Chapter 124 Organize the "Right"

Mao Zedong once divided the rectification movement in 1957 into four stages: "The rectification movement has four stages: letting go, opposing, reforming, and learning. One is to speak out, one is to fight back against the rightists, one is to rectify and reform, and finally there is another one. Learn a little bit of Marxism-Leninism. Criticism and self-criticism." In these four stages, the big talk and big release began on April 27, 1957, when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued an instruction on the rectification movement; To fight back against the rightists, from June 8th, "People's Daily" published an editorial "Why is this?" "start;

In October, it gradually entered the rectification stage.Of course, due to the different progress of the "Anti-Rightist Movement" across the country, the timing of the transition to the rectification stage is also inconsistent. On October 27, the People's Daily reported: "Central State Organs Gradually Moved to the Stage of Rectification and Reform, Posted More than 300 Big-Character Posters Within One Week, Setting off a Crowd of Publicity" This shows that at this time the central state organs have gradually shifted from the "anti-rightist movement" to the "rectification stage".

From November 2 to 21, Mao Zedong led a Chinese party and government delegation to the Soviet Union to attend the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the "October Revolution" and the Moscow Conference of the Communist and Workers' Parties of various countries. On November 17, when Mao Zedong met with Chinese students and interns in Moscow, he talked about the domestic "anti-rightist movement": From May to June this year in China, the sky is full of dark clouds. Our policy is to bite the bullet and resist, and let the rightists scold us.They scold the Communist Party as a bastard, that the Communist Party cannot lead the Chinese revolution, and that socialist construction has few achievements and many mistakes.We published it all in the People's Daily.We also gave instructions to government agencies and schools: bite the bullet and don't open your mouth.There are many big-character posters posted in China, but you didn’t post them here!Peking University posted tens of thousands of copies, and "People's Daily" is a "small character poster".Well, if you let it go, let it go, go to the people to pay the bill, and let the people discuss it.The right is crushed...

In the "rectification stage", the organization and treatment of "rightists" began.This shows that the "anti-rightist movement" has come to an end. On November 10, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved and forwarded the "Report on the Current Situation and Problems of the Anti-Rightist Struggle and its Transition to the Third Stage" by the Party Committee of the Central State Organs.According to the report, the anti-rightist struggle by the central state organs has been going on for four months. According to statistics on October 14, 1957, a total of 4,837 rightists were discovered, accounting for 100% of the total number of people who participated in the movement. 2.75//, of which: 828 right-wing backbone elements, 4,009 general right-wing elements, and 754 right-wing party members.

On October 13, 1957, at the thirteenth meeting of the Supreme State Council, Mao Zedong said this about the handling of the "rightists": "How about Zhang Bojun's minister? I'm afraid he won't be able to become a minister. The rightists may not be approved by the people when they become ministers! There are also some well-known rightists who used to be people's representatives. What should we do now? I'm afraid it will be difficult to arrange. For example, Ding Ling, I can no longer be a representative of the people.”① According to Mao Zedong's opinion, the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held the Ninth National United Front Work Conference in December, and put forward opinions on how to deal with "rightists" among more than 100 famous democrats. Removal or demotion.

On the basis of the opinions of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, on December 14, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made the "Decision on the Handling of Rightists in the First Session of the National People's Congress". The "Decision" pointed out that in the anti-rightist struggle, a total of 62 rightists among deputies to the National People's Congress were exposed.According to the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the qualifications of the fifty-three people in the inner circle were revoked by the people's congress of the original constituency.

In January 1958, the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, together with the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, selected 96 well-known "rightists" as "models" and wrote "To a Part of the Rightists". "Preliminary Opinions on the Handling of Molecules", reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and forwarded to all parts of the country as a "model" for reference in dealing with "rightists".

