Khofifah Urges Santri to Balance Productivity and Spirituality

Surabaya (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has urged santri to balance productivity with spirituality in order to attain both success and blessings in life, during her attendance at the 21st Haflah Ikhtitamiddurus of Pondok Pesantren Al-Amin in Mojokerto City on Saturday. “So, pairing productive work with various spiritual endeavours is important,” she said. Khofifah stated that the pesantren educational tradition has proven that a balance between outward effort and inner striving forms a crucial foundation for building resilient, upright individuals who bring benefit to society. According to her, blessings are a value that the East Java Provincial Government continually pursues in governance and public service, as reflected in the Nawa Bhakti Satya mission, specifically ‘Jatim Amanah’ and ‘Jatim Berkah’. “Blessing is not easy. It means how we are better today than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today, across all sectors, all lines, all levels of society,” she said. Addressing the santri, she conveyed that there is a long process that must be undertaken, not something achieved instantly. “This is the process I went through from my time in the DPR to becoming the youngest minister ever inaugurated before eventually becoming governor,” she said. Khofifah noted that inner striving or spiritual strengthening is very important to accompany outward effort in achieving success. “Forgive me, this is a sharing of blessings. What I went through was not easy, because I am not the child of a general, nor a professor, nor a great kyai,” she said. She said the success she achieved was the result of a long process and dedication instilled through pesantren education. “At that time, Gus Dur (KH Abdurrahman Wahid) asked me, what is the difference between the role of women and the empowerment of women? I answered that the role of women is ‘women’s role’ while the empowerment of women is ‘women empowerment’. In the end, he changed the name of the ministry based on that,” she said. “What I want to convey to the santri is that there is a long process. There is a long period of dedication whose strengthening is extraordinarily instilled in the pesantren. So, what we do now, God willing, will later meet a noble degree,” she added. On the occasion, Khofifah also expressed appreciation to Pondok Pesantren Al-Amin, which was founded in 2000 by five figures, one of whom is the Acting Assistant for General Administration of the Regional Secretary of East Java Province, Akhmad Jazuli, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Pondok Pesantren Al-Amin. Meanwhile, Akhmad Jazuli said that Pondok Pesantren Al-Amin was built not only to produce knowledgeable santri but also to shape character, morals, simplicity, and humility. “The santri who will be released today must maintain their identity as santri. Noble character, knowledge that is practised, and deeds that are based on knowledge must continue to be upheld. Do not forget the pesantren after leaving it. I am grateful that East Java has a governor from a pesantren background like Ibu Khofifah,” he said. He added that Pondok Pesantren Al-Amin also equips santri with various skills, ranging from vocational programmes to hydroponics, as preparation for their return to the community.