War and independence, a childhood memory<\/p>\n
Hadjid Harnawidagda
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
We are celebrating our 60th anniversary of Indonesian
\nindependence on Aug. 17. I was only eight years old in 1945, but
\nI have a very vivid memory of what happened several years prior
\nto and after the proclamation of independence.<\/p>\n
Tension due to the world war was building in Southeast Asia in
\nFebruary. It was only a matter of time before Japan was to
\nconquer Indonesia, ending 350 years of Dutch colonial power.<\/p>\n
As a child I saw the war preparations. Bunkers were dug in
\nmany places so that people could hide in case of air attacks.
\nEverybody equipped oneself with rubber to bite and cotton to plug
\nthe ears to lessen the effects of bomb explosions. Nobody
\nquestioned the effectiveness of the silly preparations.<\/p>\n
One day people of the villages near the military airport which
\nwas known as Adi Sumarmo Airport in Solo, Central Java, were told
\nto leave their respective houses because it was believed that the
\narea would become a target of air attacks. From time to time
\nJapanese aircraft demonstratively flew overhead, encircling the
\narea, sometimes even bringing a bomb hung below the plane to
\nscare people. At last the Japanese came, not by air, but by land
\nwith trucks and noisy armored vehicles. The Japanese did not
\nbother the indigenous local people.<\/p>\n
But the Dutch, the white people, men, women and even children
\nwere herded into trucks and taken away. The following three and a
\nhalf years were full of thrills and confusion. There was a
\nshortage of food, clothes, everything. Young people were
\nrecruited to get some kind of military training. School children
\nwere taught to speak Japanese, to sing the Japanese national
\nanthem Kimigayo and different kinds of Japanese war songs.
\nBesides the Japanese doctrine of being the great Asian people a
\nnational awareness began to grown and people began to dream of an
\nindependent Indonesia.<\/p>\n
When Bung Karno (as Sukarno was popularly known) and Bung
\nHatta (Muhammad Hatta) proclaimed Indonesian independence on Aug.
\n17, 1945, most people outside Jakarta did not hear anything about
\nit. The proclamation was secretly broadcasted by radio and only a
\nfew people heard it.<\/p>\n
Only several days later when some young people shouted,
\n\"Merdeka! Merdeka!\" (Freedom) in public places people began to be
\naware of the great news. In many places battles erupted when
\nIndonesian youth tried to disarm the Japanese soldiers.<\/p>\n
It only took several minutes for Bung Karno, the proclaimer,
\nto read the proclamation of the independence, but armed struggle
\ncontinued for at least four years to force the Dutch to recognize
\nIndonesia as an independent nation.<\/p>\n
Soon after Sukarno proclaimed independence, Dutch troops,
\ntogether with the allied forces, came back and tried to
\nreestablish their power.<\/p>\n
The capital of the republic was moved from Jakarta to
\nYogyakarta. To undermine the fledging republic the Dutch attacked
\nand occupied strategic places such as Bandung, Surabaya and
\nSemarang. On the other hand the new republic was also getting
\nbetter organized.<\/p>\n
Besides the regular Indonesian armed forces, mostly manned by
\nJapanese-trained soldiers Pembela Tanah Air (Defenders of the
\nMotherland), there were different kinds of partisan troops like
\nStudents Army (Tentara Pelajar), People's Troops (Tentara
\nRakyat), Hizbullah and others.<\/p>\n
The republic suffered the hardest blow when the Dutch attacked
\nYogyakarta by air and by land. Sukarno, Hatta and the ministers
\nwere arrested. But the struggle for independence continued. Gen.
\nSudirman and other military leaders left the city and led the
\nguerrilla war.<\/p>\n
With guerrilla tactics they went on struggling for
\nrecognition. Ordinary people also supported them.<\/p>\n
I myself would have rather walked a longer distance to attend
\nthe provisional republic school, rather than attending the nearer
\nDutch-supported school. It was a matter of pride for us to sing
\nIndonesian nationalistic songs such as: Dwi Warna Benderaku (my
\nbicolor flag), from Sabang to Merauke and other songs.<\/p>\n
Eventually, in September 1949 the Dutch left Indonesia.<\/p>\n
I remember how joyful I was to see the republic soldiers march
\nalong the main road to take over the military posts left by the
\nDutch and raise the red and white flag to replace the three
\ncolored Dutch flag.<\/p>\n
From 1942 to 1949 Indonesian people including my family
\nsuffered so much. So many people were killed during the war, not
\njust by bombs or enemy bullets, but also due to malnutrition,
\nforced labor and illnesses.<\/p>\n
For those of my age it is easy to appreciate the gains of
\nindependence because they directly witnessed the effects on the
\nlives of almost all the Indonesian people. But, for my children's
\nand grandchildren's generation, education until university level,
\nnot being barred from a job or public position because of not
\nbeing a descendent of a noble family, and having the right to
\nprotest against the authorities are things that are taken for
\ngranted.<\/p>\n
It is true that until now we still have the problems of
\npoverty, injustice and corruption. But our present condition is
\nvery much better the period prior to independence, when only a
\nfew young people enjoyed secondary education, when electricity
\nand cars were luxuries beyond the reach of the common people.<\/p>\n
We, who are still alive to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
\nthe proclamation of the republic, have a debt of gratitude to
\nthose who have fought for our independence and who endured
\nsuffering to give better opportunities for the following
\ngenerations. By the grace of God, Allah the Almighty, we, the
\nIndonesian people, proclaimed our independence.<\/p>\n
The writer is a professor at the Syarif Hidayatullah State
\nIslamic University and UHAMKA Muhammadiyah University, Jakarta.
\nHe was born and spent his early childhood in a village near the
\npresent day Adi Sumarmo military airport, Panasan Boyolali
\nregency.<\/p>",
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