The ninety-six people included: Zhang Bojun, Luo Longji, Chu Anping, Zhang Naiqi, Chen Mingshu, Huang Shaohong, Long Yun, Zeng Zhaolun, Wu Jingchao, Pu Xixiu, Liu Wangliming, Chen Renbing, Peng Wenying, Shen Zhiyuan, Peng Yihu, Bi Mingqi , Huang Qixiang, Zhang Yunchuan, Xie Xuehong, Wang Zaoshi, Fei Xiaotong, Qian Weichang, Huang Yaomian, Tao Dayong, Xu Zhucheng, Ma Zhemin, Pan Dakui... Among the ninety-six people, the vast majority were dismissed and demoted, some were dismissed from public office, some were sent to reeducation through labor, and some were supervised labor. Only two were exempted from punishment.

From January 13th to 26th of that year, various democratic parties held separate meetings and made decisions one after another to remove those who were classified as rightists from their posts. On January 29, the State Council made a decision to remove Zhang Bojun, Luo Longji, and Zhang Naiqi from their positions as ministers, and submitted this decision to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for approval.On January 31, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approved the decision. On January 15, 1958, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved the Henan Provincial Committee's request for instructions, stipulating: township and (district) level rectification, and no anti-rightist struggle.

On January 28, Mao Zedong delivered a speech at the Supreme State Council, talking about the rightist policy.He said: "Criticism of the rightists must be serious, profound, and comprehensive, and the handling must be relatively lenient. Of course it is not good to be lenient, but we must leave a way for them to go, so that they may return to the ranks of the people." On February 1, Chairman Mao Zedong issued an order to revoke Long Yun's position as vice chairman of the National Defense Committee and Huang Qixiang's position as a member. On March 7, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China put forward the "Opinions on Working with the Rightists Among the Democrats".This document states:

