Friday, March 15, 2013

The Garlic Saga: Beggars in Their Own Land

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/25/imo-view-the-garlic-saga.html


Hundreds of commuters disembarked from the commuter line at Depok Baru train station as I maneuvered my way out to avoid getting trampled or squashed. Lined with fatigue, these passengers battled their way again to board on the blue public minivans parked along the narrow streets. The already congested road grew worse, adding another nightmare to the weary passengers. I shoved myself in the overcrowded minivan, securing the leftover seat that squeezed me to the point I could not even move an inch.

“Yesterday, I bought a quarter kilogram of shallots for Rp 12,000. Now, I have to pay Rp 15,000 for the same quarter. It’s so outrageous! Even for our basic seasoning, the price has been skyrocketing. I am afraid I will no longer be able to afford them.” A middle age woman on my right with black plastic bag full of vegetables and other cooking herbs said with a deep sigh.

Another lady next to her exclaimed in unison, adding that she had to empty her purse to buy a kilogram of garlic for Rp 80,000.

“What an irony! While Indonesia is renowned for its agriculture, most of our basic foods are still imported that make them volatile in price. Last year, tahu and tempeh became scarce due to the lunatic price hike!” She blurt out angrily.

Another housewife said she’s going to avoid buying shallots and garlic until the price returns to normal. She would replace them with instant seasoning instead.

The bantering enthralled me. These women spoke for the many hardworking housewives struggling to balance their budget to cope up with the soaring prices of staple food in the land of fertile agriculture. It showed the growing discontent among people for the extraordinary rise in prices of what should be normally one of the affordable agriculture products. If the prices kept skyrocketing, it was only a matter of time before the mayhem affected the health and well-being of many families in this nation.

Related to this issue, it was only the day before my office held a meeting to address the situation as the soaring prices of volatile foods might add another inflationary pressure to the economy. The crisis rooted in the unequal equation between the demand and supply resulted from the government’s move to curb the import of various horticulture products while local famers have not been able yet to meet the market demand as in case of the soaring price of beef.

It is a growing concern, should the government failed to tackle this problem accordingly. Amid the lingering global economic uncertainty, it is essential and compulsory for the government to keep the inflation at bay.
Meanwhile, the public started to dissent the related ministries, which again resorted to the hunting game – looking for scapegoats to blame on spiraling prices. The President has lambasted over the poor performance of the related ministries in dealing with this price instability in volatile food. Instructions had been issued to wrest the sharp increase. Again, poor coordination at the ministerial levels had been laid bare at the expense of the sweats and tears of many housewives in this nation.

It is so dreadful to learn that local farmers only contributed 5 percent garlic to the market while the remaining need for garlic is still imported. With so many fertile lands stretching from east to west, north to south and having the largest manpower in South East Asia, it saddens to learn that our farmers become beggars in their own lands. It is the responsibility of the government should maintain price stability and regulate import while protecting local farmers so that they would enjoy their production benefit.

As for me, and perhaps many others, we dream to see the nation regain its glory in agriculture. We long to see the nation to reach swasembada pangan (food self-sufficiency and security in agriculture sector). We want to enjoy the diverse agriculture products with cheaper prices. We are sick to see another saga of price hiking in these products. And we don’t want to be  beggars in our own land!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

International Women’s Day: Time to Stop Pandemic Violence Against Women

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/18/imo-view-stop-violence-against-women.html

Within hours, we will be commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March 2013. It coincides with the UN Commission on the Status of Women’s focus to bring an end on the “pandemic” of violence targeting females worldwide. It is recorded that up to 7 in 10 women globally, or 70 per cent, would be beaten, raped, abused or mutilated in their lifetime. The UN Women Executive Director called on the international community to deliver on their commitments and to protect women’s right to live free of violence.

For me personally, I am embittered by the fact that until today, violence against women and girls is still rampant all around the world. They are subject to appalling hostility justified in the name of religion, culture, and tradition. Practices such as gender discrimination, imprisonment, maiming, femicide, torture, even death, are ingrained as culturally authentic, required by religion, or sanctioned by time-honored tradition.

