TET Offensive 30th January 1968 Remembered and Honoured by Harsh Thakor

DIP OUR BLOOD IN MEMORY OF ALL THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE TET OFFENSIVE ON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY ON JANUARY 30TH TODAY.

SET THE BASE FOR THE GREATEST MILITARY ACHIEVEMENT OF THE LAST CENTURY AND PROVED THE INVINCIBILITY OF COMRADE MAO'S THEORY OF PROTRACTED PEOPLES WAR.

INSPIRED THE YOUTH ALL OVER THE WORLD LIKE ARGUABLY NO EVENT BEFORE VIRTUALLY WRITING A NEW CHAPTER IN THE COURSE OF MANKIND.

TODAY MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TET OFFENSIVE IN VIETNAM AN EVENT WHICH SHAPED THE COURSE OF THE POST-WAR HISTORY OF THE LAST CENTURY LIKE NO OTHER ONE.

IT WAS THE TURNING POINT IN VIETNAM OVERCOMING THE MIGHTY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AGAINST ALL ODDS AND ACHIEVING THE GREATEST MILITARY FEAT AGAINST AN ENEMY EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND.

PUNDITS COULD NOT FORSEE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY LIKE VIETNAM OVERPOWERING A GIANT LIKE AMERICA.

IT WAS THE MASTERY OF MILITARY STRATEGY APPLYING MAOIST THEORY OF PROTRACTED PEOPLES WAR AND MASS LINE COMBINED WITH THE PHENOMENAL RESERVES OF ENERGY OF THE MASSES THAT WON THE WAR.

IT WAS A VIRTUAL RESSURRECTION OF THE  FEATS OF THE LONG MARCH IN CHINA AND STALINGRAD IN RUSSIA . 

The manner in which the Tet Offensive was launched 50 years ago is a lesson for every revolutionary cadre in the importance of planning and applying action relevant to the very situation.

It did not mechanically adopt Maoist strategy of protracted peoples war but applied it to the concrete situation prevailing.

The North Vietnamese army and the vietcong did not overestimate or underestimate the strength of the enemy which was a vital factor.

The manner in which the Vietcong and NLF could galvanize villagers to form a red army and overcome a superpower like America is unprecedented in the history of mankind.

The creativity and innovativeness within Marxism-Leninism-Mao thought(now Maoism) was taken to it's highest zenith by the Vietnamese.

The building of underground tunnels is an ideal example.The inherent structure of a workers state and a Socialist base had a great role in the victory 

The planning and fortification of weaponry or ammunition in the cities like Saigon was a decisive factor.The experience of the earlier combating the French enemy from 1940 - 1954 was an invaluable lesson.

                                          General Giap


General Giap displayed genius in hardly giving the enemy any inklings of the moves of his forces in the manner of a chess wizard.

Without imbibing lessons from the Chinese revolution Vietnam would never have overcome their adversaries.

The Vietnamese people displayed willpower and resilience at it's supreme height and cultivated the spiritual essence of an inner change to create a Socialist man at it's deepest depth.

Vietnamese military effort welded the organization and skill of a medical surgeon with the wizardry of a magician. .

Only because of Stalinist centralized planing did Vietnam lay the grounds for its victory in the war.

In context of military line Ho Chi Minh was closer to Mao than Stalin if you assesa tactics and strategy adopted against France and then America.

Mastery of morally Marxist-Leninist-Maoist dialectics was the decisive factor.

In spite of making a heroic counter-offensive in similar style Iraq could not overcome America.

The non -existence of a Socialist country today like erstwhile U.S.S.R and China  has a great bearing on the Maoist movements worldwide.

Without aid of Socialist China Vietnam would not have triumphed and in turn without Soviet help the Chinese revolution would never have succeeded. 

The great effect of the success of the Vietnamese was the arousal of the students and youth all lover the world protesting against capitalist oppression and supporting guerilla struggles.

It also was a great boost to the anti-imperialist movements of workers who took inspiration from the creativity of the common man in fighting American Imperialism.It boosted the progressive anti-war movement in every part of the world and enlightened the broad masses on the true nature of Imperialism.

I can never forget it's impact on the students and youth in the late 1960's and early 70's in the famous Naxalbari movement. 

Ironically Ho Chi Minh had adopted a centrist path in the great debate and did not formally uphold the Cultural Revolution of China.

However it was Socialist China's support much more than that of U.S.S.R.that faciltated Vietnam's victory. 

Today anti-imperialist movements worldwide whether in North Korea ,Palestine or in the Kurdish areas must take inspiration from the Vietnamese Tet Offensive.

Simlarly these movements do not have Maoist leadership or are not led by Socialist countrie's.

Neverthless they light a spark in extinguishing the flame of Imperialism.

The Iraqi resistance had many similarities with Vietnam against America.

Today in many ways even the peoples wars in Philippines and India are igniting and ressurrecting the spark of the Tet Offensive.

Great anti-imperialist movements even pave the way for the formation of vanguard communist parties.

Maoists must never be sectarian in giving tacit support to all genuine anti-imperialist movements even if not led by Maoist parties.

Struggle of nationality of Kashmir in India is a brilliant example.




RED SALUTE TO THE VIETNAMESE HEROES OF THE TET OFFENSIVE