Comments on the Report Concerning the Meeting of Heads of Workers’ and PLA

Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Teams Held in Beijing
(September 4, 1968)


Lin, Zhou[1] and Comrades of the Cultural Revolution:
It is now necessary to formulate certain concrete policies. In my view, this document[2] is quite good, and I propose that it be forwarded to all localities for reference. Please make a decision as you see fit.
Mao Zedong
September 4


Printed from a document of the Central Committee of the CPC,


Notes


[1] Lin refers to Lin Biao, who was re-elected as an Executive Member of the Political Bureau at the Eleventh Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee and shortly thereafter designated as Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai.


[2] This refers to a report dated September 3, 1968, submitted by the Beijing Revolutionary Committee and the Beijing Garrison Command of the People’s Liberation Army to Mao Zedong and others. The report stated that on August 29, workers’ and PLA Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Teams had been stationed in all fifty-nine colleges and universities in Beijing. On August 31, we convened a meeting of the heads of these propaganda teams to convey the spirit of directives issued by the CPC Central Committee and the Central Cultural Revolution Group, focusing on resolving the following issues: First, the propaganda teams should exercise proletarian political leadership over the schools, effectively carry out struggle, criticism, and reorganization, and avoid getting bogged down in routine administrative matters. The workers’ and PLA teams should operate under unified leadership, and any pronouncements on important issues must be made only after collective deliberation. Second, in exercising leadership over the schools, one must first place trust in the majority of the masses; revolutionary young students’ contributions and shortcomings during the Cultural Revolution should be assessed correctly; team members should eat and live together with the students, engage in heart-to-heart talks, build friendships, and help them resolve ideological problems. The best approach, in accordance with Chairman Mao’s teachings, is to organize study classes effectively. Third, with regard to the issue of revolutionary great unity, it is imperative to strengthen education among students on the struggle between the two lines through large-scale revolutionary criticism, thereby raising their class-struggle consciousness. On the basis of sound ideological work among the masses, revolutionary great unity and the “three combinations” should be carried out by class, department, or section. Fourth, investigative and research work must be intensified; regarding problems within the schools, hasty or premature pronouncements should be avoided. Fifth, with respect to individuals detained by various factions, the workers’ propaganda teams may take them into custody; after examination, those confirmed to be bad elements are to be subjected to the dictatorship of the proletariat, while ordinary people may first be organized into training classes for study. On September 6, the CPC Central Committee and the Central Cultural Revolution Group forwarded this report.