PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (C) hands over the Government’s emulation flags to ten ministries, sectors and ten cities and provinces leading in the emulation movements in 2017. (Photo: NDO/Dang Khoa)

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Seven decades ago, in the Spring of 1948, the country was struggling as it waged its resistance war against the French. To encourage the nation to contribute to the war, President Ho Chi Minh made an appeal for patriotic work emulation on June 11, 1948.

Opening the appeal he wrote: "The purpose of patriotic work emulation is to eliminate poverty and hunger and illiteracy and foreign aggressors. It means our entire people have enough rice to eat and clothing to wear. The entire population will know how to read and to write. The soldiers will have enough food and weapons to defeat the foreign aggressors. These are aimed to unite the entire nation. Thus we will have an independent nation, free civil rights and happy welfare of the people."

In her opening remarks, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, First Vice President of the Central Council for Emulation and Reward, said that 70 years ago, the call by late President Ho Chi Minh became an appeal opening up the nation’s patriotic emulation movement under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The appeal has encouraged all people to promote the tradition of patriotism and solidarity and step up emulation work in order to overcome all difficulties and challenges in the struggle for national liberation and during the nation building and development cause, stated Thinh.

According to Thinh, over the past seven decades, the Party and State have granted the "Hero of the People's Armed Forces” title to 7,814 collectives and over 9,300 individuals, the "Labour Hero” title to 1,332 collectives and individuals, and the "Heroic Mother” title to nearly 140,000 women, and commended millions of role models across the country.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his thanks for efforts by the Central Council for Emulation and Reward, ministries, sectors, localities and the entire people to step up patriotic emulation movements, thus helping create socio-economic development achievements, consolidate defence security, build a firm political system and safeguard the national sovereignty.

However, he pointed to several shortcomings in emulation movements and commendation work which need to be solved soon.

He asked the Councils for Emulation and Reward from the central to grassroots level, and leaders of ministries and local authorities to heighten their sense of responsibility and continue reforming the leadership and organisation of emulation and reward work.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong calls on all people and soldiers to continue following late President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts on patriotic emulation. (Photo: NDO/Dang Khoa)

The Party chief called on all people and soldiers to continue following late President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts on patriotic emulation, add the emulation work in their daily activities, and effectively carry out the Party’s policies and the State’s laws related to emulation and reward work.

Emulation movement should be practical and bring about certain benefits for the nation, society and people, and inspire the sense of responsibility and self-consciousness of the entire people in order to create a new motivation for the nation building and safeguarding cause, he stressed.

On this occasion, 70 collectives and individuals who have made great contributions in research, learning, labour and production were honoured.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc handed over the Government’s emulation flags to ten ministries, sectors and ten cities and provinces leading in the emulation movements in 2017.

Earlier, leaders of the Party, State, Government and National Assembly, and delegates paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum.