People always held the most important position in all of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology and concerns, stated Kusum Jain, Chairwoman of the Indo-Vietnam Solidarity Committee (IVSC).
In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in New Delhi, Jain highlighted her committee's activities related to President Ho Chi Minh, saying IVSC has organised many seminars, meetings, and photo exhibitions to promote his thought, views, and works on culture and literature, people-to-people diplomacy, nationalism, internationalism, patriotism, simplicity, and the strong will against injustice, inequality, feudalism, and colonialism.
She cited the Vietnamese late leader as saying that nothing is more powerful than the unity of the people.
Jain praised President Ho Chi Minh as a visionary leader, stressing his inspiring and people-centred leadership, policies, and strategies enabled the Vietnamese people to liberate their nation from colonial, fascist, and imperialist forces, while laying a solid foundation based on socialist ideology and principles for a free, independent, and happy Vietnam.
She said that she has visited Vietnam many times since 1999, and each time she has witnessed remarkable progress—not only in infrastructure but also in the quality of life, with living standards, incomes, and life expectancy of the Vietnamese people being consistently improved.
The socialist-oriented market economy under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam is delivering real benefits to the Vietnamese people, thanks in large part to the enduring legacy of President Ho Chi Minh, she noted.
According to Jain, President Ho Chi Minh’s people-centred policy and indomitable patriotism deeply nurtured the seeds of great national solidarity in the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. This spirit of solidarity has become a model for other nations, especially in contexts where divisive forces—under the guise of race, class, or religion—are undermining national solidarity and unity.
Jain recalled the proud historical moments tied to President Ho Chi Minh, particularly one such event in May 1970, when, at the initiative of the IVSC, students and young people in Kolkata spontaneously gathered in front of the US Consulate on what was then Harrington Street to protest the brutal American invasion of Vietnam. In a powerful act of solidarity and outrage, they erased the old street name and renamed it “Ho Chi Minh Sarani” (Ho Chi Minh Street).
A sign bearing the name of the late Vietnamese leader was also placed at the Lalit Great Eastern hotel, where he once stayed—as a tribute to his memory, she said./.
