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