Tjokroaminoto Guru Bangsa

“A great nation is one that truly appreciates its history”

Once again, the award-winning Garin Nugroho, gave birth to a historical epic movie entitle "Tjokroaminoto Guru Bangsa" (Tjokroaminoto Teacher of the Nation). The name Tjokroaminoto is instantly recognizable to most Indonesians, yet few know about the man and his pivotal role in shaping Indonesia’s long journey to independence. Today, the name graces streets, schools and universities all over the country, but only a few know that without Tjokroaminoto, there would have been no Sukarno as Indonesia’s first President. Garin brings the story of this extraordinary man into the screen for us to know this man better.

As always, Garin’s masterpiece presents a breath of fresh air into Indonesia’s film industries which have long been dominated by ghost and love story. Taking the story of the Indonesian national hero Hadji Omar Said Tjokroaminoto to life, Garin managed to recreate the figure who has shaped the history of this nation into a charismatic intellectual figure, skillful strategist, critical writer and editor as well as great orator who could spellbind thousands of people. Tjokroaminoto whom we know only through his black and white images in our history text books as the founder of Sarekat Islam (Islamic Association, the first nationalist political party in Indonesia originated as an association of those Muslim merchants who wanted to advance their economic interests in relation to Chinese merchants in Jave) has found his voice through this movie.

Running for two and a half hours, the film Tjokroaminoto Guru Bangsa tried to portray the long road taken by Tjokroaminoto in building Sarekat Islam to uplift the economic standing of his people and to eradicate poverty and illiteracy as a result of Dutch colonialization. The film took setting in regions where Tjokroaminoto spent his childhood up to his activities as the prominent leader of Sarekat Islam ranging from Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Pasuruan to Surabaya. This struggle becomes the seeds of the national movement.

Against the historical background after the end of the cultuurstelsel or enforcement planting imposed by the Dutch in the late 1800s, the Dutch Colonial government promoted an Ethical Politics aiming to improve the welfare of Indonesian people as recompense for centuries of occupation and oppression. The Dutch colonial government provided access to education for the children of the nobility in Java. However, the new policy rang hollow as most people still suffered from forced labor and illiteracy. As a result, poverty and injustice was still rampant. Social disparity between ethnic groups was still clearly visible. In the midst of this political and social turmoil, Tjokroaminoto stood up against these injustices. He preached self-reliance, unity and education for all.

The film opened with a scene in which little Tjokroaminoto witnessed the atrocities imposed by a Dutch landlord to the indigenous workers. The workers were treated like slaves, robbed of dignity and self-esteem. One scrawny worker was tortured until his blood soaked the whitish cotton like fiber as one of the main crops of the plantation. This blood-stained cotton with a  word 'hijrah' (a migration or a journey to a better place) instilled by his religious teacher etched in little Tjokroaminoto, becoming the spirit of his struggle. The white cotton and hijrah became the symbol of Tjokroaminoto’s journey to bring back the dignity and self esteem of his people.

Disillusioned with the bureaucracy, Tjokroaminoto cast off his royal status and worked as a menial labor in Semarang as his first hijrah. The more he interacted with his people, the more he felt the pain and suffering endured by them. Soon, he was encouraged to go to Surabaya as he would flourish more in this busier city. He actively wrote in Bintang Soerabaja daily newspaper, criticizing the Dutch colonial policies. Eventually, he joined the country’s biggest Islamic trade union, Sarekat Dagang Islam. Soon, his Intelligence and leadership rewarded with respect.

Later, he built Sarekat Islam (SI). He started to preach young Indonesians to rise up against colonial rule through movements without violence, building education, health and economic development centers.

Tjokroaminoto’s house in Gang Peneleh, Surabaya, became the centre of young leaders of Indonesia. He used his home as a boardinghouse that hosted several eager young men such as Koesno (Sukarno), Semaoen, Muso and Kartosuwiryo. At this simple home, they held a lot discussions on politics, ideology and the nation and these spirited tenants began to Tjokroaminto as their mentor. These young leaders would continue the ideals of Tjokroaminoto to have a dignified, educated and prosperous nation.

Decades later, Tjokroaminoto’s former tenants began developing their own political ideas and views who gave birth to the country’s independence in 1945. Sukarno became a nationalist and married Tjokroaminoto’s daughter, Utari, Semaoen and Muso became communists Kartosuwiryo developed Islamic political ideas.

