The Supers<\/p>\n
What I have in mind are the super-rich and the super-poor. To
\nthe latter category belong most Indonesian farmers, or to be more
\nexact, the rice growers. Their plight has been heartrending ever
\nsince preindependent times. Leaders of new and old political
\nparties hardly touch on the matter in their campaigns before the
\ntechnological wonder, the television camera. They are too busy
\nchoosing the symbols of their parties.<\/p>\n
The Reform Cabinet has increased the price of some fertilizers
\nneeded by rice growers because these contain imported
\ningredients, and you know how our rupiah is faring. To compensate
\nprice hikes, government agencies have raised the price of husked
\nrice per kilogram from Rp 1,000 to Rp 1,500, making village
\nchildren jump in the air at hearing the good tiding.<\/p>\n
When harvesttime comes, the government cooperatives refuse to
\npurchase the husked rice at the official price, complaining the
\n\"unhusked\" contain too much water. Understandably so because the
\nharvesttime comes during the unwelcome rainy season. Here,
\nprivate buyers or middlemen come in offering cash of Rp 600 to Rp
\n700 for every kilogram, which the rice growers have to accept
\nwith a bleeding heart.<\/p>\n
And this to think that the ministries of agriculture and
\ncooperatives, through foreign assistance, have dropped hundreds
\nof millions of rupiah to thousands of villages throughout the
\ncountry just to avoid such tragic things from happening.<\/p>\n
An official told an interviewer from a private television
\nnetwork that it was unfortunate that the money comes too late
\ninto the hands of the rice growers, rural cooperatives and rural
\nbanking offices. Responsible planning, indeed, is not the
\ngreatest asset of our leaders.<\/p>\n
Godowns of rural cooperatives are usually full of imported
\nrice when growers come to sell their paddies. Maybe there was no
\nneed to draw up a marketing strategy when you sell rice. Under
\nwhatever system, it seems that only the speculators fare the
\nmost.<\/p>\n
Rice growers, landless or land owners, fortunately again, need
\nlittle and are modest and patient people. Hopefully, the new
\npolitical leaders would and could change their unromantic saga.
\nThe other super group actually deserves no comment, since The
\nJakarta Post Sunday edition has reviewed a book on the
\nuntouchable rich Indonesians who have been able to maintain their
\nlifestyle despite the economic crisis, the currency crisis, bank
\nmergers, or national debt burden, workers laid off, etc.<\/p>\n
I remember one day on a recent visit to New Zealand, a
\nBeechcraft-type private airplane was parked at the Christchurch
\nairfield bearing the identification mark PK, for Indonesia. A
\ngroup of Indonesians had flown in the other day to spend their
\nholidays skiing and bungee jumping. Gambling places are included
\nin their favorite places, and they are plenty.<\/p>\n
In Sydney, they might go to the Opera House for a concert but
\nsuch people never miss Kings Cross, if you know what I mean.<\/p>\n
There is no use fighting the rich. The task of every
\nintellectual and political party, as well as the moral duty of
\nevery religious leader, is to eradicate poverty. I believe that
\nmost of the country's farmers -- and rice growers in particular
\n-- have become super indifferent to promises by political
\nleaders. They are grateful if they continue to exist on a day-to-
\nday basis.<\/p>\n
When will foresight be part of governing?<\/p>\n
GANDHI SUKARDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-supers-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }