Guangming Daily: Never abandon the mass line

Edited and translated by Zhang Qian, People's Daily Online

An article titled "A loyal proponent of the mass line" published in Guangming Daily on May 17 featured the deeds of Ma Zhiqiang, the deputy head of Ansai county, Shaanxi province, who has devoted himself to poverty reduction work and in so doing has become a close ally of the masses, and a dedicated practitioner of the Party's mass line.

The article caused me a great deal of thought.

China is a large country, and most of its 1.3 billion population still live in rural areas. This is one of the most fundamental realities of the country, and it means that the living conditions of its farmers are a critical issue. Since China's Reform and Opening up, great changes have taken place in the rural areas, and peasant life has improved significantly, but nationally there are many who remain in a state of relative poverty and backwardness. The farmers in Liuta village of Gaoqiao township, Ansai county are a typical example.

We must have a clear understanding about overall national conditions as a basis for our thoughts, plans, and future actions. Secluded among high mountains and deep valleys, the natural conditions of Liuta village make for a hard life. At present, the per capita net income in the village is far below the national average.

Ma Zhijiang has organized targeted surveys of other counties afflicted by similar natural conditions, but which have better record of development, to be carried out by party members, cadres, and the villagers themselves. He has applied his own efforts to helping the cadres and the masses to broaden their outlook and look at new ideas. Based on the results of these surveys, all have worked together to define specific goals for the five years to come. This embodies the way in which Ma Zhijiang has held to the party's mass line.

How can we meet the needs of the people, and solve their practical problems? We cannot achieve this with empty talk and arbitrary initiatives. We must carry out surveys and conduct targeted research at the primary levels of the Party’s organizations. We should hold fast to the Party's mass line, acting in response to the thinking of the masses, meeting their needs, and figuring out solutions to their problems.

In the second half of this year, the whole Party will address itself to actions concerning practical education on the Party's mass line. Liu YunShan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has asked all relevant departments to include the widest possible range of opinions in this project and the actions it will generate. There must be a full understanding of the importance of implementing the Party's mass line – politically, globally, and strategically.

We should regard Liu Yunshan’s program as an opportunity to listen carefully to the wishes of the masses and gain a deep understanding of their requirements and suggestions. Following on from this we should take active measures to address the problems that people face in their daily and working lives. We must learn from outstanding leading cadres at the grass-roots level – from people like Ma Zhijiang – and use what we have learned to help us focus on scientific and planned methods to act in the interests of and for the benefit of the general public.

Read the Chinese version: 光明日报：永远不能放弃群众路线; Source: Guangming Daily Online; Author: Jin Wei

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