A welcome trend

In this country, where books are still considered something of a luxury, the increasing trend among our leading public figures to have their autobiographies or memoirs published, can certainly be regarded as a welcome development.

The trend is particularly welcomed when considering our need for documentation. It is no common secret, for example, that many important books as well as documents and records that are of vital interest to historians and students, have been irretrievably lost due to negligence or, worse, simple ignorance.

The latest illustration of this new trend was, of course, the official launch Wednesday of two books on our former vice president Sudharmono -- the first containing his own writings exposing his life, his career and his vision for Indonesia, the second being a collection of articles about him written by various contributors.

Other books written and published in recent months either by or about some of our leading public figures include one by Gen. (ret.) Kemal Idris, who is a former commander of the Army's elite Army Strategic Command (Kostrad) which played a key role in squashing the failed 1965 Communist coup attempt.

It is impossible to list the number of important biographies and memoirs that have been published lately in the space of this column. It is sufficient to say that their publication is welcome for one particular reason; it could mean that our sense of documentation is improving. If this is true, it would be a development of vital importance to the future generation of Indonesians (and others) trying to reconstruct the intricate tapestry of Indonesia's modern history.

The original copies of many of our most important records and documents -- including, reportedly, that of the proclamation of our national independence on August 17, 1945 and president Sukarno's March 11, 1966, Order to Gen. Soeharto, our incumbent President -- have reportedly been lost. Obviously, biographies, autobiographies and memoirs that are written by those who played a part in the shaping of our history could be a welcome source of information to fill the gaps.

Here, though, is where a word of caution is in order. As historians and historiographers well know, it is not easy to distance oneself from events that have taken place in one's lifetime -- not to say recently -- and look at them objectively. Subjectivity always tends to seep into the text, however small and unintended, and can distort the work. Some writers find it difficult to resist the temptation to oversell or embellish the role they played in historical events, or to downsize that of others.

So how should this problem be addressed? Those involved in the making of our history should be encouraged to lay open the historical facts. The reader, on the other hand, should be made aware of the pitfalls. Perhaps an appeal to our historians is in order to do their part to help the reading public sort the jewels from the junk. Unfortunately the general impression exists that too many attempts have already been made in this country to misrepresent history, to bend history to meet the demands of groups or individuals.

To paraphrase a maxim that Adolf Hitler reportedly said: A lie, if repeated often enough, will become the truth. Similarly, misrepresentations of our history, if uncorrected, may eventually be regarded as true history. For the sake of our future generations, not only has the help of plain dealing historians been called for, but other writers should be encouraged to counter any perceived misrepresentations by laying bare the true facts.

There is no better gift to bequeath our children and grandchildren than a true insight into the pains, the struggles and the lofty ideals that led to the birth of this nation, and also the strength to overcome any obstructions that are in the way of attaining those ideals. It is an insight and a strength that only a fair representation of our history can give.