Rows of chairs at Gedung Senisono at the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace on Thursday (30/3).
"We\'re working as we could, not like a real government. We have nothing. There are no typewriters, office equipment or airplanes.” (Soekarno, in the book An Autobiography as told to Cindy Adams, Indonesian title Bung Karno, Penyambung Lidah Rakyat Indonesia.)
As security in Jakarta became more and more uncertain, the leader of the Republic of Indonesia decided to move to Yogyakarta. President Soekarno, Vice President Mohammad Hatta and entourage arrived in Yogyakarta by train on Jan. 4, 1946. They initially lived in the Pakualaman Palace complex. At that time, Gedung Agung was not ready to be occupied.
When Soekarno arrived in Yogyakarta, there were leaks in the roof of Gedung Agung, which was to be the presidential palace. The house did not have any stationery or dining utensils. At that time, Soekarno had only a set of plastic cups. To overcome this, the Presidential Secretariat was forced to borrow dining utensils from a Chinese restaurant.
When Soekarno lived in Gedung Agung, Hatta stayed at a house on Jl. Reksodayan, Yogyakarta. While ministers lived in people\'s houses and used the living rooms of the houses as offices. Red-and-white flags were raised on bamboo poles in the yards of the houses.
Limited
Before Soekarno and Hatta occupied their "offices", they first stopped at Pakualaman sultan\'s palace because Gedung Agung and Hatta\'s house were not ready to be occupied. The two places had to be cleaned and properly prepared. Although the building was designated as the President\'s residence, at that time it was often used by soldiers, who did not have anywhere to live in Yogyakarta.
When staying in Gedung Agung, President Soekarno and his family did not enjoy the same services as usually provided at the presidential palace. Less than three weeks after Soekarno and his family moved into Gedung Agung, First Lady Fatmawati gave birth to the couple\'s second child, Dyah Permata Megawati Soekarnoputri, on Jan. 23, 1946.
The room in which Fatmawati gave birth leaked, with rainwater pouring into the room. ("Small Notes from Bung Karno," Sinar Harapan, 1983). At that time, roof tiles of Gedung Agung were also missing. A number of representatives of friendly countries visited Gedung Agung to formally recognize Indonesian sovereignty.
They included delegates from India, who stayed at Hotel Merdeka (now Hotel Garuda) located at the northern end of Jl. Malioboro.
Everything was in short supply at Gedung Agung, including protocol. It was H. Mutahar, a former sailor, who played the role of the head of the Presidential Secretariat. It was unknown who had appointed him, but Bung Karno and Hatta assumed he knew best about palace protocol.
Mutahar, who took the initiative to borrow dining utensils from the Chinese restaurant, borrowed tablecloths from residents, then established palace protocol rules. If Mutahar did not have any reference for certain protocol rules, he went to the Yogyakarta Palace to adopt the procedures used there.
"If their protocol procedures could not be fully adopted, they could be adapted, altered or updated to suit the republic," Soekarno said.
Aan Ratmanto, a researcher from the study institute of Pleroma Yogyakarta, said the early struggle for independence involved all elements of society. One manifestation of cooperation in the struggle was the presence of a public kitchen. The people of Yogyakarta donated what they could to support the struggle.
The Pakualaman and Yogyakarta palaces played an important role during that period. Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, for example, gained the trust to lead the resistance against the Dutch when Soekarno and Hatta lived in exile on Bangka Island in 1948-1949.
The spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation) that took place in the early years of independence can be seen in Dullah\'s painting Persiapan Gerilya (Preparation of Guerillas).
The painting, which can be found in the compound of Gedung Agung, was created in 1949. It records the activities of fighters before guerilla warfare began. In the painting, guerrillas can be seen preparing ammunition, drinking water from a pitcher and chatting. Dullah\'s work has been reproduced on the cover of the book Di Bawah Bendera Revolusi karya Soekarno (Under the Flag of Revolution by Soekarno).
Resistance
Under such limited conditions, Soekarno did not remain silent. As an orator, he continued to fan the spirit of the struggle to keep Indonesia independent. This could be seen, for example, during the first anniversary of Indonesian independence.
"Let\'s move on. Insya Allah, if it can last one year, two years, three years, 30 years, 300 years and so on until the end of time. It is better to die in the ground than to live in shame, " said Bung Karno at 9:57 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, 1946 at the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace, as stated in the book Dari Proklamasi sampai Takari (From Proclamation to Takari by BP Prapantja, 1965).
Bung Karno\'s wish has been answered. The Indonesian government still exists.
The Dutch finally fully recognized the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia in 1949. Among the six presidential palaces of the Indonesian government, Gedung Agung, which occupies 43,585 square meters, is the smallest. However, its role in the struggle to maintain Indonesia\'s independence was enormous. Gedung Agung has been well preserved.
The building, facilities and art collection are well maintained. To remember the struggle of the past, the palace is open for public tours.
According to the head of the Yogyakarta Palace, Saifullah, the tours attract many students and is expected to help them understand the history of the heroes\' struggle. Seeing Gedung Agung, there are questions that arise. If in the past, with the various limitations that existed, the founders of the nation could gain Indonesia\'s independence, why at this time we cannot walk faster and move forward?
