The debates on building the new capital city will be more productive if the discourse explores essential issues, including, among others, esoteric deepening.
By
J Kristiadi
·5 minutes read
KUM
J Kristiadi
The political landscape in 2022 seems to emit some light, but it is also dim because the public is absorbed in wild political performances filled with stratagems, imagery and maneuvers to woo voters for the 2024 general election. The panorama is getting dimmer, triggered by emotional, ethnic, religious, racial and inter-group debates about the development of the nation's capital city (IKN) of Nusantara.
The debates on building the new capital city will be more productive if the discourse explores essential issues, including, among others, esoteric deepening. This perspective is expected to help understand the issues by not only relying on common sense, but also culture, taste and intention, thereby penetrating the phenomenon more deeply. This approach is a consequence of the multicultural Indonesian society.
This insight has mystical nuance because it goes beyond the reach of ordinary human minds who desire to experience and feel God's emotions. This perspective has nothing to do with the occult – shamanism – such as treatment in a very secret and unreasonable way, but is believed. Therefore, this understanding frequently requires spiritual aid so that practitioners are sensitive to listen to the beating of their desires and spirits which raise noble ideas for the benefit of the nation and state.
Testing desire is badly needed to prevent this thought from stopping as simple political rhetoric but can in actual fact be realized for the welfare of the people. This vista tries to comprehend and answer the question of why the government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pushed for the new capital city development agenda even though quite a lot of people think that there are still more pressing issues.
This point of view has a long history rooted in the feudalistic concept of Javanese cultural power, that power is obtained through mental cultivation, physical mortification and the like. Symbols and attributes of power are wealth and titles of nobility. The practice of democracy in Indonesia from the beginning of the 20th century until after the reform era has made use of this culture, even some who still believe in shamanism.
In fact, political parties as pillars of democracy are addicted to paternalistic culture. Sovereignty of the people was not able to break the cultural chain of Mataram power from the 16th century to the 19th century. The manifestations of the presence of this noble heritage include, among others, the privileges for the special region of Yogyakarta and the synthesis of aristocracy and democracy.
ARSIP NUART CONSULTANT
The design of the State Palace in the form of a Garuda bird by artist Nyoman Nuarta in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan..
Democracy has not reflected the sovereignty of the people because of the rampant practice of money politics. As a symbol of nobility, the political elite diligently pursue and collects academic titles and academic positions as attributes of the modern aristocracy. Sometimes the row of titles exceeds the length of their names. Academic nicknames and wealth are metaphors for today's democratic power management.
The controversy over the new capital city’s development is reflected in a recent Kompas poll. Despite strong parliamentary support, public opinion is ambiguous. The poll said that 50 percent of respondents believed the new capital city project would be successfully carried out in 2024. Some 45.5 percent of respondents said they were not sure, and almost 60 percent of respondents did not know that the new capital city bill had been passed by the House of Representatives (Kompas, 31/1/2022). This also shows an indication that Indonesia's democracy is moving backward.
One of the tools to measure the degree of desire of President Jokowi’s government is the track record of executing spectacular policies that are felt by the people. For the new capital city’s supporters, Jokowi's government is considered capable of realizing an amazing policy. For example, Indonesia has managed to control 51 percent of Freeport's shares after more than half a century of foreign ownership. Likewise, the Rokan Giant Block and the Mahakam Block are now managed by state oil company PT Pertamina (Persero).
In the field of infrastructure development, thousands of toll roads have been built. Of the 3,642 kilometer Trans-Papua Highway, about 180 km remain to be constructed. The Trans-Java Highway of 1,056.38 km, can already be passed. Meanwhile, in other regions, such as Sumatra and Kalimantan, similar infrastructure is being developed. Perhaps the supporters of the new capital city development view the "miracle" of the government of Joko Widodo because it has a track record of being able to execute policies that in the past were unfeasible because of being seen as impossible to do.
For those who reject the new city, the reasons are also quite numerous and reasonable. For example, issues regarding financial resources, social problems, the environment, being far from the previous capital city and so on. As a result, supporters of the new capital city’s development must pray fervently for successful development. Those who disagree, please criticize as loudly as possible so that this noble intention can be successful and useful for the benefit of the people, not for a lighthouse project and personal ambition.
