Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Most children of officials choose an easy\nlife by trading on their parents\u2019 names. However, there is a wealthy\nindividual who instead opts for a life of hardship by struggling on his\nown.<\/p>\n
The figure of Soesalit has come under public scrutiny because he\nvoluntarily chose to lead a simple life despite facing economic\nlimitations. His name is not as well-known as his biological mother,\nR.A. Kartini.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Soesalit\u2019s obscurity stems from his own decision not to\nclimb the ladder of success by relying on his famous mother Kartini\u2019s\nname.<\/p>\n
In his time, Soesalit was a rather fortunate child. He was born into\nan official\u2019s family because his father, Raden Mas Adipati Ario\nDjojoadiningrat, served as Regent of Rembang. Later, history also\nrecords that his mother, Kartini, became a great figure due to her\nvisionary thinking that transcended her era.<\/p>\n
Despite this, Soesalit did not want to rely on the great names of\nboth parents to build his life. Wardiman Djojonegoro in Kartini (2024)\nrecounts that Soesalit actually had the right to succeed his father as\nregent. However, he firmly refused. Many relatives repeatedly asked\nSoesalit to take the position, but his response always ended in\nrejection.<\/p>\n
Instead, he chose to join the military in 1943. He was trained by\nJapanese troops and later joined as a soldier in Pembela Tanah Air\n(PETA). When Indonesia gained independence, Soesalit effectively became\npart of the People\u2019s Security Army of the Republic of Indonesia. From\nthere, his career slowly shone.<\/p>\n
According to Sitisoemandari Soeroto in Kartini: A Biography (1979),\nSoesalit was always involved in several battles against the Dutch, which\nquickly led to his promotion. Likewise, his name became increasingly\nfamous.<\/p>\n
The peak of his success as a soldier occurred in 1946. He was\nappointed as Commander of Diponegoro Division II, leading the most\nimportant troops because they were tasked with guarding the national\ncapital in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
He even held several civilian positions at times. One of them was as\nan advisor to the Minister of Defence in Ali Sastro\u2019s Cabinet in\n1953.<\/p>\n
When this happened, few people knew that Soesalit was the son of\nIndonesia\u2019s great figure, R.A. Kartini. He deliberately did not trade on\nhis mother\u2019s great name.<\/p>\n
Yet, throughout his life, Kartini\u2019s stories repeatedly served as\ninspiration and were retold by many generations about the woman who\nadvocated for equality through her letters. Even then, the song about\nhis mother titled \u201cIbu Kita Kartini\u201d composed by W.R. Supratman was\nalready popular and continues to be sung by many people.<\/p>\n
Soesalit\u2019s superior, General Nasution, witnessed how he did not\nflaunt his parents\u2019 names. Nasution saw that when no longer on duty,\nSoesalit preferred to live in poverty as a veteran. He did not claim his\nrights as a veteran.<\/p>\n
According to Nasution, quoted from Kartini: A Biography (1979), he\ncould have easily avoided poverty by stating that he was Kartini\u2019s only\nson. That way, many people would show sympathy and could change the life\nof the two-star general.<\/p>\n
However, Soesalit steadfastly held to the principle instilled from\nthe beginning: he did not want to reveal that he was Kartini\u2019s\ndescendant. Because of this principle, the man born in Rembang remained\nimpoverished until his death on 17 March 1962.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/refusing-to-sell-his-parents-name-this-officials-son-chooses-a-life-of-hardship-1774065076", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }