Childhood memories of war and independence

Childhood memories of war and independence

Hadjid Harnawidagda, Jakarta

We are celebrating our 60th anniversary of Indonesian
independence on Aug. 17. I was only eight years old in 1945, but
I have a very vivid memory of what happened several years prior
to and after the proclamation of independence.

Tension due to the world war was building in Southeast Asia in
February. It was only a matter of time before Japan was to
conquer Indonesia, ending 350 years of Dutch colonial power.

As a child I saw the war preparations. Bunkers were dug in
many places so that people could hide in case of air attacks.
Everybody equipped oneself with rubber to bite and cotton to plug
the ears to lessen the effects of bomb explosions. Nobody
questioned the effectiveness of the silly preparations.

One day people of the villages near the military airport which
was known as Adi Sumarmo Airport in Solo, Central Java, were told
to leave their respective houses because it was believed that the
area would become a target of air attacks. From time to time
Japanese aircraft demonstratively flew overhead, encircling the
area, sometimes even bringing a bomb hung below the plane to
scare people. At last the Japanese came, not by air, but by land
with trucks and noisy armored vehicles. The Japanese did not
bother the indigenous local people.

But the Dutch, the white people, men, women and even children
were herded into trucks and taken away. The following three and a
half years were full of thrills and confusion. There was a
shortage of food, clothes, everything. Young people were
recruited to get some kind of military training. School children
were taught to speak Japanese, to sing the Japanese national
anthem Kimigayo and different kinds of Japanese war songs.
Besides the Japanese doctrine of being the great Asian people a
national awareness began to grown and people began to dream of an
independent Indonesia.

When Bung Karno (as Sukarno was popularly known) and Bung
Hatta (Muhammad Hatta) proclaimed Indonesian independence on Aug.
17, 1945, most people outside Jakarta did not hear anything about
it. The proclamation was secretly broadcasted by radio and only a
few people heard it.

Only several days later when some young people shouted,
"Merdeka! Merdeka!" (Freedom) in public places people began to be
aware of the great news. In many places battles erupted when
Indonesian youth tried to disarm the Japanese soldiers.

It only took several minutes for Bung Karno, the proclaimer,
to read the proclamation of the independence, but armed struggle
continued for at least four years to force the Dutch to recognize
Indonesia as an independent nation.

Soon after Sukarno proclaimed independence, Dutch troops,
together with the allied forces, came back and tried to
reestablish their power.

The capital of the republic was moved from Jakarta to
Yogyakarta. To undermine the fledging republic the Dutch attacked
and occupied strategic places such as Bandung, Surabaya and
Semarang. On the other hand the new republic was also getting
better organized.

Besides the regular Indonesian armed forces, mostly manned by
Japanese-trained soldiers Pembela Tanah Air (Defenders of the
Motherland), there were different kinds of partisan troops like
Students Army (Tentara Pelajar), People's Troops (Tentara
Rakyat), Hizbullah and others.

The republic suffered the hardest blow when the Dutch attacked
Yogyakarta by air and by land. Sukarno, Hatta and the ministers
were arrested. But the struggle for independence continued. Gen.
Sudirman and other military leaders left the city and led the
guerrilla war.

With guerrilla tactics they went on struggling for
recognition. Ordinary people also supported them.

I myself would have rather walked a longer distance to attend
the provisional republic school, rather than attending the nearer
Dutch-supported school. It was a matter of pride for us to sing
Indonesian nationalistic songs such as: Dwi Warna Benderaku (my
bicolor flag), from Sabang to Merauke and other songs.

Eventually, in September 1949 the Dutch left Indonesia.

I remember how joyful I was to see the republic soldiers march
along the main road to take over the military posts left by the
Dutch and raise the red and white flag to replace the three
colored Dutch flag.

From 1942 to 1949 Indonesian people including my family
suffered so much. So many people were killed during the war, not
just by bombs or enemy bullets, but also due to malnutrition,
forced labor and illnesses.

For those of my age it is easy to appreciate the gains of
independence because they directly witnessed the effects on the
lives of almost all the Indonesian people. But, for my children's
and grandchildren's generation, education until university level,
not being barred from a job or public position because of not
being a descendent of a noble family, and having the right to
protest against the authorities are things that are taken for
granted.

It is true that until now we still have the problems of
poverty, injustice and corruption. But our present condition is
very much better the period prior to independence, when only a
few young people enjoyed secondary education, when electricity
and cars were luxuries beyond the reach of the common people.

We, who are still alive to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
the proclamation of the republic, have a debt of gratitude to
those who have fought for our independence and who endured
suffering to give better opportunities for the following
generations. By the grace of God, Allah the Almighty, we, the
Indonesian people, proclaimed our independence.

The writer is a professor at the Syarif Hidayatullah State
Islamic University and UHAMKA Muhammadiyah University, Jakarta.
He was born and spent his early childhood in a village near the
present day Adi Sumarmo military airport, Panasan Boyolali
regency.