Red and white never discriminates

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The red and white flag flew, simple competitions were held, and laughter echoed from the courtyard of the Jambangan Elderly Care Home in Surabaya, East Java. Behind the festivities marking the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia lies a deeper question about the meaning of independence for the elderly and persons with disabilities. On Wednesday (11/8/2026), around 100 elderly residents of the care home took part in marble races, balloon-carrying races, and cracker-eating contests. Of the more than 300 residents, not all could participate directly due to physical limitations. Those unable to join in the activities watched the competitions from indoors. Elsewhere, around 60 children with disabilities at the Kalijudan Children’s Home participated in competitions tailored to their abilities. These included marble races, sack races, cracker-eating contests, and a flag-insertion race. Similar activities were also prepared at several other social service locations. These scenes can easily be read as simple celebrations. Yet they carry an important message: independence should not only be felt by citizens who are healthy, productive, and without mobility barriers. Independence must manifest as opportunities to participate, receive respect, socialise, develop potential, and determine one’s quality of life without discrimination. This message is increasingly crucial as Indonesia enters a phase of an ageing population. The Central Statistics Agency recorded that the proportion of the population aged 60 and above reached 11.97 percent in 2025. This means the elderly are no longer a small group that can be treated merely as aid recipients, but rather an important part of the social structure and national development. In East Java, the challenge is even more pronounced. The 2025 East Java Elderly Population Profile recorded the percentage of elderly at 15.40 percent. The province’s population structure has already entered the ‘old’ category. An ageing population brings consequences for health, social protection, family economics, public spaces, and government service patterns. Therefore, the August competitions involving the elderly and children with disabilities should not be read merely as entertainment. They can serve as an entry point to re-examine whether urban development truly provides equal space for groups that have often been positioned as service recipients.