Indonesian society in Buchori's eyes
M. Buchori, Sketches of Indonesian Society, Jakarta The Jakarta Post and IKIP Muhammadiyah Jakarta Press November 1994. 176 pages.
JAKARTA (JP): This book, a collection of essays previously published in The Jakarta Post daily, is absolutely enjoyable to read. Written in a lucid journalistic style, it provides rich real-life situations in our society. A society which is still grappling with the pains of change that, for many, often ends up in confusion, disillusionment, frustration and anger. Yet it is a mistake to allude to the essays as either traditional or modern.
Such simple labeling fails to deal with the complexity of the problems being discussed. In the author's view, it ignores the very fact that any society is always in flux. Dr. Buchori refuses an a-historical juxtaposition between two extremes, such as tradition versus modernity, as the central problem that bedevils Indonesian society. Also, unlike many modern fundamentalists, he does not subscribe to the simplistic moral attitude of despising politeness for being undemocratic.
"To me the prospect of living in a democratic but uncivil society or living in a polite but undemocratic society is equally unattractive." (Politeness and Democracy).
These essays are obviously written from a social-reformist perspective. Managing the transition from an old, quasi-feudal system to the modern one is to him much more important than fundamental discourse coupled with the all-or-nothing attitude that often characterizes many modernist in this country. Hence, "it should not make us loose faith in democracy... We should have faith that in due course we will have the capacity to move into a more adult stage in our political life. But we should keep in mind at the same time that this can be achieved only through collective political efforts which require constant appraisal and renewal of our political system. Frustration, anger and disgust will never improve anything." (Consensus in a Transitional Democracy).
The social reform overtones permeates almost all the essays in the book. The collection is divided into four major themes, each have an appealing title. The Shadows of the Past, the first theme, remind us that even now, old habits and norms die hard or take new forms. Hurdles of Democracy illustrates the complexity of the democratization process and cautions us on the thin boundary between being modern and vulgar. Education as a Mean and as a Burden deals with his best known subject. The discussions are centered upon the consequences of the politicization of education. One major challenge facing Indonesian education is to liberate it from the practice of mediocrity resulting from the unholy alliance between the educators and political-bureaucrats. He refreshingly remarks that "elite schools and elite education are necessary for us at the moment to extricate ourselves from the grip of mediocrity." (Quality of Education as a mean to Escape the Culture of Mediocrity) Saying that aristocracy is morally corrupt but in the realm of intelligence and conscience is all the more compelling for Indonesia today.
Lastly, Preparing for the Future, as the name implies, lays out some building blocks for future society.
Harvard
Dr. Buchori, a Harvard educated scholar, is privileged to have experienced and survived major social changes, transformations and upheavals in Indonesian society during the past 50 years. He gained a wealth of knowledge and wisdom both as an observer and participant. All his observations are eloquently expressed in this book. Stumbling upon politics, he admits that he considers himself as "an agreeable disturbing element" within the system. His early career as a teacher seems to have shaped his great communication skills, keen understanding and sense of humor. His subsequent career in higher education and the bureaucracy has further sharpened his ideas and wits as well as enhanced his awareness of the evolving complexity of the environment which more than ever denies a simplistic solution.
One major contribution of these essays lies not so much with the sometime boring political grammar but with the rich political idioms and glossaries of contemporary Indonesia. Most of the essays are portraits of Indonesian society undergoing a transformation where politics constitute a rather dominant role. Therefore we have the "clowns and badut", typical excessive bureaucratic formalities, rembug desa (village meetings), charisma and so on. Each of these terms often has some political undertone. In the virtual absence of research in this area this anecdotal evidence may be the best source for those who need a deeper understanding on the subtleties and intricacies of organizations in the daily life of Indonesia. It presents many invaluable cases and, as the sub-title suggests, a view from within.
-- Prabowo : An Oxford-trained economist currently teaching at IPMI-Jakarta.