Paying respect to an Indonesian presidency in Blitar

By Simon Marcus Gower

JAKARTA (JP): It was quite ironic to hear two elderly ladies talking of Indonesian presidents in the small East Java town of Blitar. At a bustling market area, with the clatter of a train passing nearby and car horns being sounded by motorists impatient to cross the train tracks, the ladies were first discussing the price of commodities in the market.

They agreed that prices only seem to go up and up; and who is to blame for this? One market shopper opined "This Gus Dur. He's no good! He doesn't know what to do". The other lady, obviously weary and weighed down by her groceries agreed, "It was better when Soeharto was still president."

Indonesia's current President takes the blame, in a town inextricably linked to the presidency.

In this quiet little town there seems no more appropriate a mode of transport than a becak, (a pedicab). Away from the busier market areas the streets are quite quiet. The driver pedals away at a leisurely pace that fits the sleepy environment of a sunny afternoon. From the pleasant and welcoming Sri Lestari Hotel, which is partly housed in elegant colonial buildings, it is just a short ride to the north to reach our destination.

Gently gliding past the Alun-alun (town square), the streets almost seem to be deserted in this part of town. But this is a typical day in Blitar, as many becak as cars or buses make up the traffic on these streets. Slowly we near our particular point of interest and as we do so there are signs that we are getting closer to something of note.

Quiet suburban houses give way to congested gift and souvenir shops and stalls. On closer inspection it can be seen that the gifts and souvenirs consistently feature the image of Indonesia's first president. From key rings and T-shirts to desktop penholders and framed portraits, his image is for sale. Thus we know that we are approaching Sukarno's mausoleum.

There is no entrance fee to visit this historic site; all that is required of the visitor is a signature in the visitors' book. Then turning left through a gateway one sees the modest but attractive and well-built glass-walled mausoleum.

After climbing the steps through the gateway to approach the grave-site we were met by an attendant, (this one coincidentally named Soeharto, presumably no relation), who politely pointed out that we were required to remove our shoes before mounting the marble steps and floor that immediately surrounds the grave.

A large inscribed and polished black boulder marks the first president's grave, the inscription identifies Sukarno as a bearer of independence for Indonesia, but otherwise it is a plain rectangular recess in the marble floor. Here in Blitar, Sukarno's final resting-place is perhaps appropriate, buried as he is in his hometown and amongst other family members.

There are, however, those that claim that Sukarno was buried here against his own final wishes and that Blitar was chosen as it is such a small and quiet town far from major hubs such as Jakarta or even Surabaya, the capital of East Java. It has been suggested that by siting the mausoleum in Blitar a deliberate political decision was made to reduce the chances of the grave site becoming a major place of pilgrimage. But, while Blitar remains a quiet town, the mausoleum clearly is a place of pilgrimage for many.

Even with more than 30 people in the immediate vicinity of the mausoleum's glazed walls, a respectful silence hung in the air. Some sat quietly staring almost in awe of what they saw. Others sat in a contemplative mood perhaps pausing to consider the life of the man whose final resting-place is before them. Others still offered prayers as if this is a holy site; though it is not clear whether these prayers are for the life of a past president or for the on-going presidency.

But no matter what people chose to do here, one thing is constant - their respect. Whether young or old, all were evidently moved and impressed by their presence here.

Many of those paying their respects were old enough to retain memories of the man and as they left souvenir sellers offered them photographic memories of him.

Few of these older visitors, however, chose to buy these photographs. They merely showed a mild interest in such photographic evidence of a life and passed on their way. The younger visitors, meantime, were buying some of them.

"He's a great figure in Indonesian history. He's a legend", said one.

Later when talking to some other young Indonesians, in their mid-twenties, the topic turned to the current problems facing the presidency. One observed that "we need to bring (former president) Soeharto to justice".

However, he claimed that this is difficult to do because "he (Soeharto) still has magical powers. He still has control over what is happening". The suggestion seemed to be that Soeharto is some spirit-like figure that possesses spiritual influence over decision-makers in Indonesia. It seemed as if some supernatural powers were being proposed that made this former president almost other worldly or non-human. Yet here in Blitar one is reminded of the very human mortality of presidents.

Mortality

Indeed, it is this mortality that is, perhaps, the powerful presence of a place such as Blitar's Sukarno mausoleum. All of the people visiting it are touched by it in some way. Few of those visitors will have ever known or even met him. Many would not have even been born before his death in 1970 but all feel some connection, some motivation to be here.

They feel a connection, even a devotion, to the once and first Indonesian president. It is this connection, devotion and sense of respect that is so noticeable when visiting the mausoleum. It does not seem to be a sad or morose atmosphere that pervades. Instead one feels an atmosphere of decent respect and thoughtfulness.

Currently much is written and said about Indonesia's latest and fourth President. Everything from his political, intellectual and leadership skills to his day-to-day health is scrutinized.

This, it is reasonable to propose, is part of the growing democratic process here in Indonesia. But Blitar's mausoleum to Sukarno may be an important reminder.

Presidents are mere mortals.

With all the near microscopic examination of the current President it is worth remembering that he is just another human being. Prone to all the human frailties that we all may encounter, a president is not super-human or even supernatural.

Whilst Sukarno's mausoleum does signify an important, perhaps, even legendary figure in Indonesian history, it is also a family grave site. The man may have been great, even a great president, but he was but a man.

If he, or indeed the presidency, is to be respected it is because of the respect shown to and service provided for the people of Indonesia by such a president and the presidency.

Despite being in the quite remote and small town of Blitar in East Java, many people do, then, visit Sukarno's mausoleum. It may even be said that people make a pilgrimage to the site. Such acts of devotion are matched by the peaceful calm that surrounds the architecture and general atmosphere of the mausoleum.

The kind of respect and thoughtfulness that may be witnessed in Blitar could well be a lesson and guide during these difficult times for the presidency.

Hopefully such calm and thoughtfulness will help and guide all those that serve.