Politics is no longer solely based on party affiliation. In the eyes of new generation, political parties tend to be seen in a skeptical and cynical way. New generation is more concerned about issues that hurt justice.
By
ULIL ABSHAR-ABDALLA
·4 minutes read
PANDU LAZUARDY PATRIARI
Ulil Abshar Abdalla
Several times I have been involved in a conversation about the direction of Indonesian politics going forward. A number of friends, generally from the baby boomer or generation X generations, are anxious. My friends ask, do the millennial generation and later still care about politics? Or are they busier with their own me-issues? What is the meaning of political parties for this digital generation?
These questions, if explored further, suggest the skepticism of the "old fashioned" generation toward the political commitment of the new generation. They, this old generation, feel that there is a decline in political commitment and concern for the direction of this country. They are worried that if nothing is done, the situation will get worse. Politics will be a solitary busyness among the circle of a few elites who enjoy power. They, this old generation, seem to be anxious: if the new generation is ignorant, is this not opening the door for new authoritarianism.
In this kind of anxiety, I catch a form of "political arrogance" of the old generation, but it is okay. I think their anxiety is valid. However, I am immediately aware of new developments in the political landscape in this country. This development, in my eyes, marks a shift in political character in this country, from party-based politics to issues-based politics.
I see this shift because of two cases that have shaken the world of netizens in the last three months. First, a brutal case of persecution over Cristalino David Ozora in February. Second, the Bima Yudha Saputra case that caused a commotion in the world of social media because of his criticism of development in his area, Lampung. Bima's criticism was delivered through a trendy platform among young people now, TikTok.
These two cases triggered mass anger in cyberspace. The David case made the public angry because he was brutally persecuted by Mario Dandy, the son of a rich person named Rafael Alun Trisambodo who works at the Taxation Directorate General of the South Jakarta Regional Office. For weeks, this case has become a trending topic on social media, especially on Twitter. Public anger, unexpectedly, has led to a kind of witch hunt, hunting for officials who are corrupt and showing off their wealth in cyberspace. Public anger toward this corruption, which is a cancer in this country, has found a channel because of the case of Mario.
The Bima case is also similar. Bima, a youngster from Lampung who is studying in Australia, uploaded strong criticism of development in Lampung through a video on TikTok. Bima's criticism became a public concern because he ignited the anger of the Lampung governor. His family had experienced intimidation and Bima was reported to the police on charges of hate speech. Even though this report was stopped by the police, this case had sparked public anger.
In these two cases, social media users almost absolutely defended David and Bima. They, in the public eyes, are victims of the arbitrariness of the ruling parties. If we examine the profile of this angry public, it appears that they are a new generation, those who are considered by the baby boomers generation as "ignorant" about injustice in this country. These two cases flip this allegation. I see a political shift.
Politics is no longer solely based on party affiliation. In the eyes of the new generation, political parties tend to be seen in a skeptical and cynical way. This new generation is more concerned about issues that hurt justice, no longer on the parties. This political shift, of course, makes the bonds of the parties loosen because the public cares more about issues.
For me, this is a positive development. Of course, most Indonesian people are still living in the shadow of party politics. Party affiliates, especially among people who have a connection with certain politik aliran (political streams), are still important. However, at the same time, we also see the birth of a new generation that no longer has the memory of the politik aliran. Their memory is more formed by viral injustice incidents on social media.
What is encouraging is the protest of the digital generation through these social media platforms makes the government "stutter", which then forces them to clean up. Probably, this is the direction of politics going forward. Political changes are even facilitated through a small screen.
