Javanese and Indonesian

Javanese and Indonesian

From Kompas

Kompas said in its Oct. 26 edition that "Javanese language is being threatened and replaced by Bahasa Indonesia". I feel disturbed and want to question the statement. The word "threatened" was not put between quotation marks, giving it a sense of being definite.

Somebody being threatened will automatically take steps to protect himself. The steps can be the avoidance of the threat or the elimination of it.

In the context of languages, the Javanese language cannot do the first. The only way to save itself is to confront and eliminate the source of the threat. In other words, to eliminate Bahasa Indonesia in order for the Javanese language to remain supreme. Was that meant by the report?

The report went on to say: "Hasim Gunawan deplores that currently, many young Javanese families, mainly in big cities, use Bahasa Indonesia in communicating with their children."

The statement is very frightening for its spirit in contradiction to the efforts to improve on the capabilities of using Bahasa Indonesia correctly. Whatever reason Hasim Gunawan may have, I am strongly convinced that he is mistaken if he deplores the use of Bahasa Indonesia by Indonesian families.

Since 1928, we have agreed on the use of one united language. Why is there now somebody who focuses on a regional language, contrasting it with our national language?

SYAMSUL HELLAL

Jakarta