Yesterday's Recap: PM Modi's Visit to West Java Name Change
Various political news was reported by ANTARA news agency on Tuesday (7/7), ranging from the state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the House of Representatives’ response to the proposed name change for West Java Province.
President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the signing and announcement of 16 Indonesia-India cooperation documents at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday. The documents cover intergovernmental and corporate cooperation in various fields, including space exploration, defence, health, agriculture, telecommunications, and education.
President Prabowo and PM Modi also announced the designation of 2026-2027 as the ‘Tagore-Dewantara Year’, an India-Indonesia educational and cultural diplomacy initiative. The name refers to the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore and the Father of Indonesian Education, Ki Hajar Dewantara. PM Modi noted the friendship between the two educational figures dates back nearly 100 years, to Tagore’s visit to the Taman Siswa school in Yogyakarta and his meeting with Ki Hajar Dewantara in August 1927.
Furthermore, Indonesia and India agreed to support the development of strategic ports in Sabang, Aceh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. President Prabowo stated that the two ports play a strategic role as a link between the regions, aiming to boost economic relations and strengthen bilateral ties.
The two governments also agreed on cooperation for the restoration and conservation of the Prambanan Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site. President Prabowo welcomed the initiative, linking it to the broader cultural diplomacy efforts under the 2026-2027 Tagore-Dewantara Year.
In domestic politics, Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Bahtra Banong, said his commission will study the urgency of a proposal to change the name of West Java Province to Tatar Sunda. He noted that the DPR has not yet received an official proposal from the West Java Provincial Government regarding the name change.