'Bung' Hatta's centenary

'Bung' Hatta's centenary

From Koran Tempo

Reading various articles on the occasion of the centenary of
Bung Hatta, I recall a small event that took place in 1946 in a
town in East Java. It was the custom at that time, in order to
arouse the fighting spirit to give substance to the national
independence, the nation's leaders, including Bung Hatta, often
visited remote areas to attend general meetings.

At that time, the tight protocol that prevails today was
unheard of and common people frequently had the chance to hold
informal meetings and a dialog. It became a sweet memory for me
when I succeeded in personally meeting him and I asked Bung Hatta
to sign his name on a piece of paper I had brought forward.

I was pleasantly surprised as not only did I get his signature
but also a short note that reads as follows: "A happy life is an
endless struggle against any oppression."

From the note, it can be concluded that, Bung Hatta never
expected something in return and had vowed to free his nation
from all oppression. These two opinions, once again, depict the
strength of the philosophy of struggle for life in fighting for
the freedom of the Indonesian people.

DARMAWAN S.

Jakarta