W.S. Rendra, 70 and still going strong

W.S. Rendra, 70 and still going strong

Kurniawan Hari and A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Poet W.S. Rendra is now 70 years old. Unlike many Indonesians,
he is still strong, both mentally and physically, and eager to
talk about his poems and the nation.

Born on Nov. 7, 1935 in Solo, Central Java, Rendra or
Willibrordus Surendra Broto, still wants to create masterpieces
like the Javanese poets Mpu Sedah, Mpu Panuluh and Ronggowarsito
did in past centuries.

"I want to write poems about the administration, ..., the
ocean. Who says that it is not the business of poets." Rendra
said in an interview with The Jakarta Post on Wednesday at his
unique home in Cipayung, Depok, West Java.

The graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Art, New
York, is known for his satirical observations of social and
political issues in his poems and theater scripts.

Potret Pembangunan dalam Puisi (Portrait of Development in
Poetry), Bersatulah Pelacur-Pelacur Kota Jakarta (Jakarta's
Prostitutes Unite!) and Blues untuk Bonnie (Blues for Bonnie) are
among his collections of poems that discuss social and political
disparities.

Rendra was frequently threatened and detained by officers from
president Soeharto's regime who were angered by his poetry
readings and theatrical performances.

The graduate of Gadjah Mada University also played in several
films, such as Yang Muda Yang Bercinta (The Young Who Love).

People do not only talk about Rendra's literary works, but
also gossip (jealously) about his once "harmonious" polygamous
marriage to actresses Soenarti and Sitoresmi Prabuningrat.

After divorcing Soenarti and Sitoresmi, he now lives with his
third wife stage actress Ken Zuraida in the three-hectare home
and theater workshop.

Question (Q): You and your friends just celebrated your 70th
anniversary. How did you feel?

Well, of course, I thank God for giving me a long life. It is
a blessing from God. But, again, life is fana (impermanent).

Human beings can neither reject birth nor death. We grow from
infant, teenager and then get old. So, what does it mean? Why I
am given a long life?

It is I who decide whether to spend my life only as a
vegetable or to grow old while improving the quality of my
religious life.

If I cannot improve my religious life, I think it will be
worthless. I looked inside myself and discovered that my attitude
and religious life was not mature.

Given your numerous works and acclaimed plays, how did you
come to that conclusion?

It is true (that I have produced numerous works), but there
are still many things to do. I plan to write poems about the
government system, not only about politics and social issues.

I want to follow in the footsteps of our teacher-poets in the
past like Ronggowarsito (1800s), Mpu Sedah and Mpu Panuluh
(1150s) and also Mpu Prapanca (1360s).

Today, the contemporary poets do not follow our ancient poets.
It is weird, isn't?

They (the contemporary poets) do not follow the forefathers
because the contemporary Indonesian poets prefer to look to the
West as a reference.

I think the issue of the government system should also become
a subject matter for poets.

I have written a poem for the statue of Pangeran Diponegoro. I
also want to make poems about our oceans, whose resources have
not been used for the good of the people. I want to write a
criticism of our government, which I think is continuing the
system of the Dutch colonialists.

Through poems I criticize development that does not benefit
the people and that ignores social and cultural issues.

It is normal for a colonial ruler to ignore those aspects, but
after independence we have to work on the social and cultural
aspects.

I think the present government is continuing the practices of
the New Order and the Old Order governments.

What will you do?

I must enlighten the people, but now I can only speak through
seminars and talk with the House of Representatives (DPR). There
is not enough time.

I must continue and improve my spirit. My poems will also
touch this theme -- the government system. Anytime there is moral
decadence, poets have to react.

If there is natural devastation, poets have to react. If there
is failure in the government, many poets say that it is not their
business. I do not agree.

Prapanca or Panuluh did not say that. Mpu Sedah and
Ronggowarsito did not say that.

The modern Indonesian poets follow the line of the western
poets -- l'art pour l'art (art for art's sake). It is weird. The
reference is a foreign country.

The foreign poets have their own history and we have our own.

Being given a long life, I thought that you may protest to
God. But, you say there are many things to do.

I do not protest. I motivate myself. I have been given a long
life and facility from Allah, so I have to spend it for good
things.

You have lived through the governments of Sukarno, Soeharto
and the Reform era of today. I think, the content of the
newspaper is more or less the same -- it is about the government
that does not benefit the people. Do you still have an interest
in monitoring social and political conditions?

We have to be consistent and smart. It is part of (our)
partisanship. One must not get fed up with the current conditions
because it will have an effect on the lives of future
generations.

About the electoral dispute in Depok, you supported Nurmahmudi
Ismail from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Why?

As a resident of Depok, I know (from the vote tally) that he
(Nurmahmudi) had won the election.

Many people (who support Nurmahmudi including members of the
Bengkel Teater) were not invited to vote. But, Badrul Kamal
(Nurmahmudi's competitor) manipulated the facts, saying that many
of his supporters were not registered as voters.

And this claim has been validated through a decision of the
High Court in Bandung.

My wife did not vote, but I voted for Nurmahmudi. Those who
did not exercise their voting rights say that if they exercised
their right they would not vote for Badrul Kamal.

They strongly reject the assumption that they are supporters
of Badrul Kamal. Given this condition, the High Court should not
back Badrul's claim.

I will not belittle my intelligence and accept this condition.
This is jaman edan, ewuh oyo ing pambudi (an era of craziness
where people lose their analytical skill and common sense).

That is my answer. It is an understandable response for me to
support Nurmahmudi, not because I am a member of PKS.

