President Triet (middle) and HCM City Party Committee’s secretary Hai (right) talking with Tran Bach Dang (left)

Nhan Dan- Scholar Tran Bach Dang, a former journalist and senior revolutionary, died on April 16 at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City at the age of 82.

Tran Bach Dach or Tu Anh had a rich revolutionary life. As a journalist, Dang, whose real name was Truong Gia Trieu, was well-known for his incisive commentary on the government’s policies regarding corruption, the welfare of the poor and labourers, and many other issues.

His editorials published in the southern editor Nhan Dan newspaper or broadcast on Liberation Radio were signed Dai Nghia. He used the names Tran Quang for his political commentaries, Huong Trieu for his poems and Nguyen Truong Thien Ly for his plays.

These names were linked with his family members. Quang is his son’s name; Huong is his wife’s name, Trieu is his name; Nguyen Truong Thien Ly is his grandchild’s name and Tu Anh was the name he used during the anti-US resistance war.

Many of his works still exist in readers’ hearts, including stories “Uncle Sau Rong” and “A Portrait of a Foreman,” poems “Uprising Song,” “Itinerary,” “The Country Enters Spring,” and political commentaries “40-Year Mekong River Delta,” “Vietnamese Catholic People” and “Believe Us.”

His writings often included useful suggestions on how to improve the country’s reform process. One popular book was Reform – Starting from Reality (Tre Publishing House, 2000).

Born in 1926 in Rach Gia town in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, Dang was the grandson of the strong-willed patriotic scholar Truong Gia Mo.

Dang joined the revolutionary forces when he was 17 and in 1946 at the age of 20 was assigned to be in charge of Chong Xam lang (Anti-Invasion) newspaper owned by the Saigon Party Committee.

In 1951, he was the editor-in-chief of the Nhan dan Mien Nam (Southerners) newspaper owned by the Southern Central Committee of the Vietnam Revolutionary People Party (SCCVNLP).

Before liberation day on April 30, 1975, Dang worked as the secretary of the Sai Gon Party Committee and was the head of the propaganda and training committee of the SCCVNLP. He was also a member of the Presidium of the National Front for the Liberation of the South.

After April 1975, Dang focused on studying and writing, often using pseudonyms, including Huong Trieu, Nguyen Hieu Truong, Nguyen Truong Thien Ly, and Tran Quang.

Apart from journalism, Dang wrote many poems, plays, short stories and novels. His film screenplays left a major imprint on the Vietnamese film industry.