The spirit of building an ethos of nationalism should be further maintained so that it is not easily distorted by the interests of power, because the pledge has lost its strength, especially among the elites.
By
J KRISTIADI
·5 minutes read
KUM
J Kristiadi
It consists of a sentence of less than 40 words, but it has an extraordinary power. The pledge was echoed by representatives of the Indonesian youths from all over the archipelago. They gathered on Oct. 28, 1928 and vowed to unite. This monumental event is called Youth Pledge Day. Their determination to unite was successful. This phenomenon was considered miraculous and extraordinary as they agreed to use Malay as the national language although there were not many speakers of the language.
Malay had few speakers and was mostly used by traders and fishermen who generally had high mobility. So, it was expected at that time that the language could spread more quickly in other regions of Indonesia. The youths who represented regions whose languages had a larger number of speakers, for the sake of Indonesian unity, sincerely accepted that their languages were not used as the national language.
It was not easy considering that the structure of Indonesian society has two complex and "idiosyncratic" facets. First, social configurations are very diverse and attach to primordial identities, such as ethnicity, religion, race, customs, language and class. This phenomenon was reflected in the youths who represented their regions. They used local identities, such as Jong Pasundan, Jong Sumatra, Jong Jawa, Jong Celebes, Jong Ambon and Jong Minahasa. Second, the structure of Indonesian society is divided by sharp gaps; between the upper and lower classes, and the structure of feudalism.
The capital of the struggle of the Indonesian youths at that time was the burning of the spirit to build “Indonesianness”. This movement was against the ideology during the colonial period, which was hegemonized (dominated) by the ideology of division (divide et impera). The idea of unity is very important as implied in an excerpt of Bung Hatta's writing that what was needed was to build “persatuan” (unity), not “persatean” (Daulat Ra'yat magazine, 20 April 1932). “Persatean”, which literally means the making of satay, is a forced effort to make something different come together. The gathering occurred because of the compulsion of external forces without being based on noble spirit and determination. The unity that is built without ethos will only be able to unite territories, but will not be able to unite hearts, spirits and a sense of togetherness. Thus, Indonesian unity must be based on the ethos and spirit of mutual sacrifice and respect for diversity. The unity of Indonesia is not just a political instrument for the sake of short-term power of certain groups.
Kompas
Youth Pledge Illustration
The spirit of the Youth Pledge is one of the pillars in the struggle for independence and to establish a nation state. The pillar of the nation's history that first appeared was Boedi Oetomo, a community movement that was established on 20 May, 1908. Its presence raised public awareness of building similar organizations which later became a national movement to achieve independence. This political action was crystallization of the asceticism of young Indonesian intellectuals who believed that achieving independence, apart from being obtained through an armed resistance, also required political struggle. The symbol of this political movement was later known as the National Awakening, which is commemorated every 20 May.
The continuity and link between the two historical hinges led to the Proclamation of Independence on 17 Aug. 1945. This historical-phenomenal event overturned the status of a region consisting of oceans and a sprinkling of tens of thousands of islands and had been inhabited for centuries by humans, called residents. After the proclamation, the vast area was not just a region, but also as a sovereign political entity called Indonesia. The inhabitants are not called residents, but citizens who have the right and are responsible for managing the country to realize mutual prosperity.
The Youth Pledge as one of the hinges of the history of the nation's journey is commemorated every year. However, the commemoration usually feels bland because it is limited to ceremonies and rhetorical speeches. The commemoration should be able to inspire the younger generation to absorb the values of such amazing historical events. Caring for the ethos and spirit of the Youth Pledge is necessary for the continuity of living together to create prosperity. The virtue must be imprinted on the hearts of the younger generation so that the inherited values could be understood and felt and become the habit in everyday life.
The spirit of building an ethos of nationalism should be further maintained so that it is not easily distorted by the interests of power, because the pledge has lost its strength, especially among the elites. They swear only to legitimize power. In fact, the pledge is a sacred statement that is made solemnly before God to strengthen the determination to do something, even dare to suffer if it is disobeyed. Therefore, education in political history is absolutely essential for the younger generation so that they understand, appreciate and apply the spirit of unity. The basic capital is the talented, characterful and skilled young generation spread throughout Indonesia.
J KRISTIADI, Senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta.
