'Nawaksara' speech

Why, all of a sudden, was a certain group planning to hold a seminar on the late president Sukarno's speech Nawaksara, delivered before the People's Consultative Assembly on June 22, 1966? I wonder what is really behind this movement. What benefit is going to be gained from holding such a seminar?

Are we going to elicit a united opinion on the substance of the speech? But what is it for? It is a useless undertaking because each individual will have different perceptions and judge historical facts differently.

We know that there are still many of us who love Sukarno and will definitely oppose the seminar. Why don't historians hold a seminar to judge the merits of the Nawaksara speech in a scientific way?

For people to have different opinions on any particular subject is constitutional. It is also reflected on Indonesia's coat of arms: Unity in Diversity. There is also a hadith which teaches us that different opinions are a blessing.

W. PIENANDORO

Bogor, West Java