh Front raised the flag of national liberation, gathered all classes of people in the struggle for independence and freedom for the Fatherland. The establishment and activities of the Viet Minh became one of the fundamental factors determining the victory of the August Revolution in 1945. In the autumn of 1945, the whole nation, regardless of class, followed Party and leader Ho Chi Minh to rise up and make an earth-shaking revolution. It was the people who liberated themselves. They broke the shackles of slavery, overturned the semi-feudal colonial regime that existed for nearly a century in the country, opening an era of national independence; it established the democratic republic, on September 2, 1945, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born, marking a brilliant milestone in the history of national development and defense of the Vietnamese people; it also proved the ingenious and correct leadership of the Party, which President Ho Chi Minh was the founder and leader.

Ho Chi Minh’s aspiration for Independence – Freedom – Happiness for the Vietnamese people was also that of national reunification. In an announcement to the people after returning from France, on October 23, 1946, Ho Chi Minh said: “A day when the Fatherland is divided and the compatriots are still suffering, is a day that worries me. I commit that, with the determination of the compatriots, with the determination of the entire People, the South will definitely return with us as one nation.” At the meeting to see him and the Government delegation off to France on May 30, 1946, he told the people: “I have only one purpose in my whole life, which is to strive for the interests of the Fatherland and the happiness of the people. There was times I had to hide in the mountains or entered prison, faced with danger – all were for that purpose. It was the people who united, took over the government and entrusted me to manage it, I have tried my best also because of the same purpose. Anytime, anywhere, I only pursue one goal, to benefit the nation and the people.”

Answering foreign journalists after the National Assembly assigned him the position of State President, he affirmed: “I have only one desire, the ultimate desire, which is to make our country completely independent and our people completely free, our compatriots all have food to eat, clothes to wear, everyone can study.” The Sacred Testament, which he called an “absolutely secret” document, was written by himself (May 10-15, 1965). Years later, until the last minute, he still regularly re-read, corrected, supplemented and perfected it… It has become a national treasure, containing his thoughts and actions which is to strive all his life to realize the aspiration for Independence – Freedom – Happiness of the Vietnamese people.

Students in the province see pictures and documents about President Ho Chi Minh at the Provincial Museum – Photo: LA MAI

National independence associated with the people’s happiness and freedom

According to Ho Chi Minh, in the condition of a colonial country like Vietnam, one must first fight for national independence. If the country was independent but the people did not enjoy freedom and happiness, it was the old-fashioned independence which made no sense. For him, national independence was inseparable from the reunification of the Fatherland and the independence, unification of the Fatherland had to be associated with the freedom and happiness of the People. He has repeatedly reminded us “If the country is independent but the people do not enjoy happiness and freedom, then independence was meaningless”. He found that the value of independence was the freedom and happiness of the people and in order to have them, national independence must be associated with socialism. He realized the superiority of socialism “first of all to help the working people escape poverty, to make everyone employed, be well-fed and live a happy life”. Socialism in Ho Chi Minh’s concept is to make the people rich and the country strong with the aim of constantly improving the people’s living standards; which means everyone works together to produce enough food, warm clothes and a clean house. Socialism is a real matter, deriving from objective reality, from the dynamic reality of history, from the characteristics of Vietnam, a country that used to be a colony with outdated agriculture, underdeveloped science and technology, moving straight to socialism, skipping the stage of capitalist development and building socialism in Vietnam is a complicated, arduous and long revolutionary struggle.

National independence associated with socialism is Ho Chi Minh’s most valuable contribution to the Vietnamese revolution. The close association between national independence and socialism is the most complete content of the criteria of Independence – Freedom – Happiness that President Ho Chi Minh proposed for the new regime. From the criteria of Independence – Freedom – Happiness in each historical period of the revolution, the strategic goals are expressed in detail, in line with the situation and tasks, and are inseparable from the criteria for national independence, freedom, happiness of the people. Therefore, he advocated building a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam in the strategic slogan of the Party since the August Revolution of 1945 and a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and wealthy Vietnam after the Dien Bien Phu victory as well as his last wish before leaving which was the unchanged goal of socialism in our country.

Persevering on the path chosen by President Ho Chi Minh, aspiration for independence, freedom and happiness for the nation and the people, after more than 90 years of development, the Communist Party of Vietnam has always steadfastly pursued the goal of national independence associated with socialism, innovation and extensive international integration. The achievements in the fields of economy, culture, society, security and defense… have contributed to creating a new position of Vietnam in the international arena. The economy has grown well, the culture and society have made many improvements, the people’s material and spiritual life has continued to be significantly improved, the appearance of the country and people’s lives have changed. Independence – Freedom – Happiness which are President Ho Chi Minh’s burning aspiration has become the national name of Vietnam, affirming its great value and lasting meaning and they continue to be realized in the documents of 13^th National Party Congress.