The ‘'Red Earth Memoir'' is an account of how the youths in Vietnam took part in revolutionary politics. Most of these youths passed through difficult situations which were important because not only did they survive but also gained respect among their peers. Tran Tu Binh was at the center of this revolution as he firmly believed in the policy which asserts that the more people were oppressed, the more they will struggle for their rights. This was the hallmark of the Vietnamese resistance of the French and the United States. 1 Tran Tu Binh is depicted as an individual whose ideological journey was not well understood. However, from the reading of the memoir, it is possible to postulate some of his political ideologies and if he actually embraced the communist movement.
It is important to note that as a member of the Vietnamese group, Tran Tu Binh was arrested, trade, and sentenced and was locked up in an island for his push for a system where the Vietnamese were treated with equality and dignity. Inside the prison, he, however, learned various principles on the Marxist-Leninist ideologies. He was later released in 1939 and subsequently promoted to the position of the Ha-Nam, province secretary. In his position, he was also constantly involved in various uprisings that helped in sensitizing the need to dignify and give the Vietnamese equal rights as those enjoyed by the French people. 2 For instance, in August 1945, he engineered the formation of the Hanoi uprising. He rose through the army ranks due to his hard work and dedication that saw him rise to a level of an inspector of the Vietnam's People's Armed Forces. It is also important to note that through his life, he embraced diplomatic characteristics as shown by his appointment to be the ambassador to China in 1959. 3
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In analyzing the ideological journey of Tran Binh, it is important to appreciate the fact that he believed in the Marxist ideologies. The Marxist ideologies are based on the stratification of the society into various economic groups mainly the communists and the capitalists. He fought for the worker’s rights and sought to bring down the capitalist policy that only saw a few French people benefit at the expense of the Vietnamese people. For instance, in his quest for a more communist policy, he was appointed the spokesperson of the workers, a position that was regarded as dangerous and feared by most people. Is appointment was partly influenced by the fact that he understood the French language and he could thus communicate with the imperialists. However, he used his position to interact with more French people thereby learning the treads of the enemy in what was perceived as an economic revolution against the French who had oppressed the Vietnamese once too long. 4
In his cause of fight for the rights of individuals, it is critical to note that most of his struggles were influenced by the fact that he envisioned the end of the idea of class consciousness. Such an idea, which is part of the Marxist ideas, was cognizant of the various classes in the society. It is imperative to note that the French had played a central role in ensuring that class division was a reality with them being at the highest pinnacle of the class and most of the Vietnamese serving as workers in their country hence the low-class. Tran Tu Binh organized many occasions where the workers, who were regarded to be in the lowest class, could stage a strike and advocate for their rights. He also organized other forums such as the Vietnamese Lunar New Year whose function was to highlight and fight for the injustices caused to the people by the French people. It was in the best interest for the Tu Binh to crack down the class-conscious ideology that was not only segregating the Vietnamese but also denied them an equal opportunity to enjoy their sovereignty as a people and their rights to resources.
In his ideological journey, it is also important to note that this individual advocated for the end to the alienation of labor. It is important to note that Tran Tu Binh was critical of this Marxist principle that attempted to rob the residents of their inherent rights to hold their properties among them land. The French corporations sought to assert control over the Vietnamese worker over their own land. The Vietnamese workers were subjected to inhuman working conditions in the rubber plantations by the French authorities. However, Binh was hell-bent to see a rapid change to this and organized a series of revolts that saw his arrest, detention, and trial at an island. However, together with other Vietnamese intellectuals, they did not give up on the integrity and swore to work hard to ensure that their people acquired freedom. H joined the political front where he continued to advocate among others, the rights of the workers. 5
The proletariats were the lowest members of the social strata of the Vietnam community as postulated in the Marxist ideologies. The French imperialists were the bourgeoisie were on the highest socio-economical level in the society. Therefore, the bourgeoisie was responsible for oppressing the proletariats for their own undue advantage. For instance, most of the workers were put under extreme conditions such having little or no pay or being exposed to harsh conditions in the rubber plantations. In the spirit of saving the Vietnamese people, Binh organized several revolt groups and movement operations that sought an end to this form of injustice. With his intellectual prowess and language mastery skills that made him considerably fluent in French, he learned the enemy so well that during strikes and revolution, he helped many Vietnamese people get the better of their French masters. In this regard, it is therefore important to note that through the ideological journey of Tran Tu Binh, he was focused on seeing an equal situation free from class segmentation, oppression of the proletariats, and an end to the ineffective capitalist system. 6
The ideologies employed by Tran Tu Binh were important in shaping his communist thoughts. He wanted a society where the systems were favorable to all and not just a few as stipulated by the capitalist regime that only saw the French benefit. He shared the communist thoughts with a number of his Vietnamese intellectuals a factor that led to the formation of the communist party. The community party resonated well with the workers at the Phu Rieng plantation due to a number of reasons. First, it advocated for most of their wants including an end to oppression, alienation of labor, and an end to intrusion. It was also a party that easily identified with the proletariat who were largely the Vietnamese working in the farms. The communist movement sought to repair all the problems between the French imperialist and the Vietnamese and also ensure an end to a system that only favored the fortunate and neglected the less fortunate. In conclusion, Tran Tu Binh was at the heart of this ideological revolution that attempted to solve the problems of the Vietnamese rubber plantation workers that was inflicted by the French nationals in their country.
Bibliography
Tran, Binh Tu. The red earth: A Vietnamese memoir of life on a colonial rubber plantation . Ohio University Press, 2014.
1 Tran, Binh Tu. The red earth: A Vietnamese memoir of life on a colonial rubber plantation . Ohio University Press, 2014 (21-23).
2 Ibid, 12-24
3 Ibid, 32-37
4 Ibid 42-51
5 Ibid, 7-11
6 Ibid, 9-17
