Chapter 61 debate

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Ma Yinchu examined the population problem in the period of peaceful development with a vigilant attitude.He included the population issue as a key project in his scientific research plan, unswervingly launched research, and personally conducted in-depth and detailed investigations and researches, thus mastering a large amount of first-hand materials.He suggested that the Central People's Government conduct a census.According to his suggestion, in 1953, my country conducted the first national census.According to the census, as of midnight on June 1, 1953, the population of our country was 600 million.In just four years, the country has increased its population by more than 100 million.This number shocked and disturbed Ma Yinchu.

Soon, Ma Yinchu, who was over seventy years old, led a group of assistants and students to conduct population surveys across the country.At this time, the central government also paid great attention to the population problem of the whole country.Liu Shaoqi called a meeting of relevant people and delivered an important speech on "Promoting Birth Control".Ma Yinchu participated in this meeting, and shouted at the meeting: The population issue must not be careless!If you don't work hard now, you will regret it in the future.However, Mao Zedong's point of view was completely contrary to Ma Yinchu's, and he showed a disapproving attitude, saying, what's the matter if China's population increases by one billion?Since the supreme leader's opinion is to have more children, governments at all levels across the country also encourage births, and some places even reward women who have more children.

In 1954, Ma Yinchu returned to Zhejiang for the third time as a representative of the National People's Congress to investigate rural areas in Zhejiang. He visited more than 20 agricultural production cooperatives in 10 counties, conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis on population issues, and wrote a survey report.In this investigation, he shouted three things in a row: "The birth rate is extremely high! The population growth rate is extremely fast! This kind of development is simply incredible!" In order to arouse more people's attention and support, he I found old friends Shao Lizi, Li Dequan, Liu Yazi, Ma Xulun, Li Da, etc. to discuss, and said sincerely: "If we don't take measures, we will make great mistakes and bring great difficulties to the national economy. Carrying an extremely heavy burden that is not easy to get rid of." Later, he wrote a long paper "Population Control and Scientific Research", which was submitted to the Second Session of the First National People's Congress held in July 1955.

Ma Yinchu's proposal was besieged and criticized by Kang Sheng, Chen Boda and others: "Man has not only a mouth, but also two hands, which can create the world. What kind of revolution is there without people? What kind of communism is there?" They think: "Socialism There is no population problem in the country." Ma Yinchu said uncompromisingly: "Since I have discovered and recognized the extreme importance of this problem, I must stick to it to the end. Otherwise, as an economist and a representative of the people, I have not done my best. responsibility to the country and the people.”

In the spring of 1957, at the Supreme State Council, Ma Yinchu once again raised the population issue in front of Mao Zedong.He said bluntly: "Overpopulation is our fatal injury. The 1953 census already exceeded 600 million. If the net increase rate is 20 per thousand, it will reach 800 million in 15 years and 50 years later. 1.5 billion. This is by no means alarmist..." He also called out loudly, "If the population is not controlled and the family planning is not implemented, the consequences will be disastrous." Mao Zedong said: "Can the population be turned into planned production, and research and experiments can be carried out? .Talk what people say, and test people who don't try!"

On April 27, 1957, Ma Yinchu delivered a speech on population issues in the dining hall of Peking University.In his speech, Ma Yinchu described the results of several years of investigation and research.This speech was processed and sorted out and became the later "New Population Theory" speech. At first Mao Zedong expressed his appreciation for Ma Yinchu's idea of ​​"controlling the population".He said: "We have so many people in this country, which is unprecedented in other countries in the world. Birth control and family planning must be advocated." In June 1957, Ma Yinchu took "New Population Theory" as a proposal, Submitted to the Fourth Session of the National People's Congress, "People's Daily" published the "New Population Theory" in its entirety on a full page, which aroused great repercussions at home and abroad. In October, Mao Zedong said at the Third Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China: "I am afraid that the problem of population will be a three-year trial, three years to promote, and four years to be generally implemented. If it is not done for ten years, it will increase to 800 million in the future."

With the launch of the "Great Leap Forward", Mao Zedong said in the article "Introducing a Cooperative": "In addition to the leadership of the party, the population of 600 million is a decisive factor. There are many people who talk about it, and they are enthusiastic and motivated." Viewpoint There has been a change. In 1957, the "anti-rightist" storm blew up, and Kang Sheng and others wanted to use the movement to label Ma Yinchu as a "rightist".Xu Dixin from the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee asked Zhou Enlai for instructions on this matter. Zhou Enlai clearly pointed out: Ma Yinchu has a backbone, a sense of justice, and is patriotic. He is a well-known economist in our country and has influence both at home and abroad.Ma Yinchu survived.However, according to Xu Dixin's disclosure in a preface, Ma Yinchu was still included in the roster of "internal rightists".

