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.