Development pushes Betawi to the outskirts<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): If anyone has fallen victim to the current
\ndevelopment drive, the Betawi people have. The more development
\nprojects go on in the nation's capital, the further they are
\npushed from the homes of their ancestors.<\/p>\n
Outsiders, drawn to Jakarta by the power and potential for
\nprofit it represents, are better educated, far more competitive,
\nand often much better off. So the Betawi sell their birthplaces
\nto the migrants, and find themselves struggling to maintain their
\nexistence on the periphery of Greater Jakarta, the land their
\nforebears once owned.<\/p>\n
Ramadhan KH, a writer and observer of Betawi culture, said
\nthat due to a lack of education, the Betawi people have been
\nunable to face the keen competition for employment among the
\nresidents of Jakarta and its surrounding areas. This low level of
\neducation affects their overall economic situation as well.<\/p>\n
He said that many Betawi families prefer to send their
\nchildren to Madrasah (Islamic boarding schools) rather than to
\npublic schools.<\/p>\n
\"Betawi people have very good virtues,\" he said, adding that
\nthey are extremely religious, honest, self-confident and
\nhumorous. Theirs is a democratic society, meaning that they do
\nnot recognize any social status.<\/p>\n
He observed, however, that they have negative facets as well,
\nparticularly when it comes to material matters. They often
\nsacrifice their property for unimportant things, Ramadhan
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Citing an example, Ramadhan told The Jakarta Post that the
\nBetawi are apt to sell off plots of land, often at a very low
\nprice, just to buy a motorcycle, or to hold a wedding party. For
\nthat reason, these indigenous Jakartans have lost almost all of
\ntheir valuable property. Consequently, they have had to move to
\nthe city's outskirts.<\/p>\n
City councilor Amarullah Asbah, who objects strongly to
\ngeneralizations about the Betawi people, pointed out that there
\nis nothing unique in the unfortunate experiences of the
\nindigenous Jakartans.<\/p>\n
\"There are always people who have to give up their land to
\nmake way for development,\" Asbah, an indigenous Jakartan and a
\nmember of the Golkar faction, said. This happens not only in
\nJakarta, but also in the other parts of the country, he said.<\/p>\n
\"There are always people who have success stories and those
\nwho don't,\" he noted, calling upon people not to dramatize the
\nplight of the unsuccessful Betawi.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that some Betawi people face difficulties, but
\nhe quickly pointed out the fact that no matter how hard their
\nlives are, the Betawi people never lose their will to struggle;
\nthey never become dependent on the good will of other people.<\/p>\n
\"Do you see any Betawi men or women begging at cross
\nintersections? No. The Betawi don't do that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When it comes to work, the Betawi people are creative. It was
\nthe Betawi who created the new \"profession\" of tukang ojek
\n(motorcycle taxi drivers), Asbah said.<\/p>\n
The ojek drivers operate in many parts of the city, especially
\nwhere public transportation is unavailable.<\/p>\n
Tile, 64, a famous Betawi comedian, who has starred in dozens
\nof television shows and movies since 1987, said he had no idea
\nwhy the Betawi people seem to lag behind the other ethnic groups
\nthat make up Indonesia's diverse populace. Nor could he even
\nbegin to guess about how to reverse the situation.<\/p>\n
Lenong<\/p>\n
\"I don't know the answer to such questions. But I have one
\npiece of advice to the younger generation of Betawi people, and
\nthat is that they never stop loving lenong,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lenong is a Betawi drama performed to the accompaniment of
\nmusic.<\/p>\n
Tile has performed in lenong shows since the 1960s and still
\npursues that profession with the famous Sinar Jaya group led by
\nHaj Nasir.<\/p>\n
Tile, the father of eight -- all ojek drivers or laborers --
\nsaid he was not sure if the younger generation needed to improve
\nthemselves educationally in order to strike back, or even to
\nsurvive.<\/p>\n
Maryati, 22, also a lenong player, who has become highly
\npopular of late due to her brief appearance as Munaroh in the
\ntelevision series Doel Anak Sekolahan, said the Betawi are
\ntypically humorous and carefree people. Many, if not most of
\nthem, don't take care much of their future and prefer living in a
\nrelaxed manner.<\/p>\n
Although most of the Betawi people have been pushed to the
\nperiphery of Jakarta, she is proud of being Betawi.<\/p>\n
\"Today, the Betawi culture is in fashion following the success
\nof the TV series Doel Anak Sekolahan. Many people are now making
\nfilms about Betawi culture,\" she said. (jsk\/raw\/sim)<\/p>",
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