Veterans look back to Independence Day
JAKARTA (JP): The proclamation of Indonesia's independence 50 years ago was an "eruption of the energy of the people" to free themselves from the shackles of colonialism and to achieve glory for the nation, a former freedom fighter said last night.
Roeslan Abdul Gani told a discussion with members and activists of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) here that independence was achieved only through the spirit of nationalism and patriotism which originated in the state ideology, Pancasila, which, he said, was marked by idealism and heroism.
Roeslan, 81, and two other independence fighters, S.K. Trimurti and B.M Diah, were reminiscing about their experiences during the turbulent period leading up to Indonesia's independence.
In the discussion, which was opened by PDI chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, the fighters also spoke of their view of the achievement of independence from the standpoint of the current social and political situation.
Roeslan, who was deputy prime minister from 1966 to 1967 and Indonesian ambassador to the United Nations from 1967 to 1971, told the audience that "the essence of the Proclamation (of Independence) is to bring the people not only to freedom, but to prosperity as well".
Unfortunately, he added, "many people have now forgotten this spirit of independence. Instead, there are people who now manipulate conditions at present to further their own interests".
"Some of those people say that they're doing this or that for the sake of the people, when actually they're only seeking profit for their own," Roeslan said, without identifying anyone in particular.
B.M. Diah focused his discussion on the roles that national leaders played. The former information minister and founder of the Merdeka daily reminded the PDI activists that "leaders are elected by the people and are therefore beholden to them".
"Their responsibility is to fight for the interests of the people," Diah said.
S.K. Trimurti, who was labor minister during the administration of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, said that over the past 50 years the country had seen great progress.
However, she said that in the sphere of social justice the nation still has far to go. A fiery speaker, the 83-year-old Trimurti drew wild applause from the audience when she described the nation's passage towards social justice as a long road.
"We're not even halfway there, and we have to stop off at the hospital because we're suffering from a headache," said Trimurti, who is a member of the Petisi 50 group of government critics.
"Justice has a lot to do with conscience, a conscience which cannot be compromised," she added. (swe)