Who can stop people from 'mudik' for Idul Fitri holiday?

JAKARTA (JP): It may have officials throwing up in their hands in frustration, but the annual exodus to hometowns for the Idul Fitri celebration is a hard-earned right which cannot be denied.

So says noted psychologist Sartono Mukadis in defending the essential meanings of the arduous journey home, known as mudik.

People need breaks from their mundane daily routines. They also need to return to the places they belong, their roots, to renew relationships and share their feelings and experiences with relatives and friends, he said.

"There is nothing wrong with people visiting their relatives in their hometowns during the holidays. Nobody, including government officials, has the right to prevent them from doing so."

His words may fail to quiet the anxiety of many, particularly those bureaucrats who panic whenever Idul Fitri rolls around on the calendar.

High-ranking officials make a perennial appeal to people to stay put in Jakarta.

It does not hold much sway with Sartono.

"For me, it is a very narrow-minded view. They really don't understand what mudik means to those people."

Many Jakartans and residents of other major cities hail from rural areas in Java, Sumatra, Madura and other provinces.

"They have been working hard all the year in the hustle and bustle of Jakarta, far from their warm and extended family circles in their home villages," Sartono said.

Most of them have poor educational backgrounds and work experience, putting them at a disadvantage in the competitive job market in major cities.

They subsist on low-paid jobs as factory workers, laborers, street vendors, servants or other menial positions in the informal sector.

"These people endure hardship and stressful lives in big cities, and they badly need a time to withdraw from their problems. Idul Fitri is the most appropriate time to do so."

After the Ramadhan fasting month, a period for Moslems to purify their body and soul, Idul Fitri serves as an important occasion for them to express their gratitude to God, their parents and other family members.

It also has a social function to improve human relationships through extending forgiveness, contacting relatives and friends and other activities to enhance kinship and communal bonds.

"With such high moral and social values, it is not surprising that people are willing to risk their lives so they can celebrate Idul Fitri at home," Sartono said.

It also has psychological benefits.

People rely heavily on their families for social and emotional support. Frequent and close contact with relatives -- which makes this exchange of support possible -- is an important aspect.

Emotional support, especially in the degree people receive it from those closest to them, provides an extremely important buffer against life-stresses that threaten health and mental well-being, Sartono commented.

"Those who celebrate the holidays with their families in their hometowns often receive such support, which is important for them to survive in big cities."

Difficulties faced by people in traveling home pales compared to the benefits they gain, Sartono noted.

Millions of travelers pack buses, trains and other vehicles every year for the journey home. They are willing to spend the night in cramped bus or train stations to get precious tickets.

Others, especially government officials and cosmopolitan city dwellers, often dismiss the behavior as irrational and a waste of time and money, maintained Sartono.

"This happens because they view it from their own perspectives. It is time for us to reverse this perception. Let's think about this social phenomenon from the travelers' point of view."

For them, the end result far outweighs any hardship along the way. "We can feel their happiness when they successfully catch a train home."

Instead of griping about problems, government officials should plan ahead for possible problems, Sartono said.

"The exodus is a yearly activity that these officials can anticipate earlier. So why don't they provide the best services for travelers?"

Sartono is part of a team monitoring the implementation of Idul Fitri travels and studying the social phenomenon and its impact on the lives of Indonesians.

"I keep reminding related officials that, as Indonesians, we should be grateful that there are a lot people who strongly uphold family values, something that is starting to diminish in our society."

As the country finds itself in an acute moral crisis, Idul Fitri and the mudik phenomenon can serve as a reminder of the need to value human beings and spiritual matters over material concerns, he added.

It is a fact sometimes lost on those in power.

"Various statements made by several ministers and other high- ranking public servants to prevent people from traveling home are culturally dull and ignorant."

Officials have advised prospective travelers to send gifts, letters or call their relatives on the big day instead of going home.

Sartono derides their suggestions.

"Once again, the government has ignored human factors for almost four decades."

He also warned of societal fallout because many people, their income slashed by the long economic crisis, cannot make the journey home this year.

Separated from the ones they loved at this critical time, they may suffer acute loneliness and desperation.

He said such feelings can lead to depression, in which sufferers feel they have nothing to lose in their actions.

"We should anticipate future social outbreaks," he warned.

The government, he said, was too arrogant to understand people's feelings and their aspirations.

"This is one of the bad legacies from the oppressive New Order regime."

Many officials are intolerant and have lost their compassion for others in their yen to maintain power, he said.

"Look at how many officials are too hardened to say the word 'Sorry' and admit their past mistakes. It is a violation of the Idul Fitri spirit."

Now is as good a time as any to focus on a humanitarian perspective on life.

"What we need now is not only economic and political reforms but also mental rehabilitation to eliminate the ongoing social discrepancies." (raw)