70 years of gathering in the North: Historical imprints and love for the homeland of Ca Mau

DNHN - The commemorative event will be held from November 9 to November 26, 2024.

The activities aim to enhance education on patriotism, promote national solidarity, and inspire the aspiration for national development. The celebration will feature a staged artistic program that reenacts the history of the revolutionary struggle, as well as the process of building and developing Ca Mau during the integration period.

The event of gathering in the North in 1954 was a strategically significant troop movement aimed at bringing officials, soldiers, and students from the South to the North for labor and study, in order to train personnel for the Southern revolution and to build a solid rear for the socialist North, progressing towards the complete liberation of the South and national reunification; at the same time, utilizing the time in the gathering area to urgently work with the people to build a new life," shared Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Thanh Ngai.

Mr. Duong Thanh Toan, a native of Muong Dieu, Dam Doi district, Ca Mau, is one of the soldiers who participated in this historic event. At 17, Mr. Toan joined the army and was assigned to repair weapons. When he was 22, he was tasked with participating in the gathering in the North at Chac Bang dock, Tri Phai commune, Thoi Binh district, Ca Mau. Now 92 years old, he still vividly remembers those unforgettable days.

Mr. Toan recounts: When saying goodbye to family, officials, soldiers, and students all waved with two fingers raised as a promise that after two years they would return home, when the general election and national independence would be realized. However, the country had to wait 21 years to achieve complete independence.

In the early days in the North, he and his comrades were astonished by the differences. However, the warmth and support of the people in the North, especially the people of Thanh Hoa, made him feel comforted. Thanks to the help of his comrades and Northern relatives, he got married, which was a significant event in his life. He shared that this was the motivation for him to dedicate himself and work twice as hard to repay the kindness of the people.

Seventy years ago, Mr. Nguyễn Thị Sánh's mother sent a South Vietnamese sapodilla tree as a gift to Uncle Ho, hoping that he would plant it in his garden. Later, Mr. Huỳnh Đảm, former Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, researched this sapodilla tree and learned that Uncle Ho took great care of it, helping it thrive until today.

According to Mr. Huỳnh Đảm, Ca Mau does not have a temple dedicated to Uncle Ho, but only a "worship house," reflecting the deep feelings of the people of Ca Mau for him, symbolizing that he lives on in the hearts of the local residents. At Uncle Ho's worship house in Thoi Binh district, Ca Mau, there is still a sapodilla tree propagated from the one in Uncle Ho's garden.

Poet Nguyễn Bá emphasized that the gathering in the North was not just a troop movement, but also a process in which the young revolutionary government supported the people of the South, allocated land to them, and encouraged production. These activities played a crucial role in building the logistics for the revolution later on.

The commemorative event will take place at the statue area of the gathering train in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district, on the evening of November 16, 2024. The program will be broadcast live on VTV1 and Ca Mau Radio and Television Station, along with other television stations across the country.

Ngoc Thu