Festive 'Dero' no longer binds people in Poso<\/p>\n
The Malino Meeting, held to bring leaders of the different
\nwarring factions together during the festive atmosphere of Idul
\nFitri, Christmas and the New Year, evoked sweet memories of the
\ndistrict's peaceful past. When peace reigned in Poso, there were
\ngood relationships and merriment among different religious and
\nethnic groups during the annual holidays.<\/p>\n
During important religious holidays, the regency capital of
\nPoso was the scene of great festivity. Idul Fitri was not only a
\nhappy day for Muslims but also for Christians. Likewise, at
\nChristmas both Christians and Muslims had a good time. Poso
\nresidents would visit their neighbors of different religious
\npersuasion. They would exchange presents and enjoy themselves.<\/p>\n
"We used to live in one big melting pot," Benny, a resident of
\nKayamanya subdistrict, now a refugee in the village of Sedoa,
\nNapu Valley, said, while reminiscing.<\/p>\n
During the festive period of Idul Fitri, Christmas and New
\nYear, an event called Dero would be held by Poso townfolk. At
\nthis art event, particular to Poso, a group of people - young and
\nold, male and female - formed a circle. With the accompaniment
\nof a local tune, these participants clasped one another's hands
\nand swung their legs twice to the right and then once to the
\nleft, making the circle of people move around a central point.<\/p>\n
If there were many participants, they would be divided into
\nseveral circles, each having the same central point. So, there
\nwas a large circle and then several concentric circles with an
\nincreasingly shorter diameter. The event usually took place at
\nnight and ended at daybreak.<\/p>\n
When you joined Dero, religious and ethnic boundaries, as well
\nas social status, disappeared in the melodies of the accompanying
\nmusic. What came to view was only the legs moving to the right
\nand to the left and hips swaying to the same rhythm, making a
\ncircular movement within the same circle.<\/p>\n
Philosophically, Dero manifests a popular saying of the Poso
\npeople: Sintuvu Maroso, which means "united and strong". Sintuvu
\nmeans to be united in attitude, a reason why the people of Poso
\nresort to deliberation before making a decision. Sintuvu is a
\nprinciple applicable also to migrants, for example the Bugis
\npeople, the Javanese and the Balinese. Thanks to the wise saying
\nof Sintuvu Maroso, during the Soeharto era, Poso was the pride of
\nthe regional administration in terms of religious harmony.<\/p>\n
When rioting broke out in this black-wood-producing region,
\nPoso was suddenly no longer the pride of the region.<\/p>\n
Sintuvu Maroso seems to have been abandoned. The people of
\nPoso do not seem to have any more time for their Dero. They no
\nlonger move in a circle following the tune. They just seem to
\nwalk in one direction, heading for safer areas as refugees. There
\nis no longer any music. It has been replaced by the weeping of
\nchildren, the complaints of tired old people and the cry of women
\nin labor.<\/p>\n
Husri Ahmad, chief editor of Poso Post, said there was
\nsomething missing this year in the festivities, which are usually
\ninherent during Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year. Idul Fitri
\nwas celebrated by Muslims without the presence of their Christian
\nfriends. "My Christian friends and neighbors used to visit us
\nearlier than other people to say 'Happy Idul Fitri' to us. This
\nyear, however, there seemed to be a distance between us," he
\nsaid. He also said that he could no longer say "Merry Christmas"
\ndirectly to his Christians acquaintances. "I hope we can be
\ntogether again before long," he noted.<\/p>\n
Lebron, secretary of the Calvary Church congregation in the
\nvillage of Sangginore, Poso Pesisir district, had much to say
\nabout the sweet memories when peace reigned during religious
\nholidays like Idul Fitri, Christmas and the New Year in the past.
\nHe said that at Idul Fitri he and his family and friends would go
\nto Poso to bring Nasi Jaha (glutinous rice cooked in young
\nbamboo) for their Muslim relatives and friends.<\/p>\n
"I would stay in Poso for a week visiting my Muslim friends
\nduring Idul Fitri," he said.<\/p>\n
He added that at Christmas, his Muslim friends and relatives
\nwould visit him. "They would come in groups and take with them
\nsome rice. Then we cooked Nasi Jaha together," he said. While
\nwaiting for Nasi Jaha to be served, they would usually perform
\nDero.<\/p>\n
Before the riots broke out, the people of Poso were united,
\nnot only by the festive atmosphere of Idul Fitri, Christmas and
\nNew Year, but also by the atmosphere of Padungku, a customary
\nrite usually performed after harvest time. "It is an expression
\nof gratitude to God for the annual harvest," said Risman, one of
\nthe youth figures in Poso. Just like Dero, Padungku also involves
\ndifferent religions and ethnic groups in Poso.<\/p>\n
Following the deployment of five army battalions with Sintuvu
\nMaroso as their code of operation and the conclusion of the
\nMalino Meeting with a ten-point declaration toward the
\nrestoration of peace, Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year, the
\ncelebrations this year did not seem to lose any of their
\nmerriment and festive spirit.<\/p>\n
Dero was performed as usual but this time it was neither a
\ncircle nor did it have several smaller concentric circles.<\/p>\n
The Dero held by the Christian community was not attended by
\nMuslims and vice versa. One Dero circle was performed in the town
\nof Poso and the other in Tentena. These two circles were very
\nclearly separated, and there appeared little hope of them being
\nreconciled soon.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/festive-dero-no-longer-binds-people-in-poso-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}