Comment on the Report
(November 1964)
Worth reading once or twice.
[I]
This comment was written on the first report submitted by the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the CPC to the Central Committee and the Central-South Bureau on November 13, 1964, concerning the Socialist Education Movement in the countryside. The report began by outlining the provincial standing committee members’ one-month fieldwork experience and their insights gained during that period. Through this fieldwork, the committee members came to a deeper understanding of the seriousness, complexity, and acuteness of the class struggle in rural areas, receiving a profound ideological education. At the same time, it served as a thorough exposure and a powerful admonition against bureaucratic practices and rightist tendencies in their work. They expressed deep remorse, stating:
“Our officialdom had grown too large, and bureaucratism had greatly expanded. High office and generous emoluments, coupled with a life of ease and privilege, had erected a towering wall that severed our ties with the broad masses of poor and lower-middle peasants, leaving us completely ignorant of the true situation in the countryside. Going forward, we must resolutely eradicate officialdom and rid ourselves of its harmful influence, making the firmest possible resolve to carry out this Socialist Education Movement thoroughly, comprehensively, and to completion.”  Regarding the Social Education Movement, the report noted that the main lessons learned from this phase of work could be summarized as follows:
First, the work teams must take a clear-cut stand: upon entering any village, they should raise high the three great banners of class struggle, “four cleansings,” and reliance on the poor and lower-middle peasants; present themselves in a revolutionary spirit; establish a new style characterized by “three togethers” and “four cleansings”; and dare to engage in direct, head-on struggle against cadres who have failed to achieve the “four cleansings.” Second, there should be no rush to put down roots; even less should teams seek to isolate themselves or remain static once they have settled in. Third, it is essential to skillfully integrate, according to actual conditions, the ideological mobilization of the masses, organizational networking, and concrete action into a unified whole. Fourth, during the ideological mobilization, the poor and lower-middle peasants should be armed with an understanding of the new developments and characteristics of the class struggle, thereby raising their political consciousness to a level capable of opposing peaceful evolution and waging socialist revolution. Fifth,

the greatest effort must be devoted to organizing a strong class-based contingent and cultivating a revolutionary leadership core. Sixth, full attention should be paid to harnessing the role of the Peasants’ Associations, developing their capacity for independent activity, enhancing their prestige, and enabling the poor and lower-middle peasants to recognize their own strength. Seventh, taking the Peasants’ Associations as the core, a broad outer circle of supporters committed to the “four cleansings” should be formed.  In order to ensure that the movement is carried out thoroughly and reaches high standards, we must now prioritize and resolve the following issues:
First, we must resolutely oppose rightist tendencies and fully expose the underlying reality of the class struggle in the countryside. Second, we need to manage the work teams rigorously, continuously rectifying and strengthening them so that they are forged into a truly high-quality, battle-tested force worthy of undertaking a major revolutionary campaign. Third, great importance must be attached to cultivating a revolutionary leadership core. Fourth, we must adopt the correct policies and methods to ensure that the “four cleansings” are carried out to completion.