Balinese script joins the computer age

Balinese script joins the computer age

Made Jagra, Contributor, Denpasar

Many people are concerned with the fate of the Balinese language and Balinese writing. As a pragmatic-materialistic life style comes hand-in-hand with modernization, there is a fear that Balinese writing will not survive.

Amid the worry is a hope for a better future for Balinese language and writing, thanks to computer technology that allows the conversion of the Roman alphabet into Balinese script, called Bali Simbar.

Bali Simbar is the brainchild of I Made Suatjana, a computer enthusiast who explored various language fonts available for computers throughout the world.

He was challenged, as he realized Balinese characters were not available, which motivated him to design an application for Balinese script. By clicking the buttons on screen, a user can convert Roman letters into Balinese ones. But users of the application must understand pasang aksara, or the Balinese writing system, which is complex.

What Suatjana has done, however, is helpful for the development of writing in Balinese. Many researchers, lecturers, students and others who want to write in Balinese -- including Dutch researchers of Balinese culture -- use Suatjana's application. They do not need to write in Balinese by hand, and the results are neat and consistent in size.

Suatjana worked hard to improve the application so the Roman- Balinese conversion is accurate. Now, users can even convert vice-versa -- from Balinese into Roman letters at the click of a mouse.

The Bali Simbar application was on display during the recent Independence Day exhibition, and Suatjana had hoped to gain support from the Balinese administration for the development of his work. Unfortunately, he received a cool response.

"My friends in government institutions did not seem to be interested. They are not interested in something that is important for the development of Balinese culture," he said.

The Balinese government indeed seems uninterested in the development of Balinese language and writing. In education, for example, a linguist at the University of Udayana's School of Letters, I Gusti Made Sutjaja, observed no effort had been made to improve textbooks. He said the books used for teaching Balinese language and writing were the same as those he had used in elementary school during the 1950s.

"There is no new textbook. This shows that there no effort is being made to develop the textbooks. Balinese folklore should be developed," said Sutjaja, who has published a number of Balinese dictionaries and an anthology of Balinese folklore in three languages: Indonesian, English and Balinese, using Balinese writing.

Besides, he said, the Balinese people did not have pride in their unique writing system, unlike the Japanese, who are proud of their Hiragana and Katakana script.

When he visited Japan, he said, he saw the words "Welcome" in Hiragana above the terminal gate, which inspired him to make a suggestion during a 2003 seminar to post a welcome sign at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Balinese script reading Om Swastyastu.

The airport director at the time, IGM Dhordy, agreed, and domestic visitors now arrive in Denpasar to a welcome in Balinese.

The Bali administration has actually made an effort to preserve Balinese script by issuing a regulation obliging all local government institutions to install signs bearing both Roman and Balinese script.

However, Suatjaja said this was not enough -- the institutions' names should also appear in a Romanized version of the Balinese, so that people who cannot read Balinese script can still "read" Balinese. For example, aside from Ruang Sidang, or courtroom, and its translation in Balinese script, the sign should also read Genah Pesamuhan.

Suatjaja suggested signage for toilet facilities be translated into Balinese, and written genah mewarih and its equivalent in Balinese script.

Both Sutjaja and Suatjana believe the island culture's indigenous language and writing will survive, and further, that they have a future -- not only because Balinese script has entered the technological era, but also because it is the heart and soul of Balinese culture.

In a culture in which daily life is inseparable from the people's unique Hindu faith, all Balinese priests and religious leaders refer to lontar, or holy scripture written in Balinese on palm leaves.

"The Balinese feel more comfortable if texts on religion and tradition in Bali are written in the Balinese language, even though they may be in the Roman alphabet," Sutjaja said.

Balinese script has its own spirit, power and magic. According to Balinese Hinduism, written script is the manifestation of Sanghyang Saraswati, the Goddess of Science, and is revered by the Balinese as they would revere the goddess.

"Priests, undagi (traditional Balinese architects), balian (traditional healers) and others use the script as an embodiment of the spirit of their activities. In short, cultural activities of the Balinese maintain the tradition of Balinese script," he said.

Still, Sutjaja called for the Balinese government and people to make a greater effort in preserving the Balinese language and writing.

The best and most effective way is through education, and he feels teaching Balinese language and writing should be restored and revitalized within the context of the contemporary era. Human resources development should also be undertaken to create a better future for Balinese language and writing.

The change will not occur overnight, and Sutjaja believes the process will take from 10 to 20 years.

"There are thousands of languages in the world, but only a few have their own writing system," he said.

Balinese language and writing have a long history, and research has shown that Balinese script first emerged in the ninth or 10th century from written Pallawa, or Ancient Balinese. Balinese writing is a syllabic system, which means that a single character represents a single syllable consisting of a consonant and a vowel.

The historical development of the Balinese language is divided into three stages: First came Ancient or Early Balinese, followed by Middle Balinese, or Kawi-Bali, and finally, Bali Kapara, or Modern Balinese.

Suatjana said Balinese script was first discovered engraved on small Buddhist stupas in Pejeng and other characters found on ancient coins were believed to be Buddhist mantras. The type of script was called Kalasan, and it was estimated that the stupas were crafted in 780 A.D.

Other artifacts dating back to 815 A.D. bore Ancient Balinese writing, from which modern Balinese is believed to have evolved. The oldest lontar, found in Sidemen, also bore Ancient Balinese script.