'Romo' Mangun's works in the eyes of intellectuals

Mengenang Y.B. Mangunwijaya, Pergulatan Intelektual Dalam Era Kegelisahan (Remembering Y.B. Mangunwijaya: Intellectual Struggle in a Restless Era); Edited by Dr. Sindhunata; Kanisius, Yogyakarta, 1999; 422 pages; Rp 34,000

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Y.B. Mangunwijaya has left us. He was known in this country as one of a handful of people who was committed to human problems. His attention and defense of basic human rights, often arbitrarily taken by the state, left a grudge against excessive and exploitative power holders.

Mengenang Y.B. Mangunwijaya: Pergulatan Intelektual dalam Era Kegelisahan (Remembering Y.B. Mangunwijaya: Intellectual Struggle in a Restless Era) contains the thoughts of a number of intellectuals on Romo (Father) Mangun.

His thinking, which was highly influenced by Sutan Sjahrir, was the result of the harmony between his gentle feelings and sharp intellect. Sociologist Ignas Kleden has said Romo Mangun, which was how Mangunwijaya -- a Catholic priest -- was fondly called, was not an intellectual in an ivory tower, but a man of action. Romo Mangun, "the man of action", did not only adhere to the process of hominization (the evolutionary development of human characteristics) as an intellectual cum activist, but also to the process of humanization (the process to realizing human values and capabilities).

Thus, an aspect of his intellect was his commitment to humanization. It is difficult to differentiate which ideas came from his reasoning (in his capacity as an intellectual), because a little later the ideas were actualized and put into action.

His defense for universal values were not only expressed in the form of ideas an sich: they involved actualization. This can be seen in his defense of marginalized people in Central Java's Kedung Ombo, Kali Code, Gunung Kidul, Kricak and other peripheral areas, as well as his attention to the East Timor community. This was an endeavor to fight for an equal position under the law and the government for every citizen.

Likewise in matters of education, Romo Mangun applied his thoughts at the Kanisius Experimental Grade School in Mangunan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. Education -- according to Romo Mangun -- apart from being something basic that needs attention, must also be understood as a creative and liberating process to cure the various diseases of modern people.

As noted by A. Supratiknya, one of the 10 intellectuals who discusses Mangun in the book, four points were suggested by Romo Mangun to realize an education which would lead to a creative culture. These points were: better recruitment and education of teachers; the simplification of the management of basic education; the integration of nonformal education into formal education; the deregulation of education. According to Romo Mangun, deregulation of education was aimed at shifting the present single, monoform, centralistic character of education into a pluralistic multisystem. (pg. 276-278).

The book under review, plus nine other books, were initially designed as a special present on the occasion of Romo Mangun's 70th birthday, which was to fall on May 6, 1999. Unfortunately, Mangun died on Feb. 10, 1999, during a seminar at Le Meridien Hotel in Jakarta.

Thus, the 10 books on Romo Mangun published by Kanisius are meant to honor him and to recall his achievements. They also commemorate the 100-day anniversary of the death of Mangun, the fighter for humankind.

In the first part of this book, readers are presented with an idea which attracted Romo Mangun's attention: a civil society. Nico Schulte Nordholt, in "In Support of a Civil Society in a Restless Era", compares the writings of Prof. Sarbini, Romo Mangun and Sutan Sjahrir's to discuss democracy in Indonesia.

Romo Mangun's thoughts, which were in the shadow of influence cast by Sjahrir, formed his character as a social fighter. Nordholt remarks: "If the younger generation in Indonesia is equipped with Sjahrir's ideas on sociodemocracy, the struggle for a civil society that is more democratic will have a greater meaning and will obtain additional strength. Thus, in a critical and basic way, there is not only the possibility of analyzing the repressive-restorative forces of the current power holders, but also how the forces which do not agree with the Habibie-Wiranto government can launch various actions on the basis of pure democratic values" (pg. 92).

Based on Nordholt's thoughts, it can be stated clearly that various policies of the Habibie-Wiranto government do not reflect a government that wishes to realize a civil society -- as desired by Romo Mangun -- but have given rise to numerous popular movements because basic human values are being increasingly trampled. Various forms of violence, both virtual and open, are the result of the Befehl ist Befehl (an order is an order) discipline of the military.

In that context, if we want to establish democracy -- according to Romo Mangun -- Indonesia must be governed by civilians like Sjahrir, Hatta, etc. Befehl ist Befehl, an inseparable part of the military, will not be able to give birth to a democratic government or a civil society, Romo Mangun said.

The second part of the book presents topics concerning social matters, religion, education, ethics, history and women. The concluding portion of the book, written by Ignas Kleden and titled "In Memoriam Y.B. Mangunwijaya: Pelajaran dari Sebuah Kematian" (In Memoriam Y.B. Mangunwijaya: A Lesson from a Death), was previously published in Kompas daily on Feb. 12, 1999.

This book will be the spirit which will guide the nation's younger generation to put into action Indonesia's more democratic ideas.

-- Chusnul Murtafiin