After the rightists have been organized and dealt with, they should be educated in a planned way to further divide and transform the rightists and better win over the middle ones. 1. Conduct regular political and ideological work on them, explain policies, and point out their future; eliminate their resistance, criticize their wrong attitudes, and promote and help them accept transformation; 2. For rightists, in addition to implementing reeducation through labor, supervised labor or labor probation, they should generally be given appropriate jobs according to their new positions; 3. They should be given corresponding living treatment according to their new positions and ranks.For individuals who do have difficulties in life, temporary subsidies can be given as appropriate.In terms of political treatment, let them attend certain conferences and political theory studies that they should attend; read documents that they can read.But for some public political activities, those who will create illusions among the masses or cause their political capital, do not allow them to participate. On March 25, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Notice on Handling the Application and Approval Procedures for Non-Party Rightists". This Notice stipulates: 1. For former vice-province (city) mayors, vice-chairmen of autonomous regions, and rightists among the vice-chairmen of provincial, municipal and autonomous regional political consultative conferences, their disposition shall be reported to the central government for approval. 2. The revocation or retention of rightists concurrently serving as National People's Representatives and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference shall be submitted to the Central Committee for approval or decision by the Party Committees of provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. 3. For the rightists among the 96 pacesetters, if there is any change in principle, it should be reported to the central government for approval; if the change is only serious, it should be decided by the party committee of the province, city, or autonomous region. 4. People's committee members of provinces (municipalities), autonomous regions, and rightists in the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are all decided by the party committees of each province (city) and autonomous region according to the principles and standards stipulated by the central government, and reported to the central government for record, and there is no need to ask the central government for instructions in advance.Other non-Party rightists (below the level of deputy director and director general) will be handled by you yourself. On March 28, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued "Instructions on Correctly Handling the Issue of Rightists, Counter-Revolutionaries, and Other Bad Elements among Primary and Secondary School Teachers." The "Instructions" stipulate that the majority (about 70%) of the rightists among primary and secondary school teachers should be transferred from the school to other places, or those who have the ability to teach and are willing to repent, should be transferred to other places with a large number of teachers. Schools with stronger party leadership should go to teach in order to see the effect. On March 31, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Notice Concerning Capitalists' Request to Participate in Labor, Abandoning Fixed Interest Rates, and Lowering High Salaries", which clearly stated that the extension of fixed interest rates to seven years was announced by Chairman Mao Zedong at the Supreme State Council in 1956. Yes, it's only been two years now, so it's not appropriate to make any changes. Movement within movement.During the rectification and reform, a new campaign was launched, called: "Double Reverse Campaign". The so-called "double anti" means anti-waste and anti-conservatism. On March 3, 1958, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Instructions on Launching the Anti-Waste and Anti-Conservative Movement".In this way, the "double anti" campaign was launched nationwide. With the development of the "Double Counter" movement, the "anti-conservative" was guided to oppose the "conservative thinking" in the "anti-rightist movement".As a result, another "anti-rightist remedial class" was carried out across the country.Many people were "made up" as "rightists" in "remedial courses". Mr. Fu Lei was "made up" as a "rightist" in the "anti-rightist make-up class". Mr. Li Lunxin, the current party secretary of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, told the author that at that time he was still a young man working in the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League. He took the "last bus" in the "anti-rightist make-up class" and was "made up" as a "rightist".He said that during the "Anti-Rightist Movement", he was busy criticizing "Rightists".I never dreamed that when the "Anti-Rightist Movement" ended, he would be "made up" as a "Rightist"! However, since he had the "lightest" problem after all, he was among the first batch of "rightists" to take off their hats a year later.Therefore, he became the latest "rightist" and the earliest hater! ① Immediately afterwards, on April 2, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Instructions on the Rectification Issue", pointing out that the rectification movement should gradually enter the fourth stage, and the rectification movement should be basically ended before the end of June 1958. The Directive states: The rectification movement must be carried through to the end, and it must not be anticlimactic.All regions and departments, after the current "anti-dumping" campaign has come to an end, should promptly move to the fourth stage of the rectification movement, which is the stage of reading documents, self-reflection, and self-improvement.Do not slip past this stage.Only in this way can we further muster our energy, get rid of official style, seek truth from facts, become one with the people, and correct shortcomings and mistakes in work, work style, and system. Judging from the current situation, the rectification movement in general areas should start before the end of June. It is basically over. If it is necessary to extend the rectification time in some areas and departments, it can also be extended appropriately. The Directive also states: In order to effectively divide the rightists, each region and each department should choose an appropriate time to hold a meeting of rightists or recruit rightists to participate in the meeting. The comrades in charge will make a report, explain the policy, point out the way out, and organize the rightists to discuss it.For rightists, we should also pay attention to working separately, so that according to the different situations of individuals, we may pull or beat them, try to divide them, and urge them to repent thoroughly. The last battle of the "Anti-Rightist Movement" was in April of that year.Peking University, where the author works, is covered with big-character posters criticizing the president Ma Yinchu.The large-character slogan reads: "Mr. Ma, which Ma family does he belong to?" It is a criticism of Mr. Ma Yinchu's "New Population Theory".The so-called "Which Ma family" refers to Marx or Malthus?Kang Sheng pointed out: "Ma Yinchu's problem is no longer an academic problem, but a political problem of rightists attacking the party." Therefore, the criticism of Ma Yinchu became a strong note in the end of the "anti-rightist movement". From May 5 to 23, the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing.At the meeting, representatives of Zhejiang, Gansu, Anhui, Yunnan, Guangxi, Qinghai, Hebei, Guangdong, Xinjiang, Henan, Shandong and other provinces and autonomous regions reported in their speeches on the "rightists", " Right-wing cliques" and "anti-party cliques".By the end of June, the "Anti-Rightist Movement" had generally come to an end. The evil result of the "Anti-Rightist Movement" is to cause China to turn to the "Left": In the editorial of "People's Daily" on November 13, 1957, the call was issued for the first time, "Let's make a great leap forward." On March 8, 1958, Mao Zedong criticized the "rightist" Zhang Xiruo at the Chengdu Conference: "Any class is very happy for great achievements. It is correct to say that it is very happy for great achievements and eager for quick success." Thus, in 1958, the "triumph" of the "Great Leap Forward" resounded all over China, and the "three red flags" flew high...