Missing heirlooms

Missing heirlooms

From Pikiran Rakyat

I am concerned about the two missing gamelan instruments and other heirlooms belonging to the Indramayu people, as published in Pikiran Rakyat daily on March 25. The regional administration should not evade responsibility on these missing assets.

The opinion that these missing items are merely percussion instruments for entertainment or heirlooms associated with sacred objects that have to be maintained and worshiped has to be put aside. The heirlooms reflect much about the history of the Indramayu people.

When the regional administration was established, the veranda of the legislative building would always be provided with gamelan instruments, which served as a mode of communication between the authorities and the public.

The reality shows that such heirlooms are no longer present at regional administrations in West Java except in Sumedang, where heirlooms are maintained by the Foundation of Prince Sumedang, and in the Palace of Cirebon, although their maintenance is not as good as in the palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. The gamelan instruments on the veranda of Bandung's administration building went missing about thirty years ago. Where are Bandung's unique, pure bronze gamelan instruments now?

Artists and culture vultures at the Indramayu Art Council have a moral responsibility and, therefore, have to keep urging the regional administration to investigate these missing heirlooms.

I personally call on leaders, former officials and other individuals, who happen to possess these sacred objects, to entrust them to the museum or university galleries, as their safety will be guaranteed and they will be of enormous benefit to research.

ENDOY HIDAYAT

Ciamis, West Java