The demise of a giant

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.