VietNamNet Bridge – “Dong chi” (comrade) is Sino-Vietnamese, which is often used as a personal pronoun in Vietnamese to call members in the same organization, who share the same ideals and the same sense of purpose. So are true party members sad to be called "comrades" by corrupt party members?

In our country, the word "comrade" is commonly used, especially in Party organizations, the armed forces, and political - social organizations. And in society, many people who are not a party member or a member of any organization know the poem by Chinh Huu, entitled “Comrade”. 

This poem was written in 1948. Upon its release, the poem was immediately spread widely in the army because it truly reflected and praised the comradeship of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, who were farmers leaving their home to join the army to defend their country.

After various stages of development, especially since the country began building the market economy and integrating with the world, for many reasons, comradeship has been eroded. 

In recent years, in many state organizations and agencies, during meetings or in daily activities, people no long call each other “comrade” but informal personal pronouns. They only call each other “comrade” in serious events, when they criticize each other. They usually use the word “comrade” to call the people they “hate”!

Now we prefer to call others based on their titles such as minister, deputy ministers, party secretary, president, professor, associate professor, doctor, artist, director, general manager ... not "comrade" as “comrade” is no longer suitable and familiar to most of people in society, especially to those born after the war.

Although the meaning of the word "comrade" has eroded because of degraded people, the true meaning of “comrade” must be maintained in Party organizations. 

In real life, especially in our Party organizations, there are issues related to the word "comrade" that should be considered. Previously, "comrade" was used to call the "proletariat" who were all poor but now those who call each other “comrade” belong to different classes. Some are very rich, of course, not by honest labor, while others who maintain revolutionary morality are poor.

Are the true party members sad to be called "comrade" by "a large part" of degraded and corrupted party members? Do these corrupt party members and officials, although they are not expelled from the party, just have to be warned or reprimanded, and do they deserve to have the trust of the people, and are they embarrassed to be called "comrade"?

The scandal involving former Secretary of the Party’s Civil Affairs Committee and former Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang is the truest testament for the meaning of the word "comrade".

It was suggested that, with serious wrongdoing, is Hoang worthy of being a "comrade", a teammate with millions of genuine party members who strived and sacrificed for the ideals and the career of the Communist Party, for the happiness of the people? And now, at the Party cell where Hoang is a member, what do the true party members feel whenever they call Hoang "comrade"?

Stories involving former Secretary of the Party Management Board, the Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang are the truest testament to the spiritual sense and meaning of the word "comrade".

It was suggested that, with serious violations as stated in the notification, Vu Huy Hoang, if he was worthy of being a "comrade", teammates with millions of genuine party members striving, sacrificing for the cause of the Party, for the happiness of the people again? And now, where he is living, Vu Huy Hoang, how do the authentic party members think every time calling Vu Huy Hoang by "comrade"?

President Ho Chi Minh told Party members to maintain the unity of the Party and comradeship. The comradeship here is the love between the people, and moreover it is the resilience, the bravery, the indebtedness and sacrifice for each other.

In present circumstances, more than ever the country needs "comrades" - those who dare to sacrifice personal interests for the fatherland, the people for today and for the future.

Vu Lan