'Wounded Longing' illustrates Putu Oka's life-long struggle

'Wounded Longing' illustrates Putu Oka's life-long struggle

Christina Schott, Contributor, Jakarta

There is no need for history to be straight like a ruler, but
under the repression of the New Order, history was forced to be
black and white, all for the sake of the continuity of the
regime's power.

"I reject this! History is a dialectical anthology of
dynamics": thus Putu Oka Sukanta introduces Wounded Longing, his
latest short story collection. The collection is also the first
of his works published in the English language, on the occasion
of the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival last October.

The anthology contains 13 short stories written between 1977
and 2002.

"I really know what it feels like to be discriminated and
stigmatized," the former political prisoner said. "That's why I
fight for all victims of injustice."

As a freelance writer and an alleged member of the People's
Cultural Institute (Lekra), a cultural organization that was
linked to the communist party, Putu Oka was imprisoned in Jakarta
from 1965 to 1976. One of the hardest trials he faced during this
time was the complete banning of pen and paper.

His tales consequently deal much with modern Indonesian
history: the fate of people involved in the vicious events
following the rise of the New Order regime in 1965; the
experiences of former political prisoners returning home after
decades in prison, still feeling watched and betrayed by all that
approached too close; the destiny of a people exploited by unjust
rulers seeking to advantage only themselves.

Although the protagonists and characters vary, many show an
autobiographical resemblance to the 65-year-old author. For
example, the title story "Wounded Longing", written in the first
person, follows a narrator longing to go home after an indefinite
time in prison. His elder brother, however, obviously involved in
the 1965 massacre of communists, judges the timing "not yet
right". So the family meets at an anonymous hotel, where the
narrator learns about the murders and injustices that took place
in his village -- and he decides he doesn't want to go home any
more.

A little more conciliatory is the "Bride of Light", written in
2002, in which the narrator visits the infamous Lubang Buaya
(crocodile hole) for the first time. According to the New Order
government, this empty well was where the corpses of seven senior
military men were dumped after they were murdered by the
communists.

During a silent dialog with these "heroes of the revolution",
the narrator meets a woman who appears to behave suspiciously
toward him. She reveals herself to be the daughter of one of the
murdered generals. A victim, just like him, she is searching for
the truth behind the historical scenario.

Putu Oka, born the son of a Singaraja farmer, also sets many
of his stories on the island of Bali, relating the strong
traditions inherent in village life and the deep spirituality of
the Balinese people. But always, behind the pleasant facade of
idyllic landscapes and colorful ceremonies hide demons.

"Mangku Dauh", for example, describes the exciting
preparations before a cockfight -- and leads to a surprising and
tragic end. This juxtaposition also occurs in "Made Jepun",
opening with a beautiful morning scene that slowly reveals the
disaster in the life of a simple farmer's family.

"The Moon Goddess has Fallen in Batam", another story from the
collection, is about Dr. Niah, the female protagonist from Putu
Oka's novel Di Atas Siang, di Bawah Malam (Above the day, beneath
the night), which was published last year. Niah is a doctor who
helps sex workers stranded on Batam Island, fighting illnesses
like HIV/AIDS and social prejudices. (Putu Oka himself is a well-
known acupuncturist and naturopathic doctor who has gained
international recognition for his dedication -- be it through
writing or healing -- to people with HIV/AIDS.)

At the end of the story, the author explains through Niah that
the Moon Goddess went mad as she pretended to fight the
unbearable pressures of social oppression.

Putu Oka, however, did not go mad under the social and
political oppression. Instead, as he once wrote in an essay, he
used "writing as a struggle for life" and survived. Wounded
Longing is an illustration of his 25-year struggle.