Villagers undeterred by Mount Merapi eruption<\/p>\n
By Haryoso<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Central Java Governor Soewardi went ballistic
\non hearing residents of Sambirejo village on the slopes of Mount
\nMerapi had refused to evacuate when the volcano erupted last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
The people that live about 10 kilometers from the mountain's
\nsummit seemed to challenge the clouds of hot ash, the burning
\nlava streaming down the slopes, the tremors and the occasional
\nbangs.<\/p>\n
The governor visited the village a few days after the
\nvolcano's activity subsided only to hear his offer of free
\nresettlement politely refused.<\/p>\n
\"They refused to move under the (state-sponsored)
\ntransmigration program on the grounds that they were inseparable
\nfrom their village,\" the governor said.<\/p>\n
The villagers have always fiercely stuck to their belief that
\nMerapi eruptions are not a calamity for them -- at least to those
\nwho are devoutly religions.<\/p>\n
Prawirorejo, a 60-year-old farmer and respected community
\nleader, says that Merapi's explosion is no less than a divine
\ntest for people in nearby areas.<\/p>\n
\"Only those who had not carried out God's word would perish
\nand those who wholeheartedly believe in God would have nothing to
\nworry about,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
To the surprise of officials and public alike, Sambirejo was
\nnot significantly affected by the Jan. 17 eruption which forced
\n18,000 people to flee their homes, leaving behind their livestock
\nand hard-earned belongings.<\/p>\n
The village was also spared by the Nov. 22, 1994 eruption that
\nclaimed 68 lives, maimed 11 others and left 5,000 homeless,
\nmostly in the nearby Turgo village.<\/p>\n
Prawirorejo said Sambirejo residents believe the people saved
\nfrom the ravages of Merapi's hot lava and heat clouds were true
\nbelievers while those affected were sinful and had to repent.<\/p>\n
For most Sambirejo villagers, the eruptions are divine
\nintervention because Merapi's lava fertilizes their land while
\nthe rocks and sand provide useful building materials.<\/p>\n
The farmers believe in an old man named Slamet (literally
\nmeaning \"Safe\"). In times of high volcanic activity, they will
\nnot vacate unless Slamet tells them to.<\/p>\n
Prawirorejo says God will pass messages of impending disasters
\nto the villagers through Slamet, who conveys them to the whole
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
But academics say that the villagers' belief is \"irrational\"
\nand stories about the old man Slamet are made up with to instill
\na sense of fanaticism about the village.<\/p>\n
\"Natural disasters can kill anybody no matter whether they
\nbelieve in God or not, sinful or otherwise\" says Fajar Ismail, an
\nanthropologist from Diponegoro University.<\/p>\n
\"The truth is that the Sambirejo villagers are reluctant to
\nmove,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Agricultural land near Merapi is renown for its fertility.<\/p>\n
The 2,968 meter high volcano is one of the world's most
\nactive. In times of low activity, it is highly popular among
\nmountaineers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/villagers-undeterred-by-mount-merapi-eruption-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}