Keep old names: Ridwan
Keep old names: Ridwan
Anastashya Emmanuele, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration should restore the names
of areas, which have been altered by real estate developers, to
their original names as a way of maintaining the city's history,
particularly that of Betawi, a noted Betawi historian said.
As the places indicate the history and culture of Betawi
people, altering their names only creates difficulties in
tracking down the original Betawi heritage, Ridwan Saidi told a
seminar titled Restoration and Development of the Betawi Culture.
The seminar is part of the three-day Betawi Culture Festival
at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta, which will finish on
Sunday.
"I call on the city administration to maintain the old names
to help preserve Betawi culture," Ridwan said, giving an example
of the (Tanjung) Priuk area in North Jakarta, which still bears
its original name.
"The name 'Priuk' (pottery) derives from the fact that the
majority of residents there used to be pot makers," Ridwan
explained.
He also urged the government to reconstruct the present Betawi
history, which he found misleading, but widely known among the
general public and also taught in schools.
He said as an example that there existed an impression that
Betawi culture only started during the period of Dutch
colonialism. "Other Betawi historians agree with that. But in
fact, I discovered that the culture had begun even before that
period," he noted.
"Fatahillah for example, according to my research, is not a
Betawi hero, as others have claimed," he remarked.
Ridwan, a Betawi native, said that Fatahillah was only able to
seize the then Jayakarta because the harbor city was poorly
guarded during his ambush.
"Fatahillah might be the hero of Cirebon people, but
definitely not the Betawis ... such a fact must be corrected
because it is misleading," he says as a warning to historians so
that they are more prudent in positioning Fatahillah's role in
Betawi history.
According to Ridwan, many aspects of the culture have been
misinterpreted due to poor research and the vested interests of
certain groups.
"One must be more resourceful in compiling history rather than
just sticking to library research. Apart from field research,
folklore, which historians often refuse to explore, should be
considered as well," he commented.
Also speaking in the seminar, was head of the city education
office, Alwi Nurdin, who said that efforts had been made to
promote Betawi culture among students.
Elementary to high school students are taught about Betawi
art, language and culture.
Traditional Betawi martial arts and dances are practiced at
many public schools in the city, and Betawi culture books are
provided for student reference in libraries, Alwi told the
seminar, all in an effort to help preserve Betawi heritage.