Bung Hatta, a paragon<\/p>\n
One hundred years ago to this day, a child was born in
\nBukittinggi, West Sumatra, to a proud, Muslim intellectual
\nfather, Muhammad Djamil, and a modernist, business-minded mother,
\nSaleha. He was named Hatta, and later known as Mohammad Hatta, or
\nthe more popular Bung Hatta.<\/p>\n
He was more than just the first vice president of the Republic
\nof Indonesia. Together with Sukarno, the first president, Bung
\nHatta was the embodiment of the whole independence movement that
\non Aug. 17, 1945, proclaimed the independence of a huge and
\ndiverse country named Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He passed away on March 14, 1980 and was buried in a
\nrelatively simple, public cemetery on the outskirts of Jakarta,
\nfar away from the renowned National Heroes Cemetery.<\/p>\n
Bung Hatta started his political career at the age of 20 by
\njoining the Indonesische Vereniging (Indonesian Society) which
\nlater became Perhimpunan Indonesia (Indonesian Association) while
\nstudying at the Trade University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
\nDuring those student years in Europe, he simultaneously refined
\nhis writing skills by joining the editorial board of Indonesia
\nMerdeka (Free Indonesia), which published political articles
\npromoting a Free Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Unlike Bung Karno, he was not an inspiring or provoking
\npolitical orator who could arouse mass audiences. He was more of
\na shy and gentle person, but highly disciplined. Bung Hatta was,
\nhowever, undeniably a young activist who wholeheartedly committed
\nhimself to an independent Indonesia. He swore he would not marry
\nuntil Indonesia proclaimed its independence. In fact he was 43
\nyears old when he married Rahmi in Megamendung, West Java, on
\nNov. 18, 1945, exactly three months after he was elected as the
\nfirst vice president of the young republic.<\/p>\n
For many of Indonesia's later generations, he is probably
\nbetter known as the father of the Indonesian cooperative
\nmovement. Indeed, during his student years in Europe, he spent
\nsome time in Scandinavian countries to learn more about
\ncooperatives. He wrote many articles about the movement and what
\nit could do for the development of Indonesia. He was instrumental
\nin the formulation of the Indonesian 1945 Constitution which
\nincludes articles on the basic philosophy of an economy where
\ncooperatives were the most ideal way to improve people's welfare.<\/p>\n
However, Bung Hatta was more than just the father of
\ncooperatives. He was probably the epitome of Indonesian democracy
\nwho truly believed in the delicate, balanced combination of
\npeople's sovereignty and people's welfare. His writings -- he
\nprobably wrote much more than anybody else in Indonesian history
\n-- clearly proved that.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, he fell victim to his most favorite quote from
\na Schiller poem: Eine grosse Epoche hat das Jahrhundert geboren.
\nAber der grosse Moment findet ein kleines Geschlecht. (A great
\nera is born by the century. A great moment, however, finds only
\npetty persons).<\/p>\n
One could ask many hypothetical questions about Bung Hatta.
\nWhat would have happened to Indonesia if he had not insisted on
\nthe removal of the seven words concerning sharia from the 1945
\nConstitution? What would have happened if he stood up to and
\nchallenged Bung Karno publicly when the first president issued a
\ndecree on July 5, 1959 that started the era of authoritarianism
\n-- which was later developed into a much more sophisticated
\nversion by Soeharto -- in Indonesia? What would have been his
\nreaction to the Indonesian military's statement referring to the
\npossibility of reviving Bung Karno's 1959 decree just before the
\nbeginning of this latest People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)?
\nCould he have survived the kleines Geschlect of current
\nIndonesian legislators wasting people's money for narrow
\npolitical interests?<\/p>\n
Bung Hatta is a paragon in Indonesian history. His only
\nmistake probably was his early withdrawal from the arena.
\nOtherwise he would probably have been capable of showing to
\nIndonesia's current self-proclaimed politicians that politics as
\nan art of the possible should not be too distinctly
\ndifferentiated from the art of upholding principles.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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