'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