People of two hometowns

The person I respectfully mention in this article is Mr. Pham Phuoc, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Le Ninh district, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Binh province (1994 - 1999). When the whole country was "running and lining up" to carry out the revolution of arranging and streamlining the political system; merging provinces and organizing two-level local governments, I had the opportunity to travel with him along the length of the two provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Tri. During this trip, through each simple, honest story, through each person he met..., I understood more deeply about him, about his concerns and thoughts when Quang Binh and Quang Tri were under one roof.

Mr. Pham Phuoc (2nd from left) is the person who has always been attached to the great project Nam Thach Han - Photo: TL

“After the South was completely liberated and Binh Tri Thien province was established, the Party and the State paid great attention to the issue of economic development, overcoming the consequences of war in the Central region, and prioritizing agricultural development to ensure food security for the people. At that time, I was assigned to work at the Irrigation Works Design Board of Binh Tri Thien province.

It was this position that created a relationship that connected me to the Nam Thach Han irrigation project, the first, largest, and key irrigation project of the Ministry of Irrigation and Binh Tri Thien province in the South, which began construction on March 8, 1977. And it was also from the Nam Thach Han irrigation project that Quang Tri province became my second hometown," Mr. Pham Phuoc began the story, starting the journey to revisit his "hometown" Quang Tri.

At the age of 80, which is “rare in the past”, he still nimbly walked around the rice granary of the two districts of Trieu Phong and Hai Lang (old); his pants rolled up above his knees, carrying sandals in his hands, wading through the fields with the farmers who were harvesting the winter-spring rice crop. He happily “bragged” to the farmers: “I am Pham Phuoc, from Quang Binh . In the past, I participated in the construction of the Nam Thach Han irrigation dam”. Hearing the name Pham Phuoc, many people exclaimed: “Mr. Phuoc is considered the general engineer of the Nam Thach Han construction site... right?”. He smiled heartily, moved: “Yes, yes... even now, people still remember!”.

“Every revolution has its difficulties and advantages. The merger of Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces into the new Quang Tri province is no exception. However, if the entire Party and people of the two provinces agree and put the common development interests above all else, success will come. I personally have learned that lesson through many working positions and through the practical experience of building the great project Nam Thach Han,” Mr. Pham Phuoc shared.

An old farmer came to Mr. Pham Phuoc, shook his hand and said: "I am Nguyen Huu Hoat, I wonder if the chief still remembers... the soldier at Nam Thach Han construction site!" Through each story of building Thach Han lake, they recognized each other. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoat (born in 1948) in Trieu Long commune, Trieu Phong district (old), a former civil servant of the old regime, after liberation was mobilized by the revolutionary government to join the construction site as a Company Commander, belonging to the Trieu Hai Irrigation Division.

From Mr. Hoat's introduction, Mr. Pham Phuoc met many of his teammates and comrades such as Mr. Ngo Mon (born in 1955), a champion in carrying soil at the Nam Thach Han construction site; Ms. Ngo Thi Bich (born in 1958), who participated in the large construction site at the age of 19, was injured while digging soil at the main canal N2 through Long Hung village, Hai Phu commune (old Hai Lang)...

“Participating in the construction of the great project Nam Thach Han, the largest number of troops at that time was about 73,000 people, mobilizing the entire Binh Tri Thien province. Each district organized into a division named after its own locality: Tuyen Hoa, Quang Trach, Bo Trach, Dong Hoi, Le Ninh, Ben Hai, Dong Ha, Trieu Hai, Huong Dien, Phu Loc, Nam Dong, Hue City... But the ones who contributed the most were still Quang Binh and Quang Tri. The people of Trieu Phong and Hai Lang always remember the people of Quang Binh and remember Uncle Pham Phuoc,” Mr. Hoat recalled.

The great Nam Thach Han project seen from above - Photo: NTL

At noon in a farmer's family in Trieu Phong district, Mr. Pham Phuoc decided to stay and have lunch with them. The simple peasant meal included white rice, braised snakehead fish, a bowl of sour soup, a plate of sweet potato leaves with fish sauce... he ate, feeling delicious, warm and affectionate. He told them: "I feel like I'm back home, back to my homeland!"

I asked Mr. Pham Phuoc about the things that remained after visiting his second homeland Quang Tri. He answered briefly: “Emotions!”.

Then he explained: "The feelings of affection between the two lands have many historical similarities; closeness, sharing joys and sorrows, sharing joys and sorrows in the two resistance wars against the French and the Americans to save the country.

The feelings about the consistent affection of the people of Quang Tri for myself and the people of Quang Binh who once "shared the fire" to create the great project of Nam Thach Han, bringing "full meals and warm clothes" to the people of Quang Tri still retain their value of use until now and in the future. Loyalty, wholeheartedness, solidarity... will certainly be the "true values" that create strength on the path of integration and development when the two provinces become one.

But we should not think about the pros and cons because of emotions, why not "your province", "my province", but need to identify it as "our province", thereby creating a unified entity in perception and action; in leadership and direction; in applying and exploiting existing potentials and strengths... From there, it will help Quang Tri province to soon break through, forming a new growth pole in the North Central region as directed by General Secretary To Lam".

Ngo Thanh Long

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nguoi-cua-hai-que-194706.htm