Indonesia still immature

I thank Mr. Rod Livesey for his comment on my article in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 14, titled I pledge allegiance.

I agree with him. Indoctrination, when extreme, breeds narrow- mindedness. But Britain had the Magna Carta and the Victorian era, when Britain ruled the waves and "the sun never set". Britain participated in two world wars and had to contemplate the loss of its colonies. In short, Britain reached maturity. It does not need a constitution, nor does it need an independence day.

At the other end of the scale Indonesia is still immature, even though we pledged in 1928 to build one nation, language and country, and became independent after bloody fighting in 1945. Also, we survived uprisings from both the right and the left. However, there is a tendency for people nowadays to become apathetic and to forget all our ideals of the past.

We need to wake up and do something to prevent the disintegration of Indonesia.

SUMARSONO SASTROWARDOYO

Tangerang, Banten