Towards a Baduy-troika

The Baduy of West Java have so far been able to resist outside influences and hold strongly to their age-old traditions. This may not be the case in the future, especially since its youths find it hard not to be tempted by so-called modernism. The Jakarta Post contributors Diah Purnomowati and Ivan Haris and photographer Rully Kesuma tell of their recent trip to the land of the Baduy in the following story and four others on page 7.

KANEKES, West Java (JP): Billy Joel whispers River of Dreams from a small transistor radio as soft candle-light bathes three huge posters of Rambo brandishing a machine gun, a blonde in a bikini, and a map of Indonesia in the corner of the bamboo hut.

It will be embarrassing if its too loud, said Sarpin, 25, the house owner, moving the coveted radio even closer to him.

Shame is only one reason why he keeps the volume down. The fact is, radios are included among the Baduys list of forbidden items.

In this hilly area at the foot of Mount Kendeng, a total of 5,686 families still uphold hundreds of buyut (taboos) set out in the Baduys pikukuh. The pikukuh are the quatrains which guide the Baduy in farming and in how they treat the environment.

All the Baduys in the three inner hamlets of Cibeo, Cikatawarna and Cikeusik strictly observe the traditions and taboos. The 600 families in these villages are called the Baduy Jero (Inner Baduy).

The Inner Baduy always wear coarse black outfits and white headbands. Other colors are taboo. They also have to un-questionably observe hundreds of other rules. Anyone who breaks the taboos is punished either verbally or by expulsion.

The Inner Baduy produce almost all of their daily needs with their own hands. Modern utensils are haram, or forbidden. If they use a ceramic bowl, for example, it must not have any motifs or brightly colored. They use bamboo for mugs and light the simple houses coconut-oil lamps.

Monogamy is a strongly guarded tradition. If the tribal chief loses his wife to death, he will automatically resign and appoint his successor.

However, the Inner Baduy are familiar with money. They are even allowed to engage in business transactions. Vendors from Ciboleger often come to offer them ice and sweets, but the Inner Baduy are not allowed to act as brokers. Selling things which they have not produced themselves is a serious offense.

If they want to venture outside the Kanekes area, they must ask permission from their chiefs and must be accompanied by one of the chiefs messengers, called jaro tangtu.

More freedom

The inner hamlets are the center of all the Baduys spiritual activities. The Baduy living outside the three hamlets are called the Baduy Penamping (Outer Baduy). The number of their villages increases every year, the latest number is 44.

Basically, as descendants of Batara Tunggal they are bound by the same taboos, but the Outer Baduy have more freedom. They are allowed to wear colorful clothes provided they are not too bright. Blue is acceptable but red and yellow, except in the form of small dots, are out of question.

Unlike the Inner Baduy, the Outer Baduy can engage in trade and own glass ware. The glass, however, never lasts long because once a year the chiefs launch a raid against such items. Usually they announce that a raid is imminent and if, in a week, the Baduy fail to clear their houses of the items, the chiefs take action.

Once the announcement is made, the Outer Baduy hide the prohibited items around their farms or in the forest that surrounds their homes.

Still, the chiefs always find them, assured Sarpin.

This is because the chiefs and their faithful guards come in the afternoon, when everyone is working in their fields. On returning home, they find all their glass wares crushed under stones or thrown into the river.

Its all right. I buy them again when I have money, explained a smiling Sarpin, stroking his radio fondly. He never tires of buying modern things, even if they only end up being destroyed by the chiefs.

Risks

The outside world does lure many people in the tribe, especially now that more villagers in Ciboleger have purchased television sets. The Baduy often take the time to stop by Ciboleger to watch the magic glass box on their way home from their fields. As a matter of fact, the Baduy arent ignorant of world affairs.

The Gulf War was a hot topic here, Ukke Rukmini Kosasih, an anthropologist who has been studying the Baduy for the past four years, explained.

Even with the lure of the modern world right outside their homes, the Baduy are aware of the risks they face if they decide to abandon their tribe.

I want to leave here, but whats the use if that means I have to sleep under a bridge? asked Sarpin. He quoted a Baduy saying which states that only crazy Baduy will convert to Islam abandon their tribe and the taboos and live in poverty.

For the elderly Outer Baduy, the saying is enough to make them stop thinking of joining life outside their tribe. Not for the young ones. Today many of them are not only working in the fields but are also earning money by selling cloth koja bags made from tree bark and also durian.

When I have enough money I want to move to Jakarta, Sarpin confessed, half whispering.

Sarpin is serious. Aside from selling the cloth, he is also learning to read and write. Going to school is another violation.

It is, however, difficult for the Baduy to avoid changes. Even before the Leuwi Damar to Ciboleger road was opened, the area had been visited by hundreds of outsiders. Many were holiday makers, others were re-searchers. Several months ago, for example, a crosscountry rally was held in the area around Gajeboh and Kadu Ketug. Such endeavors making the Baduy a tourist attraction.

The most difficult tourists to deal with are those who come to see the chiefs. Most of them are from the city and want some magic formula to ensure an easy life, good business, a husband or wife or a promotion.

The chiefs cannot refuse such requests because it is one of their duties to help others.

The main problem is that the people give the chiefs money in return for their supernatural service. The rate is between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000 for a talisman or a magic formula. No wonder there are now young people from Ciboleger or other villages around Kanekes who offer their services as guides. The locals call them brokers.

The guides also serve as assistants to the chiefs during the ceremony. They offer the visitors a small white bag to wrap the taliman for the special price of Rp 500 or Rp 1,000. The chiefs set aside some of the money they receive for the guides.

We cannot send them away. They are visitors and we have to respect them, Sadim said of the guides, although he admitted that they were somewhat of a nuisance.

Sadim is defending a long-honored tradition, but its possible that he may have to change his view in the future, given the continued increase in the tariffs the guides demand.

Impossible

The Baduy tend to compromise when they have to deal with non-Baduy. The problem is, they have never been faced with an issue that could change their lives. In the coming years such a threat may be impossible to stop.

The government is planning to build a road to connect Rangkas Bitung and Bogor through Sajira and Mun-cang to end the isolation of South Banten, said Jumar, deputy to the Leuwi Damar district chief.

The government, according to reports, have already contacted Sajira residents who will have to give up their land for the project in the Baduy area.

The Baduy chiefs have been informed of the plan. Jumar reported that chief Ajal from Cibeo once had a vision which told him there would be a mosque built in Kadu Ketug and a green building in Kadu Hejo.

It could be an army headquarters, said Jumar of the green building, speculating about the armys plan to expand its training center in Serang.

The chiefs vision foreshadows that the Baduy will eventually lose the battle against outsiders and will be forced to move to Mount Madur in the western side of Kanekes, 24 hours by foot from their present homes. During the past several years the chiefs have visited the new area at least once a year.

The problem is, many nomad farmers are operating in the area around Mount Madur. The Baduy have protested the government because they feel that the nomad farmers are damaging their future land.

This issue may drag on. Even without the nomad farmers it remains to be seen whether the Baduy will be allowed to move to Mount Madur.