Nam Dinh workers contribute to building Truong Sa
For over a decade,
generations of workers in Binh Di village (northern Nam Dinh province)
have taken part in construction projects on Truong Sa archipelago. Their
contributions greatly help protect the homeland’s sovereignty over its
sea and islands.
First masons and carpenters go to Truong Sa
Binh Di village in Giao Thinh commune, Giao Thuy district, now consists of three housing areas and around 2,000 people.
Locals earn a living by growing rice. After the harvest, men leave the
village for every corner in the country to work as masons and
carpenters. Women, meanwhile, stay at home to look after children and
knit goods as a secondary job.
In 1991, Major
General Hoang Kien, who is a son of the village and was then head of
Engineer Regiment 83, visited Binh Di. By that time, the General was
assigned to oversee building projects on Nam Yet Island in Truong Sa
archipelago. Kien encouraged his villagers to join hands in building the
islands.
“This is not purely a job to earn a
living, but is of great importance for the homeland and the protection
of its sovereignty over sea and islands,” Kien told the villagers.
Recognising the great significance of the work, Le Van Bien, born in
1950, gathered a group of workers in the village and followed general
Kien to the island. They became the first workers of the village who set
foot on the archipelago.
According to Bien, the
first group consisted of 21 workers, including seven masons, 10
carpenters, and four porters and others in charge of ironwork.
“We had to carry every stone, cement bag, sand bag and other raw materials to the island,” Bien recounted.
He said: “Our work was to build houses, pagodas, surrounding walls,
shelters, trenches and embankments. The projects served civilian and
military purposes. Three months later, we had finished our work and
returned home.”
By that time, Bien added, there were
no inhabitants, only soldiers on the island. Everything was difficult
and limited, especially fresh water. The workers ate dried food or dry
provisions and instant noodles.
Generations of workers follow each other to build islands
Old-aged workers in Binh Di village, who are not strong enough to go
to the islands, stay in the hometown. Younger people, usually aged
18-40, continue their elders’ work.
Although all selected workers pass a health check, some can not adapt to the new weather conditions.
At present, hamlet No. 6 accommodates the most workers on Truong
Sa. People from other communes, such as Giao Phong, Giao Yen, Giao Tan
and Giao Lam also join hands in the construction.
According to Nguyen Ngoc Phong, Head of the hamlet, the work on
the islands depends on tidal flows. Therefore, every year, workers
usually go to the islands in two stages. The first trip is often from
the first lunar month to the eighth lunar month and the second one lasts
from the tenth lunar month till the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet).
On
average, workers spend 6-8 months on Truong Sa archipelago. When the
work comes to an end or the weather is too bad, they return home.
Sometimes, they enjoy Tet on the islands.
Now, the
Binh Di village has four groups of workers participating in the
construction on the archipelago. Each group has around 50 members on
average. Last year, the group with more than 30 members headed by Phan
Bon stayed on the island until Tet.
The Binh Di
workers bring home snail and oyster shells of all sizes as presents for
their offspring, which are also fresh evidence of their hard-working
days on the islands and their love for the fatherland’s sea and islands.
For Binh Di people, financial gain plays a
secondary role in their decisions to go to the islands. The love for
Truong Sa and the fatherland’s seas and islands is the force driving
them to the remote places. -VNA