Son of Indonesian Official Lives in Poverty, Refuses to Exploit His Parents' Reputation

Amidst the phenomenon of children of Indonesian officials often exploiting their connections and family names for instant career success, there lies a classic story that serves as a valuable lesson. This is the story of Soesalit, the son of the prominent women’s emancipation figure R.A. Kartini, who chose a more challenging path to uphold his integrity.

Soesalit was born into an elite family. His father, Raden Mas Adipati Ario Djojadiningrat, was the Regent of Rembang. However, Soesalit refused to climb the ladder of success by ‘exploiting’ the reputation of his parents.

Refusing the Position of Regent to Become a Soldier

According to historical records compiled by Wardiman Djojonegoro in the book Kartini (2024), Soesalit was actually entitled to continue his father’s legacy as Regent of Rembang. However, he firmly rejected the comfortable position, despite repeated requests from his family.

Instead, he chose a military career, joining the Pembela Tanah Air (PETA) in 1943. His military career was quite successful, achieved through his own hard work.

Quoting the biography Kartini: Sebuah Biografi (1979) by Sitisoemandari Soeroto, Soesalit’s involvement in various battles against the Dutch led him to hold strategic positions. In 1946, he was appointed Commander of the II Diponegoro Division, responsible for guarding the capital city of Yogyakarta.

Living a Simple Life Until the End

Although he once held prominent positions, including as an advisor to the Minister of Defense in the Ali Sastroamidjojo Cabinet in 1953, few people knew that he was Kartini’s only child. This was because Soesalit was very private about his family identity.

Even General A.H. Nasution testified about Soesalit’s strict principles. After retiring, Soesalit chose to live a humble life as a veteran rather than demanding special privileges or seeking public sympathy by revealing his true identity.

“He could have easily avoided living in poverty simply by stating that he was Kartini’s only son,” Nasution wrote in the biography.

The principle of not relying on his parents’ reputation, he upheld until his death on March 17, 1962.

Until his death, this two-star general continued to choose a simple life, far from the luxury that he could have easily obtained if he had been willing to ‘exploit’ his mother’s reputation.

(fab/fab)