Jakarta's anniversary

Jakarta's anniversary

Was it stupid for the Dutch city planners to design the master
plan for Batavia at the end of the 19th century? The answer is
simple: "Not at all." Batavia was built by the Dutch as a symbol
of colonialism. Batavia was especially planned for the authority
of the Dutch masters.

The capital city has made us intelligent and industrious, but
at the same time it has destroyed our mentality. There is a
tendency among us to move to Jakarta when we become successful,
leaving our hometowns in a poor and backward condition.

We constantly try to create the impression overseas that
Jakarta is Indonesia. However, it is not easy to be a resident of
Jakarta. One may feel unsafe to walk out in the evening by
oneself.

The society has become individualistic. The capital city or
harbor city or industrial city is busy, full of self-centeredness
and garbage improperly placed.

However, let us forget all these things for a moment, and
flash our pride in Jakarta which is celebrating its 467th
anniversary and say: "Long live Jakarta!"

-- Merdeka, Jakarta