Suriname poet too curious to visit Java<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Unlike homecomings for many others, Surianto's
\nfirst visit to this country was devoid of emotion.<\/p>\n
\"I am curious rather than emotional about being here,\" said
\nthe 63-year-old poet who was born of Javanese descent in a
\nvillage in Suriname. He refers to Indonesia as the home of his
\nancestors and not his own, and his interest in the country as
\nacademic and cultural rather than sentimental.<\/p>\n
Surianto, who participated in the recent poetry festival at
\nTeater Utan Kayu, is also a member of the 21-seat provincial
\nparliament from the Percaya Luhu Party and has followed the
\ninteresting turn politics has taken here. He finds politicians in
\nIndonesia too emotional, and religion given far too much
\nimportance in public life.<\/p>\n
Surianto points out that one of the most striking
\ncharacteristics of Suriname society is the heterogeneous ethnic
\ncomposition of its population, which includes native Indians,
\npeople known as \"bush Negroes\", Asian Indians and Javanese, who
\nmake up 15 percent of the population. There is even a small but
\nthriving Jewish community. They maintain their own identities to
\na large extent, mingling nevertheless with each other in
\ncommercial and social activities.<\/p>\n
Although the son of a farmer, Surianto graduated in business
\nadministration and traveled for further studies to the United
\nStates. His father died before he could return for a visit to
\nJava as he could never afford the trip. His priority has remained
\nto work hard and educate his children.<\/p>\n
His mother's family was the first to migrate as workers on
\nsugarcane and cotton plantations owned by the Dutch. His father's
\nfamily from Pekalongan, Central Java, followed soon after and the
\ntwo married on the faraway island located on the north central
\ncoast of South America.<\/p>\n
Although his parents were Muslim by religion, Surianto
\nwas brought up observing rites and rituals practiced by the
\nfamily according to Javanese adat (tradition). He married a woman
\nfrom the Javanese community in Suriname and both eventually chose
\nto follow the Hindu religion as practiced in Java during pre-
\nIslamic times. Only two of his four children are practicing
\nMuslims, while one is a Protestant and the eldest a Roman
\nCatholic.<\/p>\n
\"We spoke Javanese at home and grew up listening to our
\nparents say how living in the village of Lasmborek in Suriname
\nwas just like being in Pekalongan. I did not recall them being
\ntoo sentimental about Java,\" Surianto told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Surianto was sent along with his siblings to study in the
\ncity. While some from his generation returned to the countryside
\nto farm, Surianto chose a job in the government. In his spare
\ntime he pursued his love for literature and music and today is
\nable to play a variety of instruments.<\/p>\n
He uses a form of Javanese for his poetry and short stories in
\nwhich the vocabulary from all the other languages of the country
\nalso creeps in. Again it was curiosity that made him keep in
\ntouch with the Javanese language through magazines published in
\nJava; he also studied Indonesian at the Indonesian Embassy.<\/p>\n
It is the dream of every one in Suriname whose family came
\nfrom Indonesia to visit this country once, he says, but few are
\nable to afford it. From the moment he landed in Jakarta, he never
\nfelt that he was on foreign soil. He finds the climate and
\nlandscape here the same as at home and he is happy to find young
\nIndonesians far more traditional than in Suriname. \"We are
\nwesternizing too fast in Suriname.\"<\/p>\n
He does not expect any big reception awaiting him when he
\nvisits Pekalongan. He knows nobody there and it will not sadden
\nhim if he is unable to locate the home of his ancestors.<\/p>\n
\"There are no unrealistic expectations on my part. The
\nfirst set of Javanese sailed for Suriname in 1890. My
\nfather left in 1931. It is all such a long time ago. I
\nam not at all sentimental about this trip. I am just
\nhappy to be here.\"<\/p>\n
But some of his friends with Javanese roots did give him a
\nlittle money to buy souvenirs like batik shirts, sarongs and
\nwayang (shadow puppets), only proving that home really is where
\nthe heart is. (Mehru Jaffer)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/suriname-poet-too-curious-to-visit-java-1447893297",
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