Overcrowded trains
As the past year drew to a close, The Jakarta Post did beneficent service to its concerned readers with the publication of four special editions from Dec. 26 to Dec. 28, 2002, reviewing crucial episodes of the past year, and the special issue of Dec. 31 on the outlook for the coming year 2003.
Although not all of the historic events and the possible problems that may emerge in various fields were covered in the said reviews and outlook, nonetheless, the fundamental problems, highlighting the bottom line, have been aptly raised and discussed, for which readers should be appreciative.
Noteworthy are also the succinct illustrations of the problems that were highlighted in clear pictures that gave convincing expressions to the intensity and depth of the social and political problems faced by the nation.
The picture of the catastrophic result of the Bali bombing of Oct. 12 is bound to be etched into the nation's history for ever.
On the political scene, the lack of democracy in this country was clearly shown by the almost totally empty House of Representatives (DPR) during plenary sessions (the Post, Dec.31).
It cannot be denied that frequent absenteeism aptly reflects the state of mind and the moral standing of our legislators.
Furthermore, the sad drama of social depression and suffering is exposed by the picture of a suicidally overcrowded electric train coach, young commuters on top of the roof, in the doorways, crammed inside the coach, and the dangling feet of passengers jutting out of open windows.
Other passengers on another coach grip one another to manage to stay standing inside the coach. The locomotive is obviously affected by the extra burden of dangling passengers on the doorstep, on the roof and in the empty spaces linking the coach to the locomotive.
It is shurly a terrible and inhuman experience for the passengers as workers commuting to Jakarta.
As the picture of the overcrowded train appeared under the caption "Outlook 2003", we can only hope that such terrible scenes of suffering, as the Post put it, of the nation's "underprivileged masses", will end in due time, if not at the end of this year, then before the end of the general election year of 2004.
At this point, the question is: Will the politicians in the House care about improving the lot of such underprivileged people as exemplified by the hazardous scenes of overcrowding shown in the picture of the Post of Dec. 31, 2002.
Judging from the reportedly frequent cases of absenteeism by an overwhelming majority of legislators in plenary sessions, it stands to reason that the answer will be doubtful.
S. SUHAEDI, Jakarta