Revolution was political above all, scholars say<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Prominent scholars discussed the Indonesian
\nrevolutionary wars yesterday and concluded that the struggle for
\nindependence here was more political than social in nature.<\/p>\n
Sociologist Ignas Kleden and American historian William
\nFrederick asserted that the Indonesian revolution was more marked
\nby the struggle to win power from colonialists.<\/p>\n
As such, the revolution was more political in nature and
\nfailed to entail drastic social changes, Kleden said.<\/p>\n
\"It is more similar to what happened in England or the United
\nStates,\" he said, adding that in those countries, too, social
\nchanges only occurred gradually following political struggle.<\/p>\n
In contrast, revolutions in France, Russia and China can be
\ncategorized as \"social revolutions\" because they were followed by
\nmajor social changes, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Political or national revolutions tend to transform the state
\nstructure without necessarily causing a transformation in social
\nstructures,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Restructuring social institutions is still the task faced by
\nthe new society following the transfer of authority accomplished
\nin the revolution, he said.<\/p>\n
Kleden and Frederick were the last speakers yesterday at the
\ninternational conference on national revolution at the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI).<\/p>\n
\"(The Indonesian revolution) is political in the sense that it
\neffectuated the transfer of power and authority,\" Kleden said.<\/p>\n
Comparing the situation to Vietnam, Frederick said the
\nrevolution here \"failed socially\" at the time because it did not
\ninvolve social restructuring.<\/p>\n
Some layers in the early years of the republic actually wished
\nfor such major social changes, including the Indonesian Socialist
\nParty, he said.<\/p>\n
The wish, however, was then \"thwarted by a Republic that (was)
\nbourgeois, reactionary, or worse,\" Frederick said in his prepared
\npaper.<\/p>\n
He added that this failure was among the reasons why the
\nIndonesian revolution received less than adequate recognition
\nabroad and was not often mentioned in international literature on
\ncomparative revolutions.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that some leading figures in the history of the
\nIndonesian revolution were willing to turn villages into battle
\ngrounds or bases for mobilization of power, but not as a venue to
\nintroduce social changes.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, there was little chance for a genuine social
\nrevolution to occur,\" Frederick said. \"What took place, instead,
\nwas only a temporary social upheaval.\"<\/p>\n
He added the \"failed revolution\" view is found among both
\nIndonesian and outside observers.<\/p>\n
\"Some people have grumbled that there perhaps wasn't a
\nrevolution at all..there's a vague feeling that the revolution
\nwas something one cannot be entirely proud of,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He quoted political scientist Burhan Magenda who said in 1978
\nthat the Republic's unity \"was achieved at the expense of social
\ntransformation.\"<\/p>\n
In comparison, since its independence, Vietnam has been more
\nable in resolving problems such as social and economic
\ninequality, he said.<\/p>\n
However, Frederick stressed that the shared 50th anniversary
\nof the independence of Vietnam and Indonesia provides opportunity
\nto appreciate \"the full meaning and value of the Indonesian
\nRevolution.\" (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/revolution-was-political-above-all-scholars-say-1447893297",
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