Kasepuhans maintain unique way of living

BOGOR (JP): There are two communities living in and around the Gunung Halimun National Park, the indigenous Kasepuhan and the migrant community, referred to as the non-Kasepuhan.

The non-Kasepuhans are mainly tea plantation workers, farmers, merchants, and government officials working at the local government offices.

The Kasepuhans, on the other hand, have lived in and protected the forests for hundreds of generations, long before the area was established as a national park. As a result, there is a tight link between the forest and its people.

Legend says that their ancestors came from the Padjadjaran Kingdom.

The Kasepuhans view the forest's existence as their heritage, given to them by their ancestors and which must be preserved to support their lives rather than be exploited. They have a very unique way of managing the forest's resources, based on wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation.

They maintain spiritual ties with their fields and the forest through a series of adat (traditional laws) administered by a hereditary leader known as Abah. The laws govern most aspects of the community's life, including the timing of rice planting, festivals and religious ceremonies, and even the type of roofing material found on Kasepuhan houses.

The majority of Kasepuhans are traditional farmers, that is, migratory agriculture. Their livelihood depends upon rice, maize, cassava and cash crops such as coffee and cloves.

Before 1990, the Kasepuhans' religion did not allow them to use agricultural techniques and tools -- essential for rice cultivation -- and they relied on slash and burn agriculture. This method has been discontinued this decade.

The Kasepuhan still practice a unique way of planting rice as they maintain the use of local rice varieties, only plant once a year and reject use of pesticides.

As a result, there has never occurred pest and disease outbreaks.

It remains to be seen whether this present maintenance of tradition will serve as a bulwark against mounting influences from the outside. (Dami Buchori)