Sultan, Kahitna awarded for nationalism<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta Governor and presidential candidate Sultan
\nHamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta received the Widya Mwat Yasa
\n(Wimaya) Award on Friday from Yogyakarta's Veteran National
\nDevelopment University (UPN Veteran).<\/p>\n
It was the first award ever presented by the university in a
\nbid to promote love for the nation, tolerance and peace.<\/p>\n
The sultan was selected for his writing, which appeared in a
\nlocal daily Kedaulatan Rakyat on Feb. 8, 2001, entitled Indonesia
\nBaru: Menuju Integrasi atau Disintegrasi? (New Indonesia: Is it
\nheading toward integration or disintegration?). The article was
\nselected out of over 100 other writings published in the mass
\nmedia.<\/p>\n
A team of jurors led by noted scholar Prof. Koento Wibisono of
\nGadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, conducted the selection
\nafter the UPN award committee selected 20 articles for the team
\nto select.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists at a media conference held ahead the
\naward presentation, Koento said that the sultan's writing
\ncontained elements essential to preserve and promote love for the
\nnation, unity, patriotism, tolerance and pride in being
\nIndonesian.<\/p>\n
Secretary-general of the Ministry of Defense Rear Marshall
\nSuprihadi, who is also chairman of Yayasan Kejuangan Panglima
\nBesar Soedirman, the foundation that manages the university,
\nconferred the award on Friday during an open senate meeting of
\nthe university.<\/p>\n
\"The sultan's writing has a deep meaning for the nation's next
\ngeneration. It deserves the highest honor,\" Suprihadi said upon
\npresenting the award.<\/p>\n
On receiving the award, Sultan said modestly that devotion to
\nthe nation, including through writing, was a form of
\nresponsibility to the nation. Therefore, he said, there was
\nactually no need for the community to show any gratitude for what
\nhe had done.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, I don't think an award is necessary for me,\" Sultan
\nsaid before reading his 10-page speech in front of the senate
\nforum.<\/p>\n
Along with the sultan, composer Yovie Widianto and arranger
\nCarlo Saba of noted Indonesian pop group Kahitna also received
\nthe same award for their song Bumi Indonesia (Indonesian Soil).<\/p>\n
The song was selected out of eight other songs randomly taken
\nfrom different recording companies and cassette stores.<\/p>\n
According to Edhi Susilo, chairman of the team of jurors for
\nthe song award, the lyrics of the song evoked and promoted
\noneness of spirit, strengthened brotherhood among Indonesian
\npeople, and spread patriotism.<\/p>\n
The music, too, was also varied enough and harmonious so as
\nnot to be boring. It described the Indonesian panorama well
\nthrough clear and easy-to-understand language.<\/p>\n
\"Listening to the song, it is as if we are carried into
\nmeditation and inspired to respect and build the nation,\" Edhi,
\nwho is a lecturer at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI)
\nYogyakarta said.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Suprihadi also said that Bumi Indonesia could
\nincite the spirit to struggle for the nation among Indonesians.
\n\"They (Yovie Widianto and Carlo Saba) deserve the award,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Speaking separately, UPN Veteran Rector Supranto said that the
\nuniversity was planning to give a similar award every five years.
\nThe first awards, which honored the Sultan and Kahitna, were
\npresented as part of the university's 45th anniversary
\ncelebrations.<\/p>\n
\"We decided to give the awards this year because 45 for us is
\na sacred number because it is the year of our independence,\"
\nSupranto said.<\/p>\n
The university motto Widya Mwat Yasa, were taken from
\nSanskrit, meaning to learn dedication for the nation with a clear
\nheart.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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