West Java Renaming to Tatar Sunda Sparks Polemic, Indramayu Cultural Figure: West Java is a Heterogeneous Home for Many Ethnicities

The proposal to change the name of West Java Province to West Java ‘Tatar Sunda’ has sparked controversy. Rejection has emerged from various groups, particularly from the Indramayu-Cirebon regions.

One such rejection was expressed by the founder of the Indramayu Historia Foundation, Nang Sadewo. He believes that the proposal does not reflect the historical reality or the current modern conditions of West Java.

He firmly stated his disagreement with the discourse being circulated by a specific group. According to him, the unilateral claim that West Java is 75 per cent dominated by the Sundanese ethnic group ignores the factual population dynamics across the 27 regencies and cities within the province.

“I firmly reject it, especially since it is merely a proposal from a primordial group,” said the man, affectionately known as Dewo, on Tuesday (7/7/2026).

Dewo explained that historical values should not be trapped by group ego or