Those Who Inspire National Awareness

Kompas

Ruhana Kudus

Reports on the discrimination of women were never lacking from the several regional newspapers that Ruhana Kudus read. Her empathy was awakened. She then sought ways of raising awareness that would enable women to “liberate” themselves. After a discussion with her husband, Ruhana realized that other women could also have a similar comprehension of the articles as she had.

Ruhana later correspondended with several newspaper executives, including Soetan Maharadja, the chief editor of Utusan Melayu, a daily that was published in Padang, West Sumatra, in the early 20th century. In her letter, Ruhana expressed her intention to fight for women’s rights, which won Soetan Maharadja’s sympathy. The two then met and in 1912, founded the first newspaper for women in West Sumatra, Soenting Melajoe (Malay women). Ruhana, who is related to Sjahrir, a figure of the Indonesian independence movement, was appointed its chief editor.

In Ruhana Kudus Wartawan Perempuan Pertama Indonesia (Ruhana Kudus: Indonesia’s first female journalist), author Fitriyanti points out that Soenting Melajoe played an important role in raising women’s awareness in West Sumatra.

“The public response was unexpectedly overwhelming. It seems that Ruhana was not alone in thinking about the advancement of women in Koto Gadang. Many Minangkabau women in other areas also wanted proper education and equality in those rights that benefited men,” writes Fitriyanti.

Bazaar Malay

Kompas

Lie Kim Hok

Also in the early 20th century, Lie Kim Hok became the first Chinese to write in the mass media using bahasa Melayu Pasar (Malay trade language, or Bazaar Malay). Leo Suryadinata recounts in A Brief History of The Peranakan Chinese Press in Java and The Indonesian Nationalist Movement (1901-1942) that Lie was one of the most skilled in Chinese Malay, or Bazaar Malay.

Fariz Alniezar, a linguistics lecturer from Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia University, said on Sunday (10/11/2019) that the use of Malay as lingua franca at the time indicated Lie Kim Hok’s awareness that he belonged to a nation he shared with other citizens, although he was unfamiliar with Indonesia as a state. In using the Malay language, however, he anticipated that the people would become united through a bond of common understanding. Moreover, when the Dutch language became the official language of government, Lie instead chose Bazaar Malay as a medium of communication to convey his ideas.

Meanwhile, R.M. Tirto Adhi Soerjo founded in 1907 the first Malay newspaper, Medan Prijaji, and used the publication as a forum to spread awareness of Indonesia as a colonized nation. It was for not only the local people, but also the peoples of all nations affected by colonialism, as a means to urge resistance against injustice.

Kompas

Tirto Adhi Soerjo

Organic intellectuals

Prisma Resource Center director Daniel Dhakidae believes that some of the figures who prompted national awareness were intellectuals that benefited from a European education under the Dutch

Ethical Policy. The contradiction between knowledge and the reality of the Dutch East Indies prompted them to demand independence.

This group of academics emerged as organic intellectuals. According to Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, organic intellectuals are prepared to promote class awareness and ignite a revolutionary movement.

To fulfill this role, the intellectuals of those early days realized that they did not have the physical power to oppose the colonial government. They thus applied a more subtle strategy by creating hegemonic public thinking in disseminating their ideas through newspapers.

Indonesia’s independence would be unthinkable without the role of these figures of the founding generation.

Dhakidae said that the endeavor was not free of challenges. The majority of the people were still illiterate. Circulation was limited, averaging at around 500 exemplars per day. Yet, these circumstances were also overcome through the clear targeting of readers who were educated and thus already exposed to the idea of independence.

This group of intellectuals would later spread the idea of resistance throughout the entire populace. Indonesia’s independence would be unthinkable without the role of these figures of the founding generation.