Serve the People

Speech delivered by Mao Zedong at the memorial meeting of Zhang Side, who was a soldier in the Guards Regiment of the Central Committee of the CPC. A member of the Party who loyally served the people, he had joined the revolution in 1933, took part in the Long March and was wounded in service. On September 8, 1944, when the Party assigned him to burn charcoal in the mountains of Ansai County, northern Shaanxi, he was killed by the sudden collapse of the kiln.

The speech, with the title of "Serve the People", was published in Yan'an Jiefang Daily and Xinhua Daily in KMT ruled areas. It was included in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 3.

At that time, the Anti-Japanese War was still in a very difficult stage and many difficulties needed to be overcome. In response to this situation, Mao Zedong expounded the principle of serving the people, and called on all of us to learn from the spirit of Zhang Side's serving the people completely and thoroughly, to unite and defeat the Japanese aggressors.

The speech pointed out that our Communist Party and the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies led by our Party are battalions of the revolution. These battalions of ours are wholly dedicated to the liberation of the people and work entirely in the people's interests. Comrade Zhang Side was in the ranks of these battalions. All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient Chinese writer Sima Qian said, "Though death befalls all men alike, it may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather." To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. Comrade Zhang Side died for the people, and his death is indeed weightier than Mount Tai. If we have shortcomings, we are not afraid to have them pointed out and criticized, because we serve the people. Anyone, no matter who, may point out our shortcomings. If he is right, we will correct them. If, in the interests of the people, we persist in doing what is right and correct what is wrong, our ranks will surely thrive. We hail from all corners of the country and have joined together for a common revolutionary objective. And we need the vast majority of the people with us on the road to this objective. The Chinese people are suffering; it is our duty to save them and we must exert ourselves in struggle. Wherever there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death. Nevertheless, we should do our best to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. Our cadres must show concern for every soldier, and all people in the revolutionary ranks must care for each other, must love and help each other.

"Serving the people" or "serving the people wholeheartedly" embodies the fundamental requirements of the Communist Party morality and is a high generalization of the Party's purpose.