A fight for existence

A fight for existence

The 42-year-old Moslem Students' Association (HMI) was an easy target of criticism from both within and without as it held a chaotic congress in Surabaya last week. The congress was closed early morning yesterday after electing a new chairman, Taufiq Hidayat, 29, a post-graduate student of the University of Indonesia.

HMI, which is known for its fierce fight against communism before 1966, has been criticized for inaction and declining popularity over the last decade. The organization has all but lost contact with life on the campuses, which has been its foundation since its beginnings in 1947. It has also been accused of becoming too busy with itself and of being less and less sensitive towards social changes. Some critics say its leaders have acted more like bureaucrats than intellectuals who are supposed to possess the capability to formulate concepts based on the Holy Koran to heal society's ills.

The way the Surabaya congress dragged on to close one day late did not help to improve the organization's image. The situation was such that the emotions and poor sense of discipline of the delegates made the discussion of serious matters all but impossible.

The current condition of the organization is a far cry from that of the 1950s and 1960s, when HMI was led by activists who later played important roles in Indonesian society. They include the now retired Lieutenant General Achmad Tirtosudiro, the first head of the National Logistics Agency (Bulog); Abdurrachman Gunadirdja, the ambassador to Beijing until recently; Dr. Deliar Noer, an American-educated political scientist and head of the think tank of the Group of 50 government critics; Ismail Hasan Metareum, chairman of the United Development Party; Mar'ie Mohammad, the minister of finance, and Nurcholis Madjid, a noted Moslem intellectual, just to mention a few.

But HMI is not alone in suffering such a crisis. The dilemma has also hit other student and youth organizations. Up to several years ago HMI still grouped itself with nationalist and Christian student organizations under the Cipayung Group, which was active in discussing the nation's problems. These other organizations are also less active today than they were in the past.

University student organizations have found themselves severely limited by the 1978 government policy banning students from involvement in political activities on campus. Students are now only allowed to channel their political aspirations outside of their campuses.

This drastic step was taken after the massive anti-government demonstrations by students in Bandung and Jakarta, and was intended to depoliticize the nation's campuses. This measure was followed up by the introduction of the academic credit system, which compelled students to concentrate even more on their studies.

In the wake of these moves, each campus event, or gathering of young people, seemed to have invisible hands mixing in and throwing their support behind certain candidates for chairman. The participants of these student and youth congresses slowly became accustomed to hearing speeches by high-placed people.

The government seems to continue to want to protect itself from the danger of student political activities. And some students have claimed that the authorities are afraid of their power because it was a student movement that was instrumental in toppling president Sukarno.

But that is now clearly a matter of history. The impact of the government's policy on student involvement in politics has made youth and student organizations less and less attractive to young people, who are becoming increasingly insensitive towards the nation's problems.

We are afraid that this will make our young people feeble leaders when their turns come to replace the present generation.

Of course, there is the KNPI, a coordinating federation of youths, but many people get the impression that it does nothing more than to toe the government line.

HMI's newly-elected chairman has said that the organization will reinforce its bases in the campuses in an effort to reform itself and become meaningful for society once again. We will just have to wait to see how successful he will be.