Paying respect to an Indonesian presidency in Blitar
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.
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.