President Ho Chi Minh (illustrative photo: VOV)

In the very first days of independence after the success of the August Revolution in 1945, President Ho Chi Minh directed the government to immediately do four things: ensure that people have food, clothing, shelter, and education.

People’s happiness is the ultimate goal of revolution

President Ho Chi Minh had a famous statement: “I devote my whole life to my nation.” This is the most profound summary of his lifelong patriotism and love for the people, a great yet simple life closely attached to his fellow citizens.

President Ho Chi Minh believed that caring for the lives and happiness of the people is the ultimate goal of the revolution.

Associate Professor Dr. Bui Dinh Phong of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics said: “Right after we organized the revolutionary government, President Ho Chi Minh directed efforts to fight hunger, illiteracy, and foreign invaders. Unless we combated those ‘enemies’ thoroughly, we could not improve people’s lives.”

In every moment of President Ho Chi Minh’s life, he worked for the well-being of the people. Tran Viet Hoan, a bodyguard of President Ho Chi Minh, recalled: “For Uncle Ho, the people were always on his mind. In whatever he did he thought of the people. In 1954, after the victorious resistance war, Uncle Ho returned to Hanoi, and the Party and the State invited him to live and work in the Presidential Palace, the former Governor-General’s residence. But he refused, saying that the house belonged to the people, not to him.”

President Ho Chi Minh directed that Party and government policies must take utmost care of the people. He emphasized that, alongside restoring and expanding the economy, the Party must focus on promoting universal education and encouraging the tremendous strength of the people to build and develop the country.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Trung, former Dean of the Culture Faculty of the Academy of Journalism and Communication, said: “Uncle Ho’s people-centered ideology was consistent throughout his life, from the moment he joined the revolution until the end. He believed that the people were the decisive force in society. He compared the people to water, which can lift or capsize a boat. He often said, ‘Without the people, easy tasks are impossible; with the people, difficult tasks can be accomplished.’ During his revolutionary career, Uncle Ho always upheld the ideology of being close to, loving, and wholeheartedly serving the people.”

President Ho Chi Minh will live forever in the hearts of the people

President Ho Chi Minh’s sincere and modest manner inspired the affection of all social classes. Truong Thi Dien of Quang Tri province recalled her opportunity to meet President Ho Chi Minh at the Congress of Heroic Emulation Fighters in 1966: “When I met him, I was very moved and could hardly speak. He was so close, humble, sincerely asking about our lives. He gave us much advice. He said: ‘The reason our nation is heroic is because we have heroic people. Since you have been awarded the title of hero, you must study and cultivate your morality even more.’ The cotton jacket and his advice have stayed with me throughout my life.”

At the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day on Tuesday in Hanoi, General Secretary To Lam highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of serving the people: “Long live Vietnam! May our nation remain peaceful, prosperous, and developed! Long live the glorious Socialist Republic of Vietnam! Long live the glorious Communist Party of Vietnam! Long live our great President Ho Chi Minh, who lives forever in our cause! Glory forever belongs to the people.”

President Ho Chi Minh passed away, but he has never left the people. He will live forever in the eternal values of independence, freedom, and happiness. He lives in the love of his compatriots, in the indomitable will to protect the Fatherland, and in the aspirations for advancement of the Vietnamese nation.