Javanese culture still relevant but needs better image

Javanese culture still relevant but needs better image

Sri Wahyuni and Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

To many non-Javanese Indonesians, Javanese culture may stir
feeling of hatred and apathy as they may associate Javanese
culture with all Javanese slogans and idioms used ever since they
were first introduced by former president Soeharto years ago.

Organization like Dharma Wanita (Civil Servants' Spouses
Association) and Karang Taruna (a rural youth group) still exist,
with all the negative connotations.

No wonder, after the Soeharto regime collapsed in 1998 and the
country plunged into crisis and interethnic and religious
conflict, many people blame all the problems on Javanese culture.

Respected Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta -- the heart
of Javanese culture -- remarked recently that Javanese idioms had
been misused and manipulated for the interests of the ruling
elite.

In a speech at Taman Ismail Marzuki cultural center to mark
the center's 34th anniversary on Tuesday, the Javanese sultan
said politicians from the ruling party in the New Order era had
intentionally exploited Javanese culture to create a centralistic
political culture and structure in the country.

However, the centralistic political culture and structure
later turned corrupt as marked by rampant corruption, collusion
and nepotism. The corruption led to the fall of the regime, which
prompted blame to be aimed at "Javanese culture", as one of the
regime's political tools.

Sunyoto Usman, a sociologist at Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta, said the misuse of Javanese culture for maintaining
power was "unavoidable" due to the growing loss of authority over
Javanese culture by the Javanese kingdoms in Yogyakarta and
Surakarta, Central Java.

This happened in line with the introduction of modernity into
Javanese life.

"Each individual has the freedom to express and interpret
Javanese culture in ways he or she wishes. There is no control
from the royal court at all," said Sunyoto, also dean of the
university's School of Political and Social Sciences.

Sunyoto, however, expressed optimism that the image of
Javanese culture would eventually be restored in line with the
development of modernity and democracy in the country.

"In a democratic nation, a diversity of cultures enjoys much
freedom to grow. That's why such manipulation of Javanese culture
is no longer an issue," Sunyoto said.

One of the good things about Javanese culture, according to
Sunyoto, is that it adjusts to modern values, such as recognizing
diversity and respecting the rights of other people.

"Take for instance the Javanese expression ngono yo ngono
ning ojo ngono (which literally means you can do whatever you
want but please not in an excessive way). The moral of this
expression is that you may have differences of opinion but the
differences shall not end up in an open quarrel or infighting
that can destroy the harmony of the social contract," Sunyoto
said.

Anthropologist Syafri Sairin, also from Gadjah Mada
University, concurred and said that Javanese culture recognized
the modern ideas of responsibility and public accountability.

"The moral of the Javanese saying salah seleh (if you do wrong
you must admit it), for example, is that those committing a wrong
must admit his/her fault generously," said Syafri.

"Even if he or she is a public officer, he or she has to
resign voluntarily from his or her post as a way of acknowledging
responsibility," Syafri asserted.

When a Javanese person holding a high-ranking position refuses
to step down when found guilty of corruption, for example, it is
the person who should be blamed and not Javanese culture.

Nevertheless, Syafri acknowledged that Javanese society is
considered one of the most feudalistic in the country, with its
different classes of people. This is represented in the Javanese
language, which is different for common people than that of the
court.

Syafri, however, argued that feudalism was not a monopoly of
Javanese culture.

"Feudalism exists in almost every ethnic group and culture,
not just the Javanese," said Syafri, who is from Bukittinggi,
West Sumatra.

In fact, feudalism has in some ways disappeared from Javanese
society. Take a look at Yogyakarta. This city serves as a very
good example of an open Javanese province in which Javanese
culture is well maintained while at the same time non-Javanese
people living in the region can actively and freely participate
in its daily social, political and economic activities.

Syafri said a number of non-Javanese people take top positions
in the province's private as well state institutions, including
at Gadjah Mada University.

"This explains why the spirit of regionalism does not occur in
this province, while it has been a very popular issue in most
other provinces," said Syafri, head of Gadjah Mada University's
Cultural Studies Department.

Javanese culture is thus worth preserving and promoting, but
first of all, the negative image created by the Soeharto
administration needs to be repaired.

What is needed now is similar to the European Renaissance to
restore the tainted image of Javanese culture, according to
Sultan Hamengkubuwono.

Such a renaissance could start with restoring the meanings of
Javanese idioms and symbols, which are incorrectly interpreted by
the community.

However, the sultan said it may not be an easy task but,
quoting poet and essayist Goenawan Mohammad's Asmaradana, said it
could be a matter of: "We are leaning on something maybe, leaning
on the wind ..."