The demise of a giant

"If we want to catch up with the advanced countries of the West we must learn their technology. And as we are a member of a universal earth we must not remain stuck in nationalist sentiments. We also must promote English as the most popular language in order to enable us to acquaint ourselves with the world." That statement came not from a technical engineer such as Minister of Research B.J. Habibie. It was made by Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, a writer, linguist, academician and philosopher.

It should be mentioned that Alisjahbana aired those views for the first time in the 1930s. Since then he tirelessly kept on repeating it for many decades, right up to the moments before his demise last Sunday at the age of 86 years. Of course, expressing such words in the wake of the nationalist tide which swept this country in the 1940s and 1950s was certain to draw harsh reactions. Many people branded Alisjahbana as "un-nationalistic" and "Western-oriented". His criticism of "traditionalism" and the predominant influence of Javanese traditions on the Indonesian culture earned him the label of being "anti-Javanese".

But Takdir Alisjahbana remained unmoved by such criticism. Until his last breath he was known never to be short of new ideas, some so extreme that many people regarded them as "strange" or "unacceptable". A few even called him "loony". For example, he once called on the government to close down the Language Center, contending that it tended to kill rather than promote the development of the Indonesian language. He also called on all ASEAN members to form an ASEAN culture, which he predicted would eventually become our future culture.

No doubt Alisjahbana was a controversial figure in life. But the heritage which he has left is remarkable. Published in the early 1930s, some of his books such as Layar Terkembang and Dian Tak Kunjung Padam established him as an avant garde literary figure at that time. They also set a new trend in Indonesian modern literature as represented by the 'Pudjangga Baru' (New Author) stream, which believed in modernism and universalism.

His love of languages, particularly Indonesian, inspired him in 1949 to undertake the arduous labor of writing Tatabahasa Baru Indonesia (New Indonesian Grammar), the first Indonesian book that systematically analyzed the language. It has since been reprinted 41 times.

In line with his belief that Indonesians should strive to better master the physical sciences, in the 1950s he founded the first private university in the country, Universitas Nasional Indonesia.

In his later years, Alisjahbana grew more philosophical and this changed his style of writing. This was apparent in his later novels such as Grotta Azura and Kalah dan Menang. He also organized a series of World Philosopher Conferences in his resort in Toyabungkah, Bali.

It is truly saddening that even into the last days of his life Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana remained a man who was misunderstood by most of his own countrymen. Apparently, his efforts of the last two years to protect his beloved National University from outside pressures were too much for his frail body. His health deteriorated until a heart attack last Sunday brought an end to his life.

That he loved his country, his nation and its language is beyond doubt. It was that very love that made him such a staunch figure in promoting his views. He never seemed to care the least for the attacks against his beliefs or his personality, because he knew that what he did was for the good of his people and his nation.

Perhaps it will take some time for people to understand him and to begin to respect his values and ideas. But whatever may happen, his demise has made us aware of the gravity of the losses which providence may inflict on us. For there is no denying that Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana was one of the greatest men which our nation has produced.