Paying respect to an Indonesian presidency in Blitar<\/p>\n
By Simon Marcus Gower<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It was quite ironic to hear two elderly ladies
\ntalking of Indonesian presidents in the small East Java town of
\nBlitar. At a bustling market area, with the clatter of a train
\npassing nearby and car horns being sounded by motorists impatient
\nto cross the train tracks, the ladies were first discussing the
\nprice of commodities in the market.<\/p>\n
They agreed that prices only seem to go up and up; and who is
\nto blame for this? One market shopper opined \"This Gus Dur. He's
\nno good! He doesn't know what to do\". The other lady, obviously
\nweary and weighed down by her groceries agreed, \"It was better
\nwhen Soeharto was still president.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia's current President takes the blame, in a town
\ninextricably linked to the presidency.<\/p>\n
In this quiet little town there seems no more appropriate a
\nmode of transport than a becak, (a pedicab). Away from the busier
\nmarket areas the streets are quite quiet. The driver pedals away
\nat a leisurely pace that fits the sleepy environment of a sunny
\nafternoon. From the pleasant and welcoming Sri Lestari Hotel,
\nwhich is partly housed in elegant colonial buildings, it is just
\na short ride to the north to reach our destination.<\/p>\n
Gently gliding past the Alun-alun (town square), the streets
\nalmost seem to be deserted in this part of town. But this is a
\ntypical day in Blitar, as many becak as cars or buses make up the
\ntraffic on these streets. Slowly we near our particular point of
\ninterest and as we do so there are signs that we are getting
\ncloser to something of note.<\/p>\n
Quiet suburban houses give way to congested gift and souvenir
\nshops and stalls. On closer inspection it can be seen that the
\ngifts and souvenirs consistently feature the image of Indonesia's
\nfirst president. From key rings and T-shirts to desktop
\npenholders and framed portraits, his image is for sale. Thus we
\nknow that we are approaching Sukarno's mausoleum.<\/p>\n
There is no entrance fee to visit this historic site; all that
\nis required of the visitor is a signature in the visitors' book.
\nThen turning left through a gateway one sees the modest but
\nattractive and well-built glass-walled mausoleum.<\/p>\n
After climbing the steps through the gateway to approach the
\ngrave-site we were met by an attendant, (this one coincidentally
\nnamed Soeharto, presumably no relation), who politely pointed out
\nthat we were required to remove our shoes before mounting the
\nmarble steps and floor that immediately surrounds the grave.<\/p>\n
A large inscribed and polished black boulder marks
\nthe first president's grave, the inscription identifies Sukarno
\nas a bearer of independence for Indonesia, but otherwise it is a
\nplain rectangular recess in the marble floor. Here in Blitar,
\nSukarno's final resting-place is perhaps appropriate, buried as
\nhe is in his hometown and amongst other family members.<\/p>\n
There are, however, those that claim that Sukarno was buried
\nhere against his own final wishes and that Blitar was chosen as
\nit is such a small and quiet town far from major hubs such as
\nJakarta or even Surabaya, the capital of East Java. It has been
\nsuggested that by siting the mausoleum in Blitar a deliberate
\npolitical decision was made to reduce the chances of the grave
\nsite becoming a major place of pilgrimage. But, while Blitar
\nremains a quiet town, the mausoleum clearly is a place of
\npilgrimage for many.<\/p>\n
Even with more than 30 people in the immediate vicinity of the
\nmausoleum's glazed walls, a respectful silence hung in the air.
\nSome sat quietly staring almost in awe of what they saw. Others
\nsat in a contemplative mood perhaps pausing to consider the
\nlife of the man whose final resting-place is before them. Others
\nstill offered prayers as if this is a holy site; though it is not
\nclear whether these prayers are for the life of a past president
\nor for the on-going presidency.<\/p>\n
But no matter what people chose to do here, one thing is
\nconstant - their respect. Whether young or old, all were
\nevidently moved and impressed by their presence here.<\/p>\n
Many of those paying their respects were old enough to
\nretain memories of the man and as they left souvenir sellers
\noffered them photographic memories of him.<\/p>\n
Few of these older visitors, however, chose to buy these
\nphotographs. They merely showed a mild interest in such
\nphotographic evidence of a life and passed on their way. The
\nyounger visitors, meantime, were buying some of them.<\/p>\n
\"He's a great figure in Indonesian history. He's a legend\",
\nsaid one.<\/p>\n
Later when talking to some other young Indonesians,
\nin their mid-twenties, the topic turned to the current problems
\nfacing the presidency. One observed that \"we need to bring
\n(former president) Soeharto to justice\".<\/p>\n
However, he claimed that this is difficult to do because \"he
\n(Soeharto) still has magical powers. He still has control over
\nwhat is happening\". The suggestion seemed to be that Soeharto is
\nsome spirit-like figure that possesses spiritual influence
\nover decision-makers in Indonesia. It seemed as if some
\nsupernatural powers were being proposed that made this former
\npresident almost other worldly or non-human. Yet here in Blitar
\none is reminded of the very human mortality of presidents.<\/p>\n
Mortality<\/p>\n
Indeed, it is this mortality that is, perhaps, the powerful
\npresence of a place such as Blitar's Sukarno mausoleum. All of
\nthe people visiting it are touched by it in some way. Few of
\nthose visitors will have ever known or even met him. Many would
\nnot have even been born before his death in 1970 but all feel
\nsome connection, some motivation to be here.<\/p>\n
They feel a connection, even a devotion, to the once and first
\nIndonesian president. It is this connection, devotion and sense
\nof respect that is so noticeable when visiting the mausoleum. It
\ndoes not seem to be a sad or morose atmosphere that pervades.
\nInstead one feels an atmosphere of decent respect and
\nthoughtfulness.<\/p>\n
Currently much is written and said about Indonesia's latest
\nand fourth President. Everything from his political, intellectual
\nand leadership skills to his day-to-day health is scrutinized.<\/p>\n
This, it is reasonable to propose, is part of the growing
\ndemocratic process here in Indonesia. But Blitar's mausoleum to
\nSukarno may be an important reminder.<\/p>\n
Presidents are mere mortals.<\/p>\n
With all the near microscopic examination of the current
\nPresident it is worth remembering that he is just another human
\nbeing. Prone to all the human frailties that we all may
\nencounter, a president is not super-human or even supernatural.<\/p>\n
Whilst Sukarno's mausoleum does signify an important, perhaps,
\neven legendary figure in Indonesian history, it is also a family
\ngrave site. The man may have been great, even a great president,
\nbut he was but a man.<\/p>\n
If he, or indeed the presidency, is to be respected it is
\nbecause of the respect shown to and service provided for the
\npeople of Indonesia by such a president and the presidency.<\/p>\n
Despite being in the quite remote and small town of Blitar in
\nEast Java, many people do, then, visit Sukarno's mausoleum. It
\nmay even be said that people make a pilgrimage to the site. Such
\nacts of devotion are matched by the peaceful calm that surrounds
\nthe architecture and general atmosphere of the mausoleum.<\/p>\n
The kind of respect and thoughtfulness that may be witnessed
\nin Blitar could well be a lesson and guide during these difficult
\ntimes for the presidency.<\/p>\n
Hopefully such calm and thoughtfulness will help and guide all
\nthose that serve.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/paying-respect-to-an-indonesian-presidency-in-blitar-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}