City anniversary activities reflect diversity of city
City anniversary activities reflect diversity of city
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta looked different Wednesday. Cleaner parks, streets and
colored decorations and lights indicated that the city was in a
festive mood.
Residents however seemed to have their own ways of celebrating
the city's 478th anniversary.
Some radio stations brought the party to the residents' homes
early in the morning by inviting listeners to share their
expectations and views about the city, ranging from flooding,
traffic jams to the recent issue of malnutrition.
"I dream that Jakarta someday will be free of traffic jams,"
commented a listener.
"I just hope for a sense of security. No bombings. No
rioting," another listener said.
Another radio station invited a city official for an
interactive talk.
Television stations presenters also donned Betawi -- native
Jakartan -- attires.
Some stations featured brief comments from celebrity figures
about the city anniversary.
"I think Jakarta is already too crowded with people. Worse
still, the situation will only get worse with the massive influx
of people coming here," said Ujo, a comedian with the Project P
group.
Most offices, hotels, shops were also took part in the
celebrations by decorating their premises and getting their
workers to wear native Jakartan costumes.
All civil servants and officials at City Hall also dressed up
in native Jakartan attire instead of their usual military-green
uniforms.
Meanwhile, scores of poor residents organized by the Urban
Poor Consortium staged a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic
circle to demand that the administration pay more attention to
the plight of undernourished children in the city.
The rally, which featured giant effigies depicting native
Jakartan people and an effigy of an undernourished infant, also
urged the administration not to implement the controversial
regulation on land acquisition for public development purposes.
The city administration also organized a celebration, which
was open to the public, in the front courtyard of City Hall on
Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and at the National Monument (Monas)
park.
A giant stage equipped with two projecting screens were
available for spectators coming to watch the music performances.
The celebration reached its climax with a fireworks show from
the four corners of the Monas tower, combined with a laser
performance that beamed silhouettes of Jakarta governors,
including incumbent Sutiyoso.
Being absorbed in the festive mood, many residents might well
overlook the intriguing question that inevitably surfaces every
time Jakarta celebrates its anniversary: Is Jakarta really 478
years old? Forget history, let's party ...