Cultural figure and national literary great Ahmad Tohari has called\non the younger generation, particularly students, to strengthen literacy\nculture through the habits of reading and writing. According to him,\nthese activities are a vital means of personal development as well as an\nindicator of a nation\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cWriting is a strategic activity as a primary means of\nself-development. People who write usually have above-average\nintelligence. That is why a nation\u2019s progress is determined by the\nliteracy of its people,\u201d said Ahmad Tohari at SMAN 1 Sigaluh in\nBanjarnegara Regency, Central Java, on Thursday (16 July).<\/p>\n
The appearance of the legendary author of the novel Ronggeng Dukuh\nParuk formed part of a \u201cMeet and Greet National Cultural Figure Ahmad\nTohari\u201d event, which also commemorated the 29th anniversary of SMAN 1\nSigaluh. During the dialogue, the man affectionately known as Kang\nTohari revealed that he regards writing as a form of worship.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, writing is my way of remembering God, so I am fully absorbed\nevery time I write. When starting out, it is fine to imitate at first,\nbecause we all certainly need inspiration from the reading materials of\nearlier writers,\u201d he told an audience of hundreds of students.<\/p>\n
He also motivated the pupils not to be afraid to begin their own\nworks. Kang Tohari recounted his own experience of going through a long\nprocess before his work gained national recognition. \u201cIt was only on my\nfifth piece that my writing was published in Kompas,\u201d he said, stressing\nthe importance of perseverance and extensive reading of quality works as\nthe foundation of writing.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he reminded the students of the importance of mastering\nthe \u201cTri Gatra Bahasa\u201d \u2014 the three pillars of language: Indonesian, the\nmother tongue (regional language), and English as the international\nlanguage. According to him, quality written works can serve as a means\nof introducing Indonesia\u2019s identity to the international world.<\/p>\n
The head of SMAN 1 Sigaluh, Linovia, said Ahmad Tohari\u2019s presence was\na special moment as it coincided with the launch of the One Class One\nBook (SKSB) programme. This flagship programme successfully produced 24\nbooks written by students from each class, along with one book\ncollaboratively written by teachers and education staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope this is a good first step in fostering the spirit of\nliteracy among students and teachers. Going forward, we will continue to\ndevelop literacy activities like this,\u201d said Linovia.<\/p>\n
Appreciation also came from the head of the Banjarnegara Regency\nArchives and Library Service (Dinarpus), Arief Rachman. He expressed\nhope that the 25 books written by members of the school community could\nbecome part of the Banjarnegara Regional Library (Perpusda) collection\nso that they can be accessed by the wider public.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope that the 25 books can later be sent to Perpusda Banjarnegara\nto be displayed alongside other books by local writers. This SKSB\nprogramme is an excellent initiative by SMAN 1 Sigaluh,\u201d Arief\nconcluded.<\/p>\n
Now aged 78, the author of Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, Ahmad Tohari,\nremains in good health. He still frequently accepts invitations to speak\nas a resource person on literature.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ahmad-tohari-writing-is-like-zikr-for-me-must-be-done-with-solemnity-1784199101", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }