No signs of economic crisis in West Java's Dukuh village
By Kafil Yamin
PAMEUNGPEUK, West Java (JP): Fuss about the present economic squeeze is not heard of here. Women in the village are busy cooking. Their husbands are at work in the fields, while their children play in a vast garden. Next to the garden, two naked children swim happily in a pool.
This is the scene one sees in Dukuh village, an enclave inhabited by 43 families on a hilltop of Cijambe, Pameungpeuk, a subdistrict in the southern coastal area of West Java.
Dukuh residents seem to have no economic problems because they have no possessions to which the term "economic" can be referred. No electricity. No television sets or radios. No utensils made of glass or other products of "modern" times.
They do not posses them not because they cannot afford them, but because these things are deemed taboo. "Radio, television and the like are seen as being the products of the kafir (infidels). So they see them as haram (unlawful in Islam), irrespective of our discontent," said Uung Supyadi, 57, former village head of Cijambe who is also a member of a Dukuh family.
They produce their own utensils -- cups, plates and spoons -- made of coconut shells, bamboo and wood. Any glassware is forbidden.
For their livelihood, they cultivate a piece of land within their area with vegetables, spices, staple foods, paddies and many kinds of fruit. The land is communal property and managed and utilized together. Harvests are stored in a public warehouse. The village leader distributes the harvests to every family.
"There is no such thing as private property here, except wives and offspring," said Masfullah, 52, the Dukuh tribe head.
In most aspects of life, Dukuh people do almost everything together. When a newly married couple needs a house, neighbors will come to voluntarily take part in the house construction. Housing is uniform, with walls being of plaited bamboo and the roof of coconut leaves.
Couples who want to build "contemporary" houses would be asked to live outside the village.
Next to the housing compound is the cemetery where the Dukuh's ancestors are buried. One of them is the community's founding father, Syeikh Abdul Jalil, a religious leader who draws visitors from distant places even today.
It is believed that faithful visitors can ask for luck, blessings and good fortunes from him. Visitors must perform a spiritual purification before paying tribute to his grave.
They bathe in a sacred pool and then wear special clothes, which are provided by the tribal leader. Visitors who are government employees or wear military uniforms are strictly forbidden.
Supyadi explained that there is an historical reason for this: "In the past, government employees served the colonial rulers. They were regarded as kafir and even enemies. The attitude prevails until today."
Women visitors are not allowed to wear gold accessories whatsoever.
History
According to Masfullah, the Dukuh people have maintained this simple life for some four centuries. The history of this village can be traced back to the latter part of the 16th century.
Back then, there was kingdom in Sumedang, West Java, which was a fiefdom of the Central Java-based Mataram kingdom. Dalem Raga Gempol, the king of Sumedang, needed a district chief to assist him. The king's choice fell to the then popular Abdul Jalil. Being a faithful Moslem, however, Jalil made two requests of the king. First, he would only be chief if the king stuck to syari'at (Islamic law) in his leadership. Second, the king must allow him to go to Mecca for the haj before he began his duties as district leader. The king agreed.
While Jalil was in Mecca, a messenger came from the Banten Kingdom to Gempol. The message brought from Banten was that Sumedang should switch its loyalty from Mataram to Banten. Regarding this as an insult, Gempol killed the messenger.
Shortly after Jalil returned home, he became aware of the murder. He accused the king of breaking his pledge to stick to Islamic teachings. He refused to join the kingdom and traveled to a distant place for meditation.
During his meditation, Jalil asked God to tell him a good place to lead a divine life. It was said that a bright light shone from a certain spot, for which Jalil headed. In this place, Jalil led his spiritual life and led a community, which survives until today. A system of values, traditions, taboos and obligations adhered to by the Dukuh people are derived from his teachings.
The Dukuh village is situated on a 300-hectare plateau, 10 kilometers from Pameungpeuk. There is no road access. To reach the village, one must travel along a steeply ascending and stony track cutting through a teak jungle. You can ride a motorbike. But be prepared, because it is a bumpy ride that only a skilled rider can attempt.
Even being so remote, the Dukuh people cannot fully escape the changing times. They send their children to state schools. Every day, starting very early in the morning, the children have to walk some six kilometers to get to school and then the same distance home again after school.
Several Dukuh offspring have even graduated from universities. One is a doctor. But since he still lives within the community, he stays in a bamboo house and leads a simple life. He restrains from showing off the fruits of his work like his urban fellows proudly do.