Ngatini, heroine of humble farmers

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The stereotypical image that all farmers live under constant oppression, backwardness and the control of the authorities is a myth. At least that is what Ngatini believes.

It was this conviction that helped the 49-year-old North Sumatra farmer succeed in her fight to reclaim 55 hectares of her village's property that had been taken over by private company PT Small Holder.

The success came after a long and grueling battle on the part of the villagers of Anggrek in the Ramunia estate, Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, for their rights and their land.

Ngatini's courage and accomplishment caught the attention of the Geneva-based Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF), which honored her with the Women's Creativity prize.

Ngatini, married to Jumiren, 53, and a nursing school dropout with four children, felt honored to represent Indonesia among the 200 other women selected for this award.

"It was more responsibility to receive this international award then I had ever dreamed of before," she said.

She attributes her successful battle to the assistance provided by Yayasan Bitra Indonesia, a foundation focusing on increasing the awareness of farmers of their political and legal rights. The foundation was founded in 1991.

As a vocal activist, Ngatini has been jailed several times for her unflinching struggle to defend villagers' rights.

She repeatedly led demonstrations to the Deli Serdang legislative council to press demands for the return of the communal land controlled by PT Small Holder.

In 1994, she went to Jakarta to exert pressure and lobby public institutions, such as the home affairs ministry, the agriculture ministry, the House of Representatives and the human rights commission.

She recalls her experiences while traveling aboard the passenger ship Kambuna to Jakarta in 1994. Once, when trying to find her way to the dining room, she lost her way and entered a passenger cabin. When she was in the bathroom, she turned on the hot water tap by mistake, being unused to running hot water.

"I got scalded and jumped aside to avoid the hot spray," she recalls with a laugh.

The Jakarta journey, however, was fruitful. She obtained a guarantee from the National Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs, authorizing the Anggrek villagers to reoccupy their property.

Today, the land is the de facto property of the villagers. The next battle is for them to obtain the certificates of ownership.

In fact, according to Ngatini, the disputed land covered a total area of 91 hectares. While the villagers have regained the 55 hectares from PT Small Holder, the other 36 hectares is still controlled by the cooperative of the Bukit Barisan Military Command.

The Anggrek farmers were working the land as far back as 1954, but then the property was seized without compensation by three private companies -- PT Karya Bumi, PT Gelorata and eventually by PT Small Holder in 1982.

Ngatini admitted that the struggle had not been entirely successful, because of the 36 hectares that remained in the hands of the military cooperative. Ngatini said she suspected some key figures among the farmers had betrayed the struggle by accepting bribes from the cooperative.

"I don't mean to name names but it is strange that some people have abandoned the struggle. What happened?"

With the 55 hectares returned to the village, the land has been divided evenly among 155 families in Anggrek, with the remaining plots of land being used for a graveyard, an elementary school, a mosque and an Islamic school.

Located about 40 kilometers from the North Sumatra capital of Medan, Anggrek village is a pleasant settlement with a peaceful atmosphere. The local administration has built various infrastructure and facilities like irrigation channels, power stations and public schools.

Ngatini is still active in rural development activities, serving as the chairperson of a women's farmer group and a women's cooperation forum. On Aug. 3, 2001, she was elected chief of a small-scale women's business network.

And don't expect her to quit fighting anytime soon. When asked to comment on the well-being of farmers in general, Ngatini said most farmers lived in poverty while businesspeople lived in luxury at the expense of the farmers.

"The government should pay attention to the plight of farmers, who have performed great services for this nation," she said.