A worldwide condemnation hailed towards religious extremists who cowardly shot a 15-year-old Pakistani girl on her way home from school. Malala Yousafzai was a vigorous campaigner on education for women. Taliban considered the act against the scriptures! What a twisted sickening rationale. It is their act of brutality which grossly transgresses the teachings of their religion.

Following the Arab Spring, women across the Middle East are now bracing themselves against the harsh core reality that they remain as second class citizens. They had actively participated to thwart the autocratic regimes, yet the now ruling governments seem impatient to curb women from the mainstream of politics, economy, and any other aspect of life, in the name of religion. It is really disheartening to see the widespread misuse of religion to excuse or condone abusive behaviors towards women.

Meanwhile, images of domestic violence almost always wind up putting women as victims. The man seems to have complete control over the lives of a married woman, as reflected in a number of tragic stories in Afghanistan, Mali, India, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and many other countries where traditions and culture embedded in the deep rooted patriarchal societies reinforced by false and misguided interpretations of the religious texts take reign.

It is also nauseating to learn that more and more women suffer a life time trauma and humiliation from rape. Many tragically lost even their lives under this monstrous crime. The gang rape and death of a 23 year old medical student in India, the gang rape of a high schooler in Steubenville-Ohio, the rape of 17-year Sout African girl, and the repeated sexual assault on the Indonesian fifth grader were only the tip of the iceberg of the massive violence directed against women. Rape is theologically, socially, morally and ethically wrong and constitutes as a heinous crime. It is the most atrocious physical, psychological, and spiritual violation of one person by another.

What is more sickening is the use of rape as strategy of war in the conflict- ridden countries such as Colombia, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Mali, and Syria, among others. In these countries, women and girls alike continue to suffer the horror of high levels violence and helplessness. While, the sadistic perpetrators got away, the victims were routinely blamed and made to feel shame for the violence committed against them. None they could turn to. Often, they feared for their life if they reported the crime. Often they sought in vain for justice.

For that reason, it is imperative for us to ask how many more women and girls need to be violated and ruined? How many more families need to suffer? It is time for us all to say enough is enough.

Commemorating the IWD, let us work together to stop VIOLENCE against women and girls. Let us say it aloud today and the days onward. Let us stand together campaigning NO to rape and sexual violence, NO to human trafficking and sexual slavery, NO to murders committed in the name of honour or passion and NO to femicide. NOT in the name of religion, culture, nor tradition.







Sunday, March 3, 2013

Valentine's Day is just Another Day to go By

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/02/18/imo-view-valentine-s-day-just-another-day.html

With the so called Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has issued an edict banning the celebration, arguing it is sinful and would promote casual sex. As much as I agree that such festivity among youths nowadays is rather out of place, I find it rather silly to hold the celebration responsible for the moral decline of the young generation today as accused by some religious hardliners. The root cause is much deeper than that ranging from the bad side effects of globalization and modernization to the loosening religious as well as familial values within the society.


Personally, I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Nor do I have any objection or grudge for those who celebrate it so long it doesn’t disrupt the public. It’s a matter of personal preference. You can’t just curb any personal preference or ban someone to do something that is not against the law. Further, without MUI declaring it as haram (forbidden), I know engaging in the usual hugging, kissing and intimate touching demonstrated by youths during the festival is not in line with Indonesian culture and religious norms. The same way I know that drinking alcohol and eating pork is haram. MUI is often far too generous with less essential rulings as was the case with the haram rulings on yoga and smoking while I think the council should concentrate on much more fundamental issues.

Anyway, I don’t see any point of celebrating the day. It is just another day. Love is every day celebration whether it’s parental love, friendship love, or respectful love. We deserve someone to treat us special every single day, not just once a year. There is nothing like a spontaneous love gift from your true partner compared to obligatory offering made on Valentine Day that is often forced and pre-packaged.

In addition, I don’t want to fall victim into victim of the gigantic commercial sales ads. Valentine Day is a western culture derived from ancient Rome during the era of paganism associated with feast of pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia, to its present incarnation as a commercial free-for-all driving huge sales of chocolate, flowers and jewelry. The event is promoted and nurtured modishly by greeting companies in collaboration with the candy, flower, and teddy bear companies to make more money.

