Time for soul searching

In the last several weeks a very interesting debate has been going on among the public. A wide range of topics, ranging from corruption to political collusion, moral decay and sensitive issues, such as the business activities of the children of high ranking government officials, have been openly discussed, mainly in the media. So, too, is the question of whether we should pardon those who were involved in the 1965 communist coup.

Apparently, what triggered the debates is the coming of the golden anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, which will be celebrated next month. It is as if the public is inspired by the momentum of the event to reflect on ourselves, on where we have gone in the last 50 years. It is a bit like soul searching or a spiritual journey to seek answers to the questions: Are we on the right track? How far have we come as a nation?

Instead of brushing aside those debates as rubbish or stamping them as "endangering the nation's stability", we should welcome such reflections as refreshing. For it means that as a nation we still have the courage and capability to dig deep into our conscience to make a tally of our past record, to understand more about our strengths and weaknesses and presumably to make corrections wherever it is deemed necessary.

We believe this kind of debate is natural and sincere, since it directly involves the people. Surely these public discussions are no less important than the more official parliamentary debates or even the grand sessions of the People's Consultative Assembly.

We also should feel relieved that a number of our most prominent fellow citizens have participated in the debates -- people such as Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat, former minister Emil Salim, Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo -- and not just the usual intellectuals and activists. The participation of such notable persons, and the ideas which they have conveyed, mean that the situation is not as unfavorable as some people have claimed and that our future as a nation is as bright as ever.

Among the interesting topics which have been discussed, one issue, we think, stands above the others, although unfortunately it has failed to get the public interest which it deserves. The topic emerged through a discussion held the other day in Jakarta, with the theme "The Place of the People in the Republic: A Reflection on 50-years of Indonesian Independence".

The question of the place of the people in this republic, in our opinion, is a key factor by which progress should be measured. After all, the republic was founded 50 years ago to establish the sovereignty of the people.

Sadly, as noted by political scientist Loekman Soetrisno in the discussion, although the Constitution places the people in the highest standing, reality proves otherwise. The Nipah dam incident in Madura, East Java, a few years ago, in which several people were shot and killed when they protested a plan to construct a dam in their area, is sad proof of how low this standing sometimes is in our real world.

Prof. Loekman Soetrisno also noted how we erected walls within our society when we ceased using the term bung (brother) to address each other and started to address our officials as bapak (father). The same effect, in his view, has been achieved by the introduction of safari uniforms in our society. Quoting a popular Javanese phrase, Loekman Soetrisno said that usually if someone reaches the age of 50 years, he or she would start to search for the jalan padang, or the road of enlightenment, to be closer to the Creator, to have more patience and to be wiser in his or her actions and to make peace with the world. Ironically, according to Loekman Soetrisno, the government seems not to be going in that direction.

He reminded the government and the nation to take a lesson from what happened in "super strong states" such as the former Soviet Union, which so easily crumbled. Although one may regard Loekman Soetrisno's view as too populist or even utopian, and his warning as disproportional, we find his ideas illuminating and worth heeding.

And as our nation prepares to celebrate its oncoming golden jubilee with banners and lights, we should also rejoice at the fact that we have apparently not lost our capability for honest soul searching.