Statehood Maturity with History

FERNANDO RANDY/HISTORIA

Bonnie Triyana

The adage that to subdue a nation, control its historical mind, has remained valid. During the authoritarian New Order government, history was a narration of the ruler. In the post-1998 reform period, historical science and narration have become a dynamic public discourse and can be presented in a popular fashion.

Bonnie Triyana as the founder of the popular historical magazine, Historia, which has now become a website of historical information and audiovisual historical products, has for more than 20 years been engaged in the pursuit of presenting various historical facts by way of public discourse. Bonnie brought history into the popular domain to be discussed in official media as well as social media.

“Initially, in 2004 when I joined a workshop on history in Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, I found a popular historical magazine in Portuguese, Istoria, at a newspaper kiosk. It contained many visual features in photos and attractive graphic designs of history. Later, when I took part in training in Holland, there was a magazine, Historisch Nieuwsblad, and in Britain, BBC History.

Historical narration could thus be presented in popular versions without causing boredom,” said Bonnie Triyana, a graduate of the Historical Study Program at Diponegoro University, Semarang.

In his college years of 1999-2000, Bonnie and the community of historical activists in Semarang formed Masyarakat Indonesia Sadar Sejarah (Mesiass/Indonesian Society for Historical Awareness). They strove to promote public awareness on historical understanding, which was even more the case when they found many historical obscurities around the 1965 incident and the draft speech of Bung Karno (President Sukarno), Revolusi Belum Selesai (Revolution is Unfinished) subjected to a blackout, as they conducted research at the National Archives in 2002.

“History should be communicated and returned to society as people’s discourse or dialogue,” indicated Bonnie, who had worked with Suara Merdeka daily, Semarang, and later moved to the Gatra magazine.

The understanding of history should be intimately and popularly introduced in the interest of society.

According to Bonnie, presenting history in popular form constitutes a bridge linking scientific journals or the academic world with society. “The understanding of history should be intimately and popularly introduced in the interest of society,” said Bonnie, who had once been an assistant to Indonesian Institute of Sciences historians Asvi Warman Adam and Prof. Sarwono Prawirohardjo.

FERNANDO RANDY/HISTORIA

Bonnie Triyana

Bonnie later had a stint as a cultural editor with the Jurnal Nasional daily until 2008, before the birth of Historia magazine. When he met with an elder of Kompas daily, P. Swantoro, at his residence in the Indonesian Journalists Association Complex in Kebon Nanas, East Jakarta, Bonnie got the important message that “the past is always topical”.

Swantoro called to mind that mass media could survive due to their momentum and good fortune. Swantoro’s message has become a guide for Bonnie, who uses the motto “The Past is Always Topical” for Historia.

No glorification

When Historia was born in 2010, various themes regarding political trends, religious schools and Indonesia’s struggle were massively exposed to the public. “We don’t want to glorify certain figures or events. All positive aspects or shortcomings shown by figures or affairs are analyzed from different viewpoints and serve as lessons for the future,” said the native of Banten.

Asked about Historia’s publications recounting leftist figures that later sold well on various occasions, Bonnie explained that there was no purposeful attempt to be leftish. In his view, Historia’s articles about leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, Indonesian Nationalist Party and others aren’t much in demand because the public is mostly familiar with the performance of these figures. “Those about leftist figures have become a sellout because the public was indeed kept in the dark about their information during the New Order. So all the personalities of the different political leanings serve as historical learning material for society,” said Bonnie.

He affirmed that his media had continued to observe the Decree of the People’s Consultative Assembly No.XXV/1966 on the prohibition to disseminate Marxism and communism in Indonesia.

The features narrated by Historia were historical accounts of Nusantara Archipelago until its growth into Indonesia, covering also many figures from the diverse political groups who struggled for Indonesian nationality and independence that were presented as facts.

There may always be new facts yet to be discovered.

Historical information and narration for Bonnie constitute a process of constant dialogue so that there’s no single truth. There may always be new facts yet to be discovered.

In line with the growth of the online media industry, in 2018 the Historia magazine ceased its publication of printed editions and began focusing on the popular historical news website Historia.id.

Through the popular way of understanding history, Bonnie is trying to promote civilization and equality. What he’s working on is the opening of the DNA data on the origins of indigenous Indonesians that turn out to have come from various ancestries.

Historical narration and public awareness are very important in a pluralist country like Indonesia. Bonnie draws attention to the situation in his birth place, Banten, the interior region of which still retains many things that haven’t yet changed since the era of Multatuli 150 years ago.

This concern has prompted Bonnie to join the effort to set up a Museum of Multatuli in Banten to arouse public conscience. Building historical awareness is in fact very crucial for the maturity of national life.

KOMPAS/PRADIPTA PANDU

Bonnie Triyana

Bonnie Triyana

Place, date of birth:

Rangkasbitung, Banten, 27 June 1979

Education:

- Senior High School 1, Rangkasbitung (1997)

- First degree, History Department, Diponegoro University, Semarang (2003)

Activities:

- Initiator of Museum of Multatuli in Rangkasbitung, 2018

- Exhibition of DNA of Origins of Indonesians, 2019

- Repatriation of artifacts from Holland, 2020

- Consultant to Rijksmuseum, Holland