A welcome trend

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.