My grandfather Ren Bishe

Author: Ren Jining
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: On April 50th, 2004, Ren Bishi, an important member of the leading collective of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core, former Standing Committee Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and former Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, my grandfather, celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth. As the only grandson, I am able to relive the extraordinary journey of hard struggle and dedication of my grandfather and other older generations of proletarian revolutionaries on this day, 54 years after his passing. I deeply feel that the victory of the revolution was not easily achieved. May we join hands with me to get closer to my grandfather, Ren Bishi, and listen to the teachings of the older generations of proletarian revolutionaries, taking them as our role models as we move from victory to new victories. Ren Jining, April 2004, Beijing
Ren Bishi was a major leader of the Communist Party of China during the democratic revolution. At the critical moment of the Great Revolution, he resolutely fought against the rightist errors of the Comintern and Chen Duxiu. In 1927, at the Party's "August 7" Conference, he was elected as a member of the provisional Central Political Committee of the Communist Party of China, stepping into the central leadership. After the failure of the Great Revolution, he actively advocated the launch of the land revolution and worked to correct the Party's sectarianism, especially by exploring the revolutionary path of encircling the city from the countryside and seizing power by armed struggle with Comrade Mao Zedong and others. In the early days of the War of Resistance against Japan, he was commissioned by the Central Committee of the Party to introduce the actual situation of the Chinese revolution to the Comintern, clarifying the correct line of the Party's national united front for resistance against Japan, and played an important role in overcoming Wang Ming's rightist errors at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Party's Central Committee. During the Yan'an period, Comrade Ren Bishi served as Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee and Secretary-General of the Central Committee, participating in the formulation of major Party decisions and becoming a capable assistant to Comrade Mao Zedong. He did a great deal of effective work in preparing for the Party's Seventh National Congress, leading the Rectification Campaign, the Great Production Movement, and participating in drafting the Party's historical resolution. In 1945, at the Party's Seventh National Congress, Comrade Ren Bishi was elected as Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, becoming an important member of the leading collective of the Party's Central Committee.
Comrade Ren Bishi was one of the outstanding leaders of the People's Liberation Army. In 1928, he was responsible for revising the Party's military work program. In 1934, he led the Western Expedition of the Sixth Corps of the Red Army, jointly establishing the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Base Area with Comrade He Long's Second Corps, successfully supporting the strategic transfer of the Central Red Army. Comrade Ren Bishi was a key founder of the Second Red Army. During the Long March, he resolutely fought against Zhang Guotao's separatist tendency alongside Comrades Zhu De, Liu Bocheng, He Long, Guan Xiangying, and Xu Forward, firmly safeguarding the unity and solidarity of the Party and the Red Army, contributing to the victory of the three main forces of the Red Army meeting.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, he served as the Political Director of the Eighth Route Army and the Director of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission, joining Comrades Zhu De and Peng Dehuai in the front lines of Shanxi for the war effort. He commanded the Eighth Route Army to penetrate deep into enemy territory, establish bases, and create a new situation in the rear areas of the war against Japan. During the War of Liberation, he fought alongside Comrades Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai in northern Shaanxi, participating in many major decisions of the Central Committee. He also paid close attention to the land reform in various liberated areas, promptly correcting the "leftist" errors that emerged and mobilizing the vast number of liberated peasants to actively participate in the People's Liberation War.
Comrade Ren Bishi devoted a great deal of effort to the construction and development of the Communist Youth League of China. During the Great Revolution, he served two terms as Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Youth League, making pioneering contributions to the Party's youth work. During the May Fourth Movement, he seized the opportunity to vigorously develop League organizations and sent a large number of League members to the Party, strengthening the Party's ranks. He placed great importance on the construction of the League, repeatedly emphasizing that League organizations must be led by workers and peasants, firmly accept the leadership of the Party, and become a powerful youth organization of the proletariat and a reliable assistant to the Party.
On the eve of national victory, he proposed and led the reconstruction of the New Democratic Youth League of China, being elected as Honorary Chairman of the Central Committee of the League. Comrade Ren Bishi actively trained and educated young cadres, serving as a good teacher and friend to the youth.
Comrade Ren Bishi was diligent in thinking and skilled in combining the basic principles of Marxism with the specific realities of the Chinese revolution. He was one of the earlier Party members to propose that "we must interpret our theory in light of the actual conditions of China" and that "we should not be imitators who ignore the circumstances." He put forward many important ideas and viewpoints, such as: political work is the lifeblood of the Red Army, and it is necessary to establish regular, sound, and systematic political work; the purpose of the revolution is to build, and the foundation of building is the development of the economy. If communists only know how to overthrow the old system and rule with war and violence without being good at building a new prosperous and happy society, then we will not achieve victory; communists must strengthen their sense of the masses and, in all work, start from the interests of the masses, from the experience of the masses, and from relying on the strength of the masses; all Party members must be prepared to transition from revolutionary war to peaceful construction, understanding that construction requires experience and scientific knowledge, and that we must win over a large number of intellectuals to serve the construction of the New Democracy. Building a new China will be a long and arduous journey, more complex than war, and as the Party about to come to power, it must pay special attention to the construction of the Party.
These ideas and viewpoints are our precious spiritual wealth.
Comrade Ren Bishi had lofty moral character and was a model communist. He was firm in his beliefs and infinitely loyal to the Party's cause. He adhered to principles, submitted to truth, sought truth from facts, was open and honest, treated people with sincerity, and courageously fought against erroneous ideas and actions, always upholding Party principles. He was calm-headed, thoughtful, down-to-earth, meticulous in his work, and skilled in solving complex and major problems. He served in heavy responsibilities despite his long illness, still demanding of himself during his final days, "If I can walk 100 steps, I should not walk only 99," demonstrating the unrelenting spirit of a communist dedicated to the revolutionary cause. This spirit was vividly hailed by all as the "Camel Spirit."
After Comrade Ren Bishi passed away, the Central Committee of the Party highly praised his revolutionary spirit and lofty moral character, and Comrade Mao Zedong called on the entire Party to learn from him.
This book, rich in pictures and text, records the revolutionary career and glorious achievements of Comrade Ren Bishi and the older generation of revolutionaries. Let us get closer to Comrade Ren Bishi and listen to the teachings of the older generations of proletarian revolutionaries.