Scholars must make ideological stand<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Scholars in Indonesia must assert their
\nideological beliefs instead of remaining on the sidelines as
\n\"objective observers\", Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Speaking after a ceremony to install new deputies at the
\nIndonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Moerdiono said that
\nscholars cannot remain neutral when it comes to strategic
\nmatters.<\/p>\n
They should be able to follow up the political will of the
\npeople, the sovereignty of the country, he said.<\/p>\n
Such ideological support can only come from Indonesian
\nintellectuals, certainly not from foreign scholars, he added.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono installed Soemarjato Kajatmo as LIPI vice chairman
\nto replace Aprilani Soegiarto, who is retiring. He also installed
\nArdjoeno Brojonegoro as deputy for social and humanity sciences,
\nAnugerah Nontji as deputy for natural sciences, Nilyardi Kahar as
\ndeputy for Technical Sciences and Djoko Pitono as deputy for
\nSupervising of Scientific Facilities.<\/p>\n
LIPI chairman Soefjan Tsauri and several senior government
\nofficials and senior researchers were present at the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono's office oversees the activities of LIPI.<\/p>\n
\"I gave deep thought to this issue before I expressed this
\nmessage to you,\" Moerdiono said during the ceremony.<\/p>\n
\"Deep in my heart, I also had concerns that ideological
\ncommitments could undermine the quality of Indonesian
\nintellectuals,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister said that his concerns were dispelled after he
\nread a paper written by Miriam Budiardjo, a senior LIPI political
\nresearcher, expounding the so-called post behavioral approach.<\/p>\n
He said Miriam in her paper quoted David Easton, who believes
\nthat scholars should feel committed to changing society for the
\nbetter.<\/p>\n
In essence, Easton states that scholars should be \"action-
\noriented\", he said.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that the post behavioral approach is also relevant
\nfor scholars in other disciplines. The ideological commitment of
\nscholars is legitimate and acceptable,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
If this concept is accepted, every scholar in Indonesia must
\nstudy the national ideology in-depth.<\/p>\n
He recalled that the late Mohammad Hatta, Indonesia's first
\nvice president and a respected statesman, had already expounded
\nthe concept of a responsible intelligentsia in 1957.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said that the government is counting on carefully
\nthought-out suggestions from the intellectual community to help
\nit make decisions. \"When giving their suggestions, these
\nintellectuals are expected to take ideological factors into
\naccount,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister also took the opportunity to apologize for the
\ndelay in installing the deputies, whose appointments were
\napproved by President Soeharto last July.<\/p>\n
\"Politically I'm responsible for this. But I will investigate
\nthe matter and find out who on my staff was responsible.\" (31)<\/p>\n
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