Meaning of Youth Pledge

Meaning of Youth Pledge

From Rakyat Merdeka

Prior to the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day on Oct. 28, we should be pondering over what we have done or should have done for our beloved nation since it was proclaimed in 1928.

We should be pondering over the pains and great efforts taken by our pioneers and freedom fighters to unite a myriad of youth organizations from various ethnic backgrounds and religious faiths into an organization based on the spirit of nationhood.

The youth movement developed into a political movement, leading to the establishment of the Indonesian National Party (PNI). To ensure that Indonesia was a secular country, our leaders established a department for dealing with religious affairs.

To deal with social problems, referred to in the fifth principle of the state ideology, the government established a department of social affairs.

During the Old Order regime, Indonesia was busy coping with problems of insurgency. However, during the New Order regime, the leaders pumped state ideology into the heads of people under the pretext of nation-building so as to disguise their corrupt officials. These people finally bequeathed a maze of crises and economic bankruptcy to all of us.

Cherishing lofty hopes, the daughter of the man who proclaimed independence is now president. We do hope ibu Megawati will be able to make the hopes of the nation come true, particularly in building the spirit of nationhood by boosting the use of the Indonesian language as a means of communication to bind the nation together.

May Youth Pledge Day be able to enhance the awareness of the nation's children of the hard-earned pledge and aspirations of the Indonesian people.

AMIRSYAM PULUNGAN

Jakarta