Ahmad Tohari: Writing is Like Zikr for Me, Must Be Done with Solemnity

National cultural figure and author Ahmad Tohari has called on the younger generation, particularly students, to strengthen the culture of literacy through reading and writing. He described the activity as a vital means of self-development and a key indicator of a nation’s advancement. “Writing is a strategic activity as a primary means of developing oneself. People who write usually have above-average intelligence. Therefore, a nation’s progress is determined by the literacy of its people,” he said at SMAN 1 Sigaluh, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java, on Thursday. The author of the legendary novel ‘Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk’ was present for a ‘Meet and Greet’ event celebrating the school’s 29th anniversary. During the dialogue, Tohari revealed that he considers writing an act of worship. “For me, I regard writing as my way of remembering God, so I am solemn every time I write. In the beginning, it’s okay to copy because we need inspiration from the works of previous writers,” he told hundreds of students. He also motivated the students not to be afraid to start creating, sharing his own experience of a long process before his work gained national recognition. “It was only my fifth piece of writing that was published by Kompas,” he said, emphasising the importance of perseverance and reading quality works as a foundation for writing. He further stressed the importance of mastering the ‘Tri Gatra Bahasa’, namely Indonesian, the mother tongue, and English as an international language. According to him, quality writing can serve as a means of introducing Indonesia’s identity to the world. The head of SMAN 1 Sigaluh, Linovia, stated that Tohari’s visit was a special momentum as it coincided with the launch of the ‘One Class One Book’ programme, which has successfully produced 24 books by students and one collaborative book by teachers and staff. “We hope this is a good first step to foster a spirit of literacy among students and teachers. Going forward, we will continue to develop literacy activities like this,” Linovia said. The Head of the Archives and Library Office of Banjarnegara Regency, Arief Rachman, also expressed his appreciation, hoping the 25 books could become part of the Regional Library’s collection for public access. “We hope the 25 books can be sent to the Banjarnegara Regional Library to be displayed alongside other books by local writers. This programme is an excellent initiative from SMAN 1 Sigaluh,” Arief concluded.