The media darlings play as an ideal conductor to nourish the idea globally. The ads and pop culture in movies, songs, and poetries through the mass media help to keep the lore alive and flourish. Everything with love and romance will always captivate the tender hearts. As a result, Valentine’s Day today is celebrated worldwide. It is undeniably a huge cash machine that generates billions of dollars. Your spending will increase which means your savings will be less while the companies are growing fatter in their bellies because people like us feed them unconsciously. Now, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and every corner of Jakarta have much to offer to lure customers into the trap.

For that reason, it is counterproductive to issue the edict as like most MUI edicts, it would likely be ignored by the public. What is the purpose of issuing a fatwa if, finally, the edict causes confusion or fails to serve as a guide and draws less response? Instead of labeling the event as haram, in my personal opinion it would be better to educate Muslim youths and give them religious teachings so that Valentine’s Day celebrations will not become a tradition.



A Political Parody for Corruption

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/11/imo-view-a-political-parody-corruption.html

The golden orb had long sunk, recalling its glorious luminous tendrils back to their heavenly domain. The massive energy of the day had turned into a comatose, a deep state of unconsciousness in the calm of a night. Eventually, I gave up, shutting down my computer and cleared my desk. My brain had slumbered along with the night apparently.


In a hurry, I hopped in a blue taxi, hoping to reach home soon without any major traffic at such odd hours. I planned to doze off once I popped in the backseat and announced my destination.


It was late enough, most cars have gone and the scattered street vendors around the city were about to close in. Everything seemed shadowed. Dark was everywhere. Yet, I saw the eerie night more beautiful in many ways sometimes. As the day often brought out the uglier parts of the buildings and the people, the night offered a refuge from it. When the Night took reign, there was peaceful solitude at last.

As I leaned casually trying to get some sleep, the cab driver kept ranting about trifling matters, playing as a hospitable host. I was a bit cheesed off. He incessantly talked nineteen to the dozen while I was so exhausted. Well, at least that was how I felt in the first few minutes before his outburst on politicians nabbing in late-night strip clubs really gave me a slap on the head.


“It’s so scandalous and shameful. I used to see him on TV screen preaching about morals and ethics.” He said nonchalantly.

Then, he blabbered about the ‘dirty’ politicians who cared less for people they claimed they represented. Power and money had corrupted their character. All the glitz and glamour of living in the ivory tower had turned them into political machineries to accumulate wealth. Their loyalty goes to their Party, not the people. Corruption or if you like recklessness in the Parliament today has become a norm where political office holder openly indulge in corrupt practices as a result of the feeble arm of the judiciary to impose heavy sanctions to stem this menace.

“Look at recent political drama! It is all so disgusting! Chairman of major political parties, are named suspects for alleged corruption case. Then, they claim innocent and vow to shed lights on corrupt practices within the Party. ” He said crossly.

“It’s all craps! Why now after they were cornered? Where in the hell have they been before? I am sick with all those intrigues. They have no RIGHT to claim as representatives of the people, let alone fight for our interest!” He burst in anger.

I was bemused by his forthright and candid standpoint. His was honest and true. Sadly, our representatives at the Parliament often turned deaf ears and blind. They talk instead of listen. They lead by dogma and creed only instead of by example. Their major problem is that they talk more and more without action. As long as our leaders keep playing to gallery, speaking like the most holy of all preachers in front of cameras and taking the opposite direction immediately they are switched off, their reputation will crumble that people no longer trust them.

Meanwhile, the judicial bodies have done a great deal of job unraveling the loopholes in the system and fishing out the corrupt politicians but they need to go a step further. As long as the law fails to impose harsher and severe sanction on corrupt politicians, the efforts to eradicate corruptions will be like chasing the wind. Our county will remain notorious as a country married with corruption and still heavily pregnant with its many off springs.

We concluded our conversation by the time the cab approached my home. Soon, midnight would cave in. The skies were lit only by twinkling stars, leaving me with the streetlights, and the dimmed houses, where people were asleep inside. The world was asleep.

It’s such an odd odyssey through the night, and the cab driver’s candid opinion lingered. His voice along with many others in the streets constantly reminds me that life is not a bed of roses, as some of the corrupt politicians are hell bent on emptying the treasury and looting the nation.