It is impossible for me to join PKS. For me, PKS is a party
with an unclear platform.

Why?

Because the PKS has no policy that supports the people.

When people are evicted and forced to move from their home and
they get no legal protection, PKS does not offer help.

When there is unemployment, the political parties including
PKS do not respond.

This means that you support Nurmahmudi as a person?

Yes, and of course (I support) his right. I do not know his
caliber yet. We need to watch closely.

I think the fact that the electoral dispute has not been
settled reflects the low quality of our government system.

I will not join political parties because their attitude is
the same. There is no political party that reacted to the
increase in the salary of House members.

The salary rise means more income for the political parties.
The House is only a haven for unemployed people.

If the government system is a continuation of the Dutch
colonial administration, then how do you see freedom of
expression? Does the government still impose bans on cultural
performances?

There is freedom of expression. However, the worst thing
happened to (human right activist) Munir.

Now, the problem of the arts and cultural activities is money
-- the economic aspect. Everything focuses on commercialism.

Advertisements also outnumber the cultural pages in
newspapers.

Those are the things that I have not finished doing - my
criticism of the government and development system.

Seeing these conditions, how do you see our future?

There is a hope. It is not because of the quality of the
government or the political parties. It is because the young
generation has started to understand social knowledge,
psychology, linguistics and anthropology. There is hope.

How do you view killing in the name of religion?

Killing is considered a holy action. What is the reference?
Which holy book? It is weird. It discredits Islam. Is Islam the
religion of barbaric people?

I also hear that there was a Christian family who was expelled
from their house for organizing a prayer (meeting). Here, I often
organize prayers at home peacefully.

Does it mean that a Muslim is allowed to organize a prayer and
others are not allowed?

In your opinion, why do people take that kind of action?

I think it is a narrow perception of religion. It may also be
a politicization of religion.

That is the weaknesses of the majority. The majority is often
careless. They are often greedy.

There are many killings done in the name of religion. Do you
regret becoming a Muslim?

No, I do not embrace the society, but Islam. My faith is not
in the society, but in Allah. Ulema must be more critical of the
society and develop Islamic teachings, not develop the value of
the Islamic party.

In a multireligious country like Indonesia, there is the view
that religion should not be used to settle problems. What do you
think?

As long as regulations are not solid, we still need religion.

At the age of 70 you still look healthy. How do you maintain
your health? Is it because you drink tea regularly?

This is not tea. This is taken from leaves on the mountains in
the Himalayas and China. Local people take the herbs on the
mountains and make them into beverages that benefit the kidney,
liver, colon, heart, pancreas and other organs.

Researchers have then found that the leaves also have a
similar composition. I do not know the distributor of this drink
here. I get it from my students in Sydney.

I eat vegetables, but not all vegetables. I take the ones that
are suited to my blood group. I am concerned about diet. I had
reduced rice since the age of 35. That is why at the age of 60 I
was not this fat. I started to become fat at 65.

Of course, there must also be a culture for the body. I join
the Bangau Putih exercise group. I maintain a diet and do light
exercise. I do not use barbells or jog.

I follow the rhythm of age. I do not deny my age. I do not
drink coffee or regular tea. Sometimes, I drink tea from Mount
Lawu and Garut. I do not drink alcohol.

And of course, having sex.

Having sex refreshes our body and mind. Once a week is enough.
Twice a week seems to be fun. When I was still 50 years old, I
had sex three times a day. Eating three times a day; having sex
three times a day.

Do you still read newspapers and watch television every day?

The Holy Koran. I read randomly.

Occasionally, I check a draft of my writing. If I have the
mood to do so, I will write. Then I go out of my room and read
newspapers, watch television or phone colleagues.

Often, journalists come interview me. Students and workers
also come. I get information from social interaction.

Do you still read poems or speak at seminars out of town or
overseas?

I have not reduced my travel because that is my source of
income. I earn an income from poetry reading or speaking at
seminars. I set a fee.

Traveling offers me the opportunity to support my life here.

Is there a database of your creations?

I often receive criticism about this. I had promised to make
it years ago. Some of my files were destroyed in heavy rain.

Some of my files are also kept in a university in Cologne,
Germany. A friend of mine from Germany gave me money for the
trash.

Later, I found out that some of my poems are also stored in
universities overseas.

Do you plan to stage a play in the near future?

That is a problem. The cost for rehearsals is high because of
transportation. When I was in Yogyakarta, there was no
transportation fee.

They came for rehearsal on foot or by bike. But, now, it is
impossible.

The cost of the lighting and sound system is also high. It
could reach Rp 50 million. The cost of staging Sobrat, for
example, was about Rp 400 million.

It is impossible for me to do it again, because I suffered
financial losses. I pushed through with Sobrat for the sake of
regeneration. I lost Rp 9 million. I lost Rp 18 million for other
performances in the past.

I must have a savings of about Rp 25 million before staging a
play. It functions as a financial reserve, otherwise I will not
have money to pay for possible loss.

I will not accept a contract below Rp 400 million. Today, it
is difficult to get a contract above Rp 500 million. The company
gets no return from it but only maintains its image.

What is your fee

Everything is already clear when there is an invitation for an
overseas tour. I will get a per diem allowance and fees.

My charge for a poetry reading here is Rp 25 million. I get Rp
10 million for speaking at seminars.

That is my fee now. But, if there is another fuel price hike,
I will make an adjustment.

People must understand. I set the rate because I need to pay
for electricity, phone bills, my children's education, medical
checkups and other expenses. That is why I set the rate.

People often do not view my activities as work. This is crazy.