On the 52nd death anniversary of Ho Chi Minh, PSF-TISS remembers one of the greatest communist revolutionaries in history. The Vietnam people’s successful war against French, Japanese, and American imperialism, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh has come to epitomize anti-imperialist resistance across the Global South, inspiring and guiding people’s movements across the world.
Vietnam used to be a French colony in the post-world war I era. But in second world war, the Japanese captured Vietnam and made it their colony. In the August Revolution, people’s resistance led by Ho Chin Minh successfully overthrew the Japanese imperial government and declared Vietnam as an independent state. However, the southern part of the country was still governed by the anti-communist regime ruled by a monarch who was backed by the USA and UK. The Viet Cong of the Southern Vietnam did not accept this humiliation and demanded for one republic. Ho Chi Minh supported the Viet Cong and helped them with troops. Fearing the prospect of a communist government, the US and other imperialist forces joined in the war. After 20 years of protracted war, led by the peasants, workers and the women of Vietnam, and which saw countless acts of war crimes and violence against the Vietnamese people by the imperialist forces, the US was forced to withdraw its troops and reunification of Viet-Nam took place in 1976.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed a vulnerable system of commercialised health structure. Vietnam’s universal and public healthcare system, one of the key areas of focus of the people’s government after the reunification, has performed exceptionally well in handling the pandemic. They are ranked 160th in terms of total cases per one million population, and the mortality rate is one of the lowest. The success of the country in the pandemic is no accident, but is a consequence of the ideals that shaped the revolutionary people’s liberation movement against imperialism and local feudal class, led by Comrade Ho Chi Minh and driven by a commitment to Marxism-Leninism, and a concrete understanding of the Vietnamese society.
On his death anniversary, we remember and salute Comrade Ho Chi Minh, who epitomizes anti-imperialist resistance and people’s struggle for freedom, equality and justice.
PSF-TISS
Progressive Students' Forum TISS 