Historian helps preserve heritage

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya

Dukut Imam Widodo displayed his small red notebook before speaking at length about his works, notably Surabaya Tempo Dulu (Old Surabaya) and Gresik Tempo Dulu (Old Gresik).

It was because the little book helped him considerably in preparing his stories, including the Surabaya history book published in 2002.

Rather than historical data, the notebook contains Dukut's weekly schedules, daily expenses, main points noted, subject material and important documents to gather, and even allowances for volunteers, mostly students working for him.

"I arrange all my activities because I have many engagements," Dukut told The Jakarta Post. This explains why it is not easy to see him unless an appointment is made. While busily collecting data for his third book (after Gresik) due out in mid-2005, Malang Tempo Dulu, he is also working with a Japanese company.

As general affairs section manager of PT Smelting, a Mitsubishi affiliate operating in copper smelting and refining, Dukut Imam Widodo leaves his home at 6 a.m. and finishes his office work at 10 p.m. "I spend most of my time in the office but I write when I'm off-duty," he said.

When he writes, there is hardly any leisure time left for his family. He keeps writing, except when he accepts invitations to seminars, talk shows or meetings with his peers at the Surabaya Arts Council during holidays.

"Fortunately, my wife and children are very proud of my authorship on the history of East Java cities," noted Dukut, who was born in Malang on June 8, 1954.

Literary circles in Indonesia are familiar with Dukut's books. His novel, Raden Ayu Prabawati, appeared in 1987. It is a love story set between Prabawati and a Dutch commandant in Middelburg fort in 1791, Maj. Gerrard Wolfgang, ending in the death of the major in a battle. His other novel, Sang Penumpas (The Conqueror), one year later, won a fiction contest in a book expo held by the Indonesian Publishers Association.

He also used to contribute short stories to various Jakarta and Surabaya magazines and dailies like Kartini, Femina, Jawa Pos, Surabaya Post and Surya. Today, Dukut is more engaged in history writing.

Although he no longer focuses on fiction, Dukut retains the storyline pattern of novels and local informal language. "I want my histories of Surabaya, Gresik and Malang to reach everybody, young and old, so I use no formal expressions, which are less readable for some age groups," he indicated.

While maintaining a fiction format, Dukut sticks to the theme of olden days for his present works. To him, everybody should be familiar with recorded past events in order not to lose sight of the nation's character and at the same time to learn some lessons for the future.

"Sadly, we have now almost forgotten our history. A lot of old buildings that were part of Surabaya's cultural heritage have been demolished for new projects," he pointed out. The Semut railway station, for instance, is an example of the Dutch legacy, which barely escaped demolition.

According to his Surabaya Tempo Dulu, the station, formerly called Spoorstation Semoet, was officially inaugurated by Dutch Governor General JW van Lasberge in 1878, coinciding with the opening of the Surabaya-Pasuruan railway line as an inseparable part of the urban activities of Surabaya.

Semut was nearly pulled down by the Surabaya municipal administration not long after the launching of the book, originally scheduled for April 2002. After a series of protests, the plan was postponed until finally the city council prevented the building from being totally destroyed.

Various other structures of cultural value have been neglected in Surabaya, with some already leveled to the ground. One of them is the historic traditional market of Wonokromo, which is to become a mall or trade center. "My concern about cultural assets has prompted me to write the histories of several other East Java cities," he added.

Kajoetangan -- in his next book Malang Tempo Dulu -- for instance, is a cultural reserve in the cool East Java city worthy of protection. A main street in old Malang, which is now called Jl. Basuki Rahmat, it is also known by natives of Malang as Kajeng Asto, the honorific form of Kajoetangan in Javanese.

De Gids voor Malang en Omstreken (Guide to Malang and its Environs), published in 1924, shows the presence of a number of shops frequented by Dutch nobility at that time. The Malang Toilet Club, a shop in Kajoetangan 19, was where Dutch East Indies Governor General Fock had his hair cut. It also sold French perfume and Italian wine.

Kajoetangan 25 housed a car dealer, NV Malangsche Automobile Atelier, which sold Buick, FN and Chevrolet makes, besides supplying fuel. The dealer's director was HJ von Burg, a German national.

"This book has more stories about Malang, which I hope will be a guide for the local administration to avoid ruining invaluable assets," he concluded.