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.