Chapter 21 I deeply miss Comrade Ma Mingfang

Comrade Ma Mingfang and I worked together many times. In 1954, after the central government abolished the regional party committees and administrative agencies, we were transferred to the deputy secretary-general of the CPC Central Committee and the deputy director of the Central Organization Department at the same time.At that time, Comrade Mao Zedong said at a secretary-general meeting attended by Deng Xiaoping, Tan Zhenlin, Song Renqiong, Ma Mingfang, Liu Lantao, Lin Feng, Li Xuefeng, etc. that you were transferred to work.Deng Xiaoping served as the secretary-general of the Central Committee, comrades from the regions served as deputy secretary-generals, and concurrently served as the head of the Central Work Department in charge of the six regions.We put you here at ease. The local work department you are in charge of is also called the "Reassurance Department". Because I held several positions at the time, I asked Comrade Xiaoping for instructions: "Where should the main energy be placed? Comrade Xiaoping told me: "It was Comrade Luo Ronghuan who asked you to go to the general cadre department. You should concentrate on doing the work of the general cadre department well, and you can go to other places less." "In this way, I put my main energy into the daily work of the general cadre department, the deputy secretary-general of the Central Committee and the deputy head of the Central Organization Department. Comrade Ma Mingfang is mainly in charge. Apart from attending some important meetings, I have little control over other things. This is a period of cooperation between us in the early 1950s. After the central government decided to establish the Regional Central Bureau in 1960, we were transferred to the Northeast Bureau at the same time. I was the first secretary of the Northeast Bureau, Ouyang Qin was the second secretary, and Ma Mingfang was the third Secretary, Huang Huoqing, Wu De, Huang Oudong, and Chen Xilian are the secretaries, and Yu Ping and Qiang Xiaochu are the alternate secretaries. The division of labor in our secretariat is that I am in charge of overall work, Ouyang Qin is in charge of general affairs and agricultural work, and Ma Mingfang is in charge of finance, trade, politics and law and For combat readiness, Huang Huoqing was in charge of industrial work, Wu De was in charge of publicity, culture and education, Chen Xilian was in charge of national defense and military work, Yu Ping was in charge of organizational work, and Qiang Xiaochu assisted Ouyang Qin in handling the routine work of the secretariat. Under the circumstances at that time, we all felt the task It is difficult and the burden is heavy. We have repeatedly studied how to do the work of the Northeast Bureau better, and we still follow the "sixteen words" proposed by Premier Zhou Enlai. These "sixteen words" are: "command everything, Carry out everything, connect the past with the next, and protect the bottom from the top." The so-called "carry out everything" means to implement it in accordance with the central government's line, principles, and policies, combined with the specific conditions of the Northeast region. If this is achieved, it will naturally be possible to "command "Everything". As for "protecting the bottom from the top", it mainly requires us to creatively implement the principles and policies of the central government in accordance with the actual situation in Northeast China in our specific work. The central government reflected that it should put forward suggestions rather than enforce them mechanically. This was done so that the central government’s line and policy could be better implemented in the Northeast. At that time, it was a three-year period of temporary difficulties, and the supply of food and market commodities was very limited. Nervous. Especially in the rural areas of Liaoning, the annual per capita ration is only about 120 catties, and in some places it is less than 120 catties. Swelling is common and serious. Under such circumstances, we immediately sent Comrades Ma Mingfang and Comrade Qiang Xiaochu to Beijing to report to the Prime Minister Comrades, Shaoqi, and Xiaoping reported and asked for instructions in person. After listening to the report of Comrade Mingfang, the leading comrades of the Central Committee immediately agreed to transfer 200 million catties of grain to the Northeast, which quickly relieved the urgent need and helped us open up a new work situation.

Comrade Ma Mingfang is very familiar with and experienced in agriculture, finance and trade.In implementing the central government's eight-character policy of "adjustment, consolidation, enrichment, and improvement", in order to overcome the difficulties existing in the economic work in the Northeast region at that time, we proposed to take a long-term perspective and resolutely implement the agricultural, light We must adhere to the principle of “resilience and stress”, firmly grasp the problem of food and clothing, give priority to agriculture and market work, and do everything possible to increase the production of agricultural and daily industrial products.In particular, it is proposed to grasp two links: one is to stabilize, and the other is to brake.The so-called stability means first of all to stabilize agricultural production and strive to have a good harvest on the basis of stability.The second is to stop in terms of finance, finance, and the market. Do everything possible to control expenditures, reduce bills, and increase commodities. loss situation.Later practice proved that these two goals were basically achieved.Comrade Ma Mingfang has made great efforts and made outstanding contributions in this regard.

