Indians a notable feature in Pasar Baru<\/p>\n
Anton Doni, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Passer Baroe, known nowadays as Pasar Baru, was originally the
\nChinatown of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Since the late 1940s, people of Indian descent began to
\ncontribute to a more colorful Pasar Baru.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, the area is associated more with Indians than
\nChinese.<\/p>\n
Along Jl. Dr Soetomo on its southern margins, you can clearly
\nsee Indian symbols. The most striking is the Gandhi Institute of
\nBusiness and Technology with its four-floor building.<\/p>\n
In the same street, there is another striking symbol -- a
\nbillboard with \"Bollywood\" in bold lettering. It is a former
\nrestaurant that was housed in a three-story building. Bank
\nIndoMonex, next to Bollywood, is another prominent symbol of
\nIndia in this road.<\/p>\n
Aside from these, other buildings are adorned with Indian
\nsymbols: Gandhi Kindergarten, Sri Sathya Sai Baba Indonesia
\ncultural center and a textile house named Hariom's.<\/p>\n
In total, there are about 110 retail establishments at Pasar
\nBaru, with most owned by Indian or Chinese businesspeople.<\/p>\n
In addition to these premises, Pasar Baru is also home to
\nplaces of worship for the Indian community. There at least seven
\ntemples.<\/p>\n
Most of these are not particularly striking, except for
\nGurudwara Sikh Temple in Jl. Pasar Baru Timur.<\/p>\n
Together with eight mosques, seven small mosques, 11
\nProtestant churches, and four Buddhist temples, these Indian
\ntemples help to maintain the religious life of the whole
\ncommunity of Pasar Baru.<\/p>\n
Indian stores, schools and places of worship are not
\nexclusively for Indian people. Many Indonesians with Javanese and
\nChinese background also use them.<\/p>\n
In the stores there are many Indonesian employees. In the
\nelementary schools and kindergarten, there are many Chinese and
\nJavanese students.<\/p>\n
The kindergarten principal is a Javanese woman. And even in
\nthe temples, there are to be found many Indonesian employees from
\ndifferent religious backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Thus, crosscultural interaction occurs every day.<\/p>\n
Apart from doing business, studying and worshiping, Pasar Baru
\nis also a place where many Indian people live. Data from the
\nSindhi Directory shows that at least 87 Indian families live in
\nthis area.<\/p>\n
According to official statistics, there are probably around
\n500 to 1,000 people of Indian descent in the area. Although this
\nseems quite high, it constitutes only around 4 percent to 8
\npercent of the total population of Pasar Baru, which totals
\n13,196.<\/p>\n
This represents a slight decline, as some Indians have moved
\nto other locations in Sunter and Kelapa Gading.<\/p>\n
As far as economic survival and maintaining its cultural
\nidentity are concerned, the Indian community in Jakarta has been
\nsuccessful.<\/p>\n
Geeta, 25, who recently graduated from the Gandhi Institute of
\nBusiness and Technology, is a good example. This is how she
\ndefines her identity: \"I am an Indian girl born in Jakarta.\"<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, the challenge remains for the Indian community to
\nintegrate more with the rest of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
The writer is a researcher at the Research and Development Unit
\nof The Jakarta Post.<\/p>",
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