Upholding local values may take royal effort
Upholding local values may take royal effort
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
The royal families of Indonesia have pledged to make their palaces culture centers, after the recent Indonesia Palace Festival -- or Festival Keraton Nusantara (FKN) IV, as it is popularly called -- united the representatives of 42 palaces here, from Sept. 26 through Sept. 29.
The pledge was made during a two-day dialog on Sept.27 and Sept. 28 at the festival, which was also attended by academics, historians and the tourism community.
Held at the Inna Garuda Yogyakarta Hotel on Jl. Malioboro, the dialog addressed the festival's central theme Merajut Kearifan Budaya Lokal, Merekat Persatuan dan Kesatuan Bangsa (Integrating Local Cultural Wisdom and Consolidating National Unity).
Historian Djoko Suryo of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM), who chaired the team that organized the dialog, said the establishment of a so-termed dewan adat (customs board) had also been agreed upon, whereby representatives of the palaces would take an advisory role in local politics.
"It is hoped that the board can help resolve conflicts in the community," said Djoko, who is also chairman of the Yogyakarta Arts Board.
As centers of culture, Djoko said, the palaces would maintain local values in order to encourage development.
The lack of such values in the community, he said, led to primitive, chauvinistic and superior attitudes which, in turn, led to conflict.
Speaking at the dialog, Gray Koes Murtiyah of Surakarta Palace highlighted the vital role of the palaces today, given the traditional values they stood for, which many locals appreciated and abided by.
That's why, she said, maintaining local values and traditions is a must for a palace.
"There are many in society who are not afraid to break the law, but are afraid to violate traditions and local values for fear of the consequences," she said.
Another participant, Bone Regent Andi Muhammad Idris Galigo, who is a descendant of the sultan of Bone Palace, said that, if the royal family maintained traditions and local values, the tourist industry would benefit. Bone is in South Sulawesi province.
In Bone, for example, the palace had been turned into a museum with the cooperation of the local administration and customary practices were established to maintain traditions.
"Although there is no longer a ruler, he is still a prominent symbol of the community. Hopefully the palace will draw tourists to Bone and generate income for the region," he said.
Speaking in the same dialog, GBPH Joyokusumo of Yogyakarta Palace, however, said that place representatives needed to interact with the outside world for palaces to become cultural centers.
"We have to be creative in dealing with change,
"If a palace simply vanished from our collective memory, it would be because the royal family had failed to make it relevant to the community," he said.