Social Affairs Minister Supports Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana's Nomination as National Hero

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, has expressed his support for the proposal to award Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana the title of National Hero. According to Gus Ipul, Sutan Takdir made a significant contribution by championing the development of the Indonesian language into a modern tongue. He made the remarks during his speech at a national seminar titled ‘Examining the Heroic Legacy of Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana: Contributions to Indonesian Literature, Language, Education, and Culture’ at the National University in South Jakarta on Tuesday. “I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the National University, particularly the Faculty of Language and Literature, for hosting this forum as an academic and national endeavour to examine Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana’s contributions, as well as to support his nomination as a National Hero,” Gus Ipul stated. Gus Ipul assessed that studying Sutan Takdir is not solely about his literary works. He argued that there were significant ideas he fought for, such as the use of the Indonesian language for critical thinking. “STA is known as a writer, linguist, cultural thinker, educator, and founder of educational institutions. However, if his entire life’s journey is viewed as a whole, we find something far greater: he helped build the way the Indonesian nation thinks,” he explained. Furthermore, Gus Ipul noted that Sutan Takdir bequeathed a modern Indonesian language, one that is now used beyond just social interaction. “One of STA’s greatest legacies is his struggle to develop Indonesian as a modern language. Today, we use Indonesian in schools, government, media, and daily life, so we often forget that the language underwent a long struggle to be formulated, developed, and enriched to meet the needs of a modern nation,” he said. Gus Ipul stated that Sutan Takdir was one of the individuals who dedicated his energy and thought to that process, helping to shape Indonesian so it could serve not only as a language of social interaction but also as a language of thought. “Why is this important? Because language is a bridge between people. Through it, one can convey ideas, explain difficulties, ask for help, and demand justice,” he said. Gus Ipul also mentioned that heroism is not always demonstrated through physical struggle on the battlefield. Ideas, thoughts, or contributions through education can also be considered. “Therefore, when we discuss STA’s heroism, we are discussing a form of hero that does not always operate on the battlefield. There is a struggle with weapons, and there is also a struggle with the pen, books, classrooms, and the courage to express ideas,” he explained.