'Independence Day fiesta meaningless'

The government is busying itself with preparations for the 57th Independence Day, which occurs on Aug. 17. And many residents in the city are decorating their homes and neighborhoods ahead of the festivities. And yet, amid all the hoopla, there remain some people who just don't seem to care.

Ilham, 27, a beverage vendor in Depok, West Java. He is from Sukabumi, West Java, and has been selling drinks for five years. He lives in Depok with his wife and a daughter:

The commemoration of Independence Day is meaningless to me. It was only meaningful when the founding fathers proclaimed our country's independence.

In my opinion, only the well-off enjoy being independent, as they are able to live prosperous lives. On the other hand, the poor have to fight just to survive. So really the poor are not independent.

I just wish the country would improve the lives of the poor, to make Independence Day more meaningful.

Deni, 34, is a street poet who has made a living reading his poems on buses for 11 years. He lives in Bekasi and is raising his son by himself, since his wife left him a few years ago:

Our country has its independence, but the reality is nonsense. There are still riots, street crime, brawls and other clashes that frighten everyone in this nation. How can we say this is independence?

Suppose this generation could learn the meaning (of independence) from the past struggles of Indonesia's heroes, then we would probably live in peace.

I cannot deny that most low-income people live in dire conditions. They suffer from the hardships of life.

Nurul, 22, a medical student at the University of Indonesia, who lives in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta:

I can't see any significance in the celebration of Independence Day. We should be independent, but in fact we are not.

In my opinion, festivities should only be held to commemorate something that is worthy of being celebrated. We don't have anything worth celebrating at the moment. Well, at least, we want to celebrate our founding fathers, who 57 years ago struggled for our independence.

Despite the country's independence, it seems that we are standing still in the middle of nowhere. We don't even step forward.

So, I just wish everyone would do their best to develop our nation. We shouldn't blame each other. We should be responsible for the smallest things in ourselves, in our families, in society and in the country. Otherwise, we will soon be at the point of no return.

Fifi, 38, is a housewife and a social activist who has lived in Bungur, Central Jakarta, since 1985 with her husband and three children:

On the one hand, I feel that I am independent because I can take care of my family, have children and a husband.

But I think our country has not yet obtained its independence. The price of basic goods for the people are still exorbitant. We are living in hardship now. I personally prefer the New Order regime, when everyone in the country found it relatively easy to earn a living.

The recent situation with the new government is even worse. How can we call it independence?