Memorial days

Memorial days

In an article published in the Republika daily on Feb. 27,
1996, K.H. Firdaus, a former vice-chairman of Syarikat Islam
(SI), expressed his strong objection to the government's adoption
of the founding date of Budi Utomo (BU), May 20, 1908, as
National Awakening Day. He argued that there was nothing national
about BU as its membership was open only to ethnic Javanese,
consisting mainly of Dutch-minded bureaucrats who were never
involved in direct struggle for Indonesia's independence. He
proposed that Oct. 16, 1905, the establishment date of Serikat
Dagang Islam (whose name was officially changed to Syarikat Islam
in 1911) should be observed as National Awakening Day instead.
This is not only because it preceded BU by nearly three years,
but because SI fought for the independence of Indonesia and
denounced Dutch exploitation.

I fully agree with K.H. Firdaus' view that BU was parochial
and that SI was more nationalistic. I am amazed that the
Indonesian government has failed to realize this easily
researched distinction. SI's one million members came from
various ethnic groups throughout Indonesia. Furthermore, unlike
BU, it used Malay, the country's lingua franca, as its main
language of communication.

Unfortunately, even after the founding SI, regional feelings
were still strong in Indonesia, as evidenced by the establishment
of unashamedly provincial organizations such as Jong Java (Young
Javanese Union). It was not until Oct. 28, 1928, that Indonesians
finally declared that they belonged to one country with one
language. I believe that Oct. 28, 1928, would also be an
appropriate choice for National Awakening Day.

Another memorial day in need of revision is Kartini Day, which
honors only one of Indonesia's national heroines. It is well
known that Kartini's five years correspondence with her Dutch
friends at the turn of the century (1899-1904) provides not only
a moving account of her search for a viable and purposeful life
for herself, but also a record of her desire to free other
Javanese women from the suffocating atmosphere of the traditional
culture.

However, no matter how noble her ideals and dreams were, the
lives and struggles of the other officially recognized heroines
should also be remembered. For instance, the immense sacrifice
and struggles of Tjut Nyak Dien, who led thousands of men and
women in a protracted guerrilla war against the Dutch colonial
army in the jungles of Aceh from 1899 to 1905, was truly
outstanding. Also impressive were the political orator and
agitator Rasuna Said, who openly attacked the Dutch colonial
policy in West Sumatra in the early 1930s, as well as Dewi
Sartika, the dedicated teacher from West Java and Christina Marta
Tyahohu, the early 19th century freedom fighter from the
Moluccas.

I call on the Indonesian government to change the date of
National Awakening Day from May 20 to either Oct. 16 or Oct. 28.
Kartini Day should be replaced with Heroines Day (to be observed
on a suitable date) to commemorate the ideals and achievements of
all heroines, including Kartini.

MASLI ARMAN

Jakarta