Celebrating Idul Fitri amid crisis

By Rita A. Widiadana

The Muslim holidays Idul Fitri, which are only two days away, will be somewhat "special" in that they will be celebrated amid a sinking economy. The millions of seasonal travelers are not only intimidated by the acute problems such as doubled bus ticket prices and inadequate transportation but also street crimes. The Jakarta Post looks into the issue.

JAKARTA (JP): There should be no tears of sadness at Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadhan on Tuesday.

In reality, this year's events have already been marred. Millions of Indonesians will observe the coming holiday in hunger, homelessness and in poverty.

Fourteen months after the economic crisis first hit Indonesia, the majority of the country's 220 million people face an extremely difficult period in their lives. For many, there are no available jobs to look forward to after the holiday.

Housewives complain of skyrocketing prices and shortages of food and other basic necessities.

"There is no way that we can commemorate this year's Idul Fitri in a normal way. Almost everybody is poor now except for the very few," said Sumirah, a single parent of three.

There will certainly be no Idul Fitri bonuses for the more than 20 million newly unemployed people.

"It is so sad. Never before have I experienced such a gloomy Idul Fitri," said Sunarno, who recently lost his job with a construction company.

He said he never celebrated Idul Fitri extravagantly, but at least he could buy new clothes for his wife and four children and provide enough food for the family.

Sunarno has had to shelve his longtime plan to visit his elderly parents in his hometown of Tegal, Central Jakarta.

"This is actually the best time to be with them. We don't know whether we'll have another chance to see them again. But what can I do? We have to carefully save our money to prepare for the worst," he sighed.

Sunarno is lucky enough to still possess a little amount of money. There are millions of others who cannot afford even a cup of rice, let alone the cost of traveling to their villages.

For many Indonesian Muslims, Idul Fitri is the most important occasion when family members are expected to gather at their parents' house.

After conducting a month-long fast during Ramadhan, aimed to nourish people's spiritual lives, Idul Fitri serves as a time of purification when people express their gratitude to the Almighty God and their parents.

Idul Fitri also has a social function in that it strengthens relationships when people ask each other for forgiveness, visit relatives and friends and participate in other activities to enhance their family ties and friendships.

With such high moral and social values, it is not surprising that people are willing to risk everything to celebrate Idul Fitri at home.

As the Idul Fitri holiday approaches, millions of Jakartans, mostly immigrants, have started to leave the capital and make their way home.

Mashudi, a factory laborer, is among the Idul Fitri travelers struggling to obtain a bus ticket, more often than not sold at double the regular price.

"For me, mudik (the annual exodus to hometowns prior to Idul Fitri) is obligatory despite all obstacles. I will walk if necessary, if there is no more buses to take me there," he asserted.

Yayuk, a storekeeper, is another case. She knows full well that this year's Idul Fitri journey could be risky and dangerous, but she insists on visiting her parents in Pasuruan, East Java.

A lot of buses being used to transport Idul Fitri passengers are in very poor condition due to the increasingly unaffordable prices of spare parts and other components.

Many passengers will be traveling along dangerous routes, especially so during this rainy season. Passengers have to be mindful of possible floods, landslides and traffic jams during their journey.

A worrying report has revealed that hundreds of highway robbers are operating along major and alternative routes on Java and Sumatra islands, attacking passing buses and private cars and robbing the passengers' belongings.

Ticket prices have also increased sharply, not to mention the prices set by scalpers.

"I read such a report and of course I feel frightened. But as a Muslim, I truly believe that God will protect me and other people if we have good intentions," 17-year-old Yayuk said.

Despite these difficulties, Yayuk and millions of other people are determined to get to their hometowns.

Several Cabinet ministers, including Minister of Communications Giri Suseno and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, have frequently called on people to celebrate Idul Fitri in the capital rather than risk the journey home.

But their calls have gone unheeded. Throughout Indonesia, about 15 million people are expected to join this year's Idul Fitri exodus to the rural areas. A slight drop from the 18.49 million passengers in l998.

Noted psychologist Sartono Mukadis said that remarks by government officials in trying to persuade people not to travel to their hometowns at Idul Fitri were a waste of time.

"Various statements made by several ministers and other high- ranking public servants are culturally dull and ignorant. They can hardly understand how much mudik means to the people," he said.

Government officials and those living in big cities often consider mudik irrational and a waste of time and money, maintained Sartono.

"This happens because they view it from their own perspectives. It is time for us to reverse this perception. Let's think of this social phenomenon from the travelers' point of view," he said.

It is government officials who complain every time the Idul Fitri exodus occurs and they complicate things for the travelers, he said.

"The exodus is a yearly activity that these officials can anticipate earlier. So why don't they provide the best services for travelers?" he said.

The Jakarta office of the Ministry of Communications says that 7,801 regular buses have been prepared in anticipation of the exodus, which reaches its peak on Sunday.

An extra 1,400 buses and 700 vehicles are on standby at the Senayan parking lot. State-owned railway company Perumka has promised to provide adequate seats to accommodate holidaymakers.

The Armed Forces has also offered trucks to carry holidaymakers to their destinations. A total of 3.5 million people are expected to leave the city for the holiday.

"I keep reminding related officials that as Indonesians, we should be grateful that there are a lot people who have strong family values, something that is starting to diminish in our society," Sartono said.

Indonesians are now suffering from an acute moral crisis. The spirit of Idul Fitri and the mudik phenomenon can serve as a reminder to all of us to value human beings and spiritual things above all material matters.

"It is the best time to lend a hand to help those less fortunate than ourselves so that we can wipe the tears from the eyes of the needy, especially when the sound of Idul Fitri takbir (glorification of God) is heard tomorrow night," Sartono said.