In the early days of the "Cultural Revolution", the Northeast Bureau wrote several reports to the Central Cultural Revolution Group, asking for instructions on the policy limits of the movement, but did not receive a single word of reply.Therefore, we directly asked Premier Zhou Enlai for instructions. At the end of 1966, the "rebels" attacked the Northeast Bureau, threatening to seize the power of the Northeast Bureau.Comrade Ma Mingfang and I came forward to do work, but they didn't listen.We will call and report to Premier Zhou.The Prime Minister immediately pointed out clearly: The Northeast Bureau is an agency dispatched by the central government and cannot seize power, and must be resolutely stopped.In particular, Comrade Zhu Dehai, vice governor of Jilin Province and governor of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, was an outstanding minority cadre who participated in the revolution in his early years.After the Eleventh Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Party, he was besieged and criticized by "rebels", and the regional situation fell into chaos and was difficult to control.Premier Zhou made it clear after learning about it: It is not easy to train a cadre, and it is even more difficult to train a minority cadre. Zhu Dehai is a good comrade and we must protect him.And instructed Comrade Ma Mingfang and I to go to Yanbian to do work and protect Comrade Zhu Dehai.Together with Comrade Ma Mingfang and Comrade Zhao Lin, secretary of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee, I rushed to Yanbian immediately to hold a state committee meeting.I said: "This time I made a special trip to Yanbian on the instructions of Premier Zhou. The central government believes that Zhu Dehai is a good comrade and wants him to stand up and join the masses in the 'Cultural Revolution'." After the meeting, Comrades Ma Mingfang and Zhao Lin continued to stay. Doing work in Yanbian, convening representatives of the masses for discussions, unifying understanding and stabilizing the situation.Comrade Ma Mingfang followed Premier Zhou's instructions, worked repeatedly and patiently, overcame numerous disturbances and resistance, and finally protected Zhu Dehai and other comrades. However, he himself was persecuted by Lin Biao and the "Gang of Four" soon after.

Comrade Ma Mingfang is an old party member who joined the Communist Party of China in 1925. In October 1935, after I arrived in northern Shaanxi with the Long March of the Central Red Army, I knew that Ma Mingfang was the Chairman of the Soviet Government of Northern Shaanxi Province and one of the main leaders who founded the Northern Shaanxi Red Army and base areas together with Comrades Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang. At the end of 1935, Liu Zhidan and I served as the commander and political commissar of the 28th Red Army respectively. In the work of "expanding the red", the Soviet government of northern Shaanxi Province gave us great support, and the 28th Red Army soon expanded to more than 1,500 people.This incident is still fresh in my memory.During the Anti-Japanese War, after Comrade Ma Mingfang was arrested in Xinjiang, he, together with Chen Tanqiu, Mao Zemin and other comrades, led the comrades in prison to fight bravely and tenaciously against the reactionaries, and remained loyal.After the founding of New China, he successively served as Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the Provincial People's Government, Third Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Vice Chairman of the Northwest Army (Administrative) Administrative Committee, Minister of Finance and Trade of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Third Secretary of the Northeast Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China He has made important contributions to my country's socialist transformation and socialist construction. During the "Cultural Revolution", he was framed as a "traitor" and a "capitalist roader" by Lin Biao and the "Gang of Four", and was brutally persecuted and suffered severe physical and mental damage.When he was seriously ill and hospitalized, the "Gang of Four" blocked the news and forbade anyone to visit him.Due to lack of energy, he couldn't walk, and he could only crawl to the bathroom, which was horrible.After investigation and review of historical files, it was confirmed that Comrade Ma Mingfang not only had no problems in prison, but also acted resolutely. In August 1974, after the unjust death of Comrade Ma Mingfang, the central government decided to rehabilitate Comrade Ma Mingfang, held a memorial service, and issued a notice.But that day we received a call saying that the memorial service would not be held, and many comrades had to return after arriving at Babaoshan.Everyone felt suddenly.It was later learned that it was obstructed by agents of the Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary clique in Northeast China.This person took advantage of his special status at the time, and under Jiang Qing's instigation, he overturned the central government's decision without authorization.Nonsense: "Ma Mingfang is not a traitor, but also a capitalist roader. How can he hold a memorial service for the capitalist roader?" Comrade Ma Mingfang was not completely rehabilitated until the "Gang of Four" was crushed.

It has been 26 years since Comrade Ma Mingfang left us.He is a proven proletarian revolutionary and a staunch Marxist.His life was a life of fighting, a life of selfless devotion.It enjoys high prestige among the people in the Northwest and Northeast.His excellent qualities of selflessness, fearlessness, and openness are always worth learning.We deeply miss Comrade Ma Mingfang, that is, we must learn from his thorough revolutionary spirit of infinite loyalty, loyalty, and wholeheartedly serving the party and the people, hold high the great red banner of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory, and build our country into a modern socialist power And stride forward.