Universalist Takdir dies at 86
Universalist Takdir dies at 86
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia lost one of its most influential
literary figures with the death of veteran writer Sutan Takdir
Alisjahbana here yesterday morning. He was 86 years old.
Takdir died at the Harapan Kita hospital where he had been
treated since June 14 for lung complications that developed
following a heart attack.
Takdir, leader of Angkatan Pujangga Baru in 1930, a literary
generation which advocated universalism, will be buried at his
villa in Tugu, Puncak, today. The participants of the funeral
procession will leave his house at Jl. Duren Bangka 20, South
Jakarta at 6 a.m., Takdir's youngest son, Mario, said.
"Father stopped swimming four months ago," he said, referring
to Takdir's favorite past time even at his advanced age.
Ironically, he was in the middle of completing his latest
novel entitled Dan Hidup Berjalan Terus (And Life Goes On).
He also left unfinished business with the controversy over the
leadership of the Jakarta-based Universitas Nasional, which he
helped to found.
Takdir is survived by his third wife, German-born Margret
Axer, and eight children, 17 grandchildren and three great
grandchildren.
Takdir's first two wives were from the Javanese nobility. The
first was R.A. Rohani Daha whom he married in 1929. She died in
1935 in Jakarta. The second was Raden Roro Sugiarti, whom he
married in 1941. She died in Los Angeles in 1952. He married
Margret in 1953.
Born in Natal, North Sumatra, on Feb. 11, 1908, Takdir began
his career at the age of 20, after finishing his education up to
the high school level at the Hogere Kweekschool in Bandung in
1928.
He then started writing novels like Tak Putus Dirundung Malang
(1929), Dian tak Kunjung Padam (1932), and Anak Perawan di
Sarang Penyamun (1941).
Modernism
His most significant step was the one he made in the 1930s
when he, together with Amir Hamzah and Armijn Pane, established
the literary avant garde movement Angkatan Pujangga Baru, which
sought to promote modernism and pledged to eliminate chauvinism
and provincialism.
This new era was highlighted with Takdir's romance Layar
Terkembang (1937).
He finished his higher education at the Rechtshogeschool law
school and in literature at Letterkundige Fakulteit, in Jakarta
in 1942.
Critics said Takdir changed the direction of the style of his
novels to that of "novels of discussion" in Grotta Azzura (1971)
and Kalah dan Menang (1978). They said his novels became dry and
colored with rationalism.
During his lifetime, Takdir was involved in many controversies
surrounding his veneration for Western modernism.
Takdir also wrote several non-fiction books. Among the most
important are Values as Integrating Forces in Personality, and
Culture (1966); Indonesia: Social and Cultural Revolution (1969);
Tatabahasa baru Bahasa Indonesia (2 series), Language Planning
for Modernization and The case of Indonesian and Malaysian
(1976).
Appearing at the condolence visit yesterday were literary
figures like Mochtar Lubis, Taufik Ismail, Des Alwi, Ilen
Surianegara, educators like Koentjaraningrat, officials from the
Japan foundation, NGO leaders, and former military officers like
Sayidiman Suryohadiprodjo and Ali Sadikin.
Ali Sadikin, leader of the staunch government critics, Petisi
50, described Takdir as a progressive and tough person. "He was a
survivor of controversies and attacks," he said. (prs)