National Awakening Day

National Awakening Day, May 20, is commemorated every year to pay homage to those Indonesians who rose as the untied nation of Indonesia, which was still under Dutch colonial domination in the 1920s. Indonesian nationalist leaders at that time agreed that national liberation and independence should be brought about by enhancing all of the levels of national education by putting it all under one organization, or national roof.

After going through several economic crises since 1997, which almost bankrupted the state, with a heavy national and foreign debt burden almost choking all of our economic veins, economists have now begin to sound more optimistic about the future of the economy. A growth of 5 percent for the coming years has now been officially forecast.

Such a statement indeed sounds too bold to those skeptics among them, who mostly belong to the opposition camp. Another strong indication of the economic improvement is the little-by- little appreciation of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar.

It is much wiser to study the economic successes of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration, such as the bank restructuring projects, the favorable IMF report, the response from the recent Paris Club meeting and the government's privatization program, rather than pondering too much and too long on the meaning of National Awakening Day, which shines like a jewel from the past that is better put in a museum.

Nationalists should also pay attention to the growing discontent among students and the common people, because the government has been forced to raise the price of a number of basic commodities like fuel and electricity rates to meet its international commitments.

Then the nation as a whole get rid of corrupt people and practices among its top executives through a massive national campaign. It must be seen to that the commemoration of National Awakening Day never turns into a social revolution of international proportions, with or without the aid of extreme foreign elements!

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta