Discourse on nationalism on the wrong track

Discourse on nationalism on the wrong track

By Santi WE Soekanto

JAKARTA (JP): Today's National Awakening Day is not the
routine ritual that we have seen each year in the past. President
Soeharto wants it to mark Indonesia's Second National Awakening.

Soeharto appealed last week to the people to reinvigorate
their sense of nationalism so they could better handle the
current trend of rapid global change. However, he also warned
against chauvinism.

"Our national vision must not turn us into dwarfs. We live in
a community of nations," Soeharto said. "On the other hand, our
national vision must not be overpowered by global changes.
Without a national vision, we will lose our identity."

"That is why we should continuously invigorate our sense of
nationalism. (This) way we can answer the challenges and
opportunities ahead of us," he said.

May 20, 1908 marked the founding of Boedi Oetomo, the first
organization resembling a national movement while Indonesia was
still a Dutch colony. The movement grew and Indonesia gained its
independence in 1945.

Over the past week, there have been discourses about whether
Indonesia needs the more "internationalistic," or outward-looking
nationalism or the kind of nationalism which encourages unity.

Prominent historian Taufik Abdullah believed the current
discourses are moving in the wrong direction. Along with
political scientist Dr. Maswadi Rauf, whom The Jakarta Post
interviewed separately, Taufik believed that the plan to turn the
second 25-year development plan into the nation's second
awakening era will be a road filled with obstacles.

Among those obstacles are the demands for protection of
protect human rights and a freer democracy, which are felt more
acutely in the face of the rapid global change.

Another problem

Another problem which the nation has to contend with,
according to Maswadi, is the eroding sense of nationalism.

Taufik, however, believed it was not a matter of eroding
nationalism. He felt that the problems emerge because people have
been holding on to the wrong kind of nationalism.

According to Taufik, there is "cultural nationalism" and
"political nationalism".

He felt that the country was built on political nationalism,
based on the spirit of independence and democratic political
order. In his view, the current discourses are oriented toward
cultural nationalism which is based on the tradition of Javanese
sultanates.

The dichotomy creates confusion. "That's why people campaign
for nationalism but then claim that Indonesia does not recognize
the 'culture' of resigning as a form of accountability for a
person's wrongdoing," he said.

Historians said the discussion of nationalism went back 85
years ago when a number of scholars set up Boedi Oetomo.

The organization was influential in promoting education and
modernization, and numerous later political movements owed their
existence to the efforts of this pioneering organization.

According to Taufik, Boedi Oetomo was taken over in October
1908 from students and activists by a group of ningrat (people
who were related to Javanese royals). Its founder, Dr. Tjipto
Mangunkusumo left the organization because his suggestion that it
be involved in politics, was rejected.

Boedi Oetomo then became more involved in cooperative politics
and in developing "the national identity and personality", which
were later crystallized into a "cultural nationalism".

Tjipto, on the other hand, became more resolute in his efforts
to establish a new, independent political order. His ideas became
the foundation of a type of political nationalism.

According to Taufik, Indonesia's independence movement was
influenced by the far-reaching, visionary political nationalism.
The revolution, the 1945 proclamation of independence, the
Constitution, and the state-ideology Pancasila were a reflection
of this.

It was in this spirit that Indonesia's first president,
Soekarno, declared that "ours is not a royalist nationalism; ours
is a people-nationalism", according to Taufik.

"Our country was built on a vision for the future, on
political nationalism," Taufik said. "However, people now are
trying to invigorate the cultural nationalism, which is based on
the tradition of kraton".

Most pressing

Maswadi Rauf said that one of the most pressing questions now
is how to instill a sense of nationalism in the young people. "It
is eroding, and we should see this as a warning."

According to Maswadi, the second national awakening should be
filled with efforts to maintain people's loyalty toward the
country. "We should remind people to exhibit their nationalism
by, for instance, avoiding activities which are harming the
country."

People who tarnish Indonesia's name abroad and those who are
busy making money without heeding the suffering of other people
are displaying signs of nationalist erosion, he added.
"Considering these conditions, then the issue of second national
awakening and the need to instill a strong sense of nationalism
are still relevant."

However, Maswadi admitted that even the most effective
campaign to instill nationalism would be pointless without the
presence of social justice. "No matter how well ethnic groups
coexist here, the lack of social justice will weaken national
loyalty and, instead, strengthen loyalty to religious, ethnic or
tribal groups."