In July 1958, in order to cater to the view that "more people are a good thing", Kang Sheng publicly criticized Ma Yinchu by name and challenged "New Population Theory". On October 24, 1959, he convened a meeting of the theoretical circles and the heads of relevant newspapers and periodicals, arranged to criticize Ma Yinchu, and instructed: "The articles criticizing him do not necessarily have to be many, and the weight should be heavy. They can be linked with his past theories to criticize." He also instructed relevant departments to transfer Ma Yinchu out of Peking University after criticizing him.After receiving Kang Sheng’s instructions, Guangming Daily published 10 critical articles from November 1959 to January 1960, and New Construction published 4 critical articles, criticizing Ma Yinchu’s “bourgeois academic thought.”

As a result, a campaign to criticize "Ma Yinchu's reactionary thought" was launched across the country.According to current archival statistics, in the second half of 1958 alone, more than 200 critical articles were published in important national newspapers and periodicals such as People's Daily.Ma Yinchu feels that personal criticism and grievances are less important than the country's future and destiny.Ask to meet with any of the three leaders Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Zhou Enlai.However, his plea was not granted and no one interviewed him.Only Mao Zedong sent someone to say: "Mr. Ma Yinchu refuses to admit defeat, does not surrender, you can continue to write articles and fight against us! He is a very good negative teacher!" Ma Yinchu publicly stated, "For the sake of the country and the truth, I am not afraid of isolation , not afraid of criticism, not afraid of cold water, not afraid of frying pan, not afraid of dismissal and imprisonment, and not afraid of death... No matter what the situation is, I will stick to my population theory."

In January 1960, Ma Yinchu published "Reiterate My Request" in "New Construction".The article said: "Guangming Daily and New Construction published a lot of articles criticizing me. However, the opinions expressed by more than 200 gentlemen in the past were all similar, and there were too few new things for me to learn from. November 30 An article in "Guangming Daily" said that those who criticized me in the past had refuted me to pieces. Since they had already achieved their goal, why bother to refute me now? On the contrary, the refutation was 'heart wide and body fat'." "I personally was criticized for a trivial matter, but I was thinking about the major issues of the country and the nation. I believe that after decades, the facts will prove that I am right."

After Kang Sheng saw the sample of this article, he said: "This is a rampant attack! His problem is no longer an academic issue, but a rightist attack in the name of academics. He must be thoroughly exposed and criticized." "New Construction" added a note based on this when publishing Ma Yinchu's article, saying: "His article and many other articles contain many bourgeois fallacies, which must be discussed and criticized." After that, Ma Yinchu's right to defend was deprived. On January 3, 1960, Ma Yinchu was forced to submit his oral resignation as the president of Peking University. The next day, he submitted a written resignation report. Soon, the State Council approved his resignation.He was soon removed from his position as a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.Since then, China's population has increased blindly, and hundreds of millions of people have been born.People often say: "Wrongly approve one person, and mistakenly increase 300 million!" Later, Mao Zedong read Ma Yinchu's "Restatement of My Request" and dictated to his secretary: "Ma Yinchu gave us the battle table. He can be called a lonely hero and is unique. He can also be said to be a stone in a latrine, which is smelly and hard. Malthus' surname is Ma. , he is also surnamed Ma, someone wants to defend his foreign ancestors to the end, what can be done? It seems that Ma Yinchu is unwilling to dismount himself, so we have to take organizational measures to ask him to dismount. Criticism is strict and life is given a way out. Don’t be soft on your hands.” Afterwards, his criticisms escalated into political struggles and personal attacks.Overnight, tens of thousands of big-character posters were pasted all over the campus of Peking University, and even the yard, study and bedroom of his house were covered with big-character posters. "If Ma Yinchu doesn't surrender, let him perish!" The slogans were heard one after another on the campus of Peking University. Soon, Ma Yinchu was dismissed from his position as a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.It was also stipulated that Ma Yinchu was not allowed to publish articles, speak publicly, accept interviews from journalists, or meet foreigners and overseas relatives and friends. He was placed under house arrest as a crime.So far, the population debate of the past eight years has come to an end. Ma Yinchu resigned as the president of Peking University, left Yannanyuan, and lived in Dongzongbu Hutong.The world is hot and cold, and there are few birds.But not necessarily, both Zhou Peiyuan and Chen Shutong visited Ma Yinchu.Marshal Chen Yi came uninvited, and said to Ma Yinchu in his bell-like voice: "Your population theory is completely correct, you must stick to it, it is right not to review it, and I support you!" While criticizing Ma Yinchu, the laws of science punish ignorance mercilessly.China's population is increasing rapidly year after month, every minute of every second, bringing great pressure to the national economy and people's livelihood, and it is difficult to overcome in the short term. On December 29, 1974, when Mao Zedong reviewed the "Report on the 1975 National Economic Plan", he commented: Population control is not enough.This sentence is exactly the same as the three subtitles in Ma Yinchu's "New Population Theory" seventeen years ago! When the ten-year turmoil broke out, Zhou Enlai ordered Ma Yinchu to be given special protection so that he was not physically harmed.However, a large number of his precious manuscripts, calligraphy and painting and other cultural relics were burned by the grandchildren of Ma Lao, who was a student at the time, as the "four olds".