What’s more in this film is Garin's remarkable attention to details related to the setting, ranging from the traditional batik and kebaya dress of characters, home furnishings, and transport of carriage, tram, train cars and chores-drawn carriage as an old-fashioned mode of transportation. The audience experienced the time-machine travel like through time back in the late 19^th century.

However, a good script and director is helpless without their actors and actresses. Standing ovation should be given to Reza Rahadian who has successfully brought back Tjokroaminoto alive with his remarkable acting. On the other hand, it is such a waste that Christine Hakim’s superb act is not supported by an adequate role as she only gets the role as the caring Simbok for Tjokroaminoto’s family. The long duration of the film with lengthy dialogue laden with symbols also make this film feels tedious and a bit heavy to follow, especially if the target audience is students.

On other note, we can see an irony in this history of our nation. After independence, these idealistic leaders who befriended one another in the boarding house killed each other due to their different ideological. How fragile politics is when ideology and group’s interest are put above the people and the nation. It is something our nation should always keep learn as often we repeat the same mistakes as in the phrase ‘history repeats itself.’

Yet, overall this film is masterpiece. It’s not easy to bring the historical figure to life, especially when the only source of animated means is only through the black and white old photographs. What’s more challenging is on how to give the character a voice in delivering his ideals and dreams. It is a must see film for all Indonesians.

Showcasing Indonesia’s Rich Culture in World’s Shariah Forum

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/11/citizen-journalism-showcasing-indonesia-s-rich-culture.html

As the lights in the Grand Ballroom of Kempinski Hotel Indonesia dimmed, a number of dancers entered the front stage, sitting in tight row.  Starting with slow movements, almost like child’s play, they accelerated into fast elaborative and cohesive movements. The dancers clapped their hands, slapped their chests, thighs and the ground, clicked their fingers, and swayed and twisted their bodies and heads in time with the shifting rhythm in unison or alternating with the moves of opposing dancers, resulting in percussive sounds that added into the performance. The cultural performance that showcased the transcultural blending of Islamic and Indonesian culture was well-received and applauded.

Following the pre-dinner drinks and greetings, all delegates were seated at their tables and were soon watching this beautiful Aceh Saman dance or the dance of thousand hands. The delegates had the unique opportunity to experience this colorful Indonesian culture which UNESCO has officially recognized as an intangible element of world cultural heritage.The welcoming dinner was sealed by another cultural performance of Rantak Dance which was dominated by Pencak Silat, the traditional martial art of West Sumatra, with movements such as taping, hand movements, waving and jumping. As with the former, this cultural expression has been applauded with enthusiasm. 

Hosted this prestigious event is Bank Indonesia which also became the host of  the 2014 Meeting of the Central Banks and Monetary Authorities of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member Countries last November in Surabaya. As chairman of the IFSB, Bank Indonesia has been sucessful in bringing the culturally rich Indonesia to the fore which is intertwined with religion and age-old traditions.

Whereas the audience attending The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) Annual Meetings and Side Events which was held on 31 March to 2 April, 2015 represented 17 countries worldwide comprising of seven central bank governors, heads of regulatory and supervisory authorities, as well as 13 senior representatives from the Council and Full  members of the IFSB.

The three-day forum event was filled with a series of meetings and seminars to enhance financial inclusion through Islamic finance with speakers from central bankers, researchers and practitioners alike. Islamic banking may be one of the fastest-growing segments in international finance today, yet the challenge remains on how Islamic finance might help to alleviate poverty in most muslim countries and contribute towards sustainable economic growth since the Muslim-majority countries overall are among the world’s poorest

On this seminar, IFSB member countries tried to formulate policies and strategies in exploring the role of the Islamic finance in supporting financial inclusion, the building blocks necessary for the development and promotion of financial inclusion.

As for Indonesia, Islamic banking industry can be one of the tools to deepen the country’s financial markets as it has a large untapped potential in Indonesia, a country where about 13 percent of the total global Muslim population live. Having the world’s largest Muslim population with sustained moderate economic growth implies that Indonesia harbours great potential for Islamic finance. Developing this potential will help to make the country more resilient to global economic turmoil. However, with nearly 90 percent of the 250 million people in Indonesia adhering to Islam, the market share of sharia finance is remarkably low.

According to the Financial Services Authority (OJK), the market share of sharia bank in Indonesia only reached 4.85 percent of the country’s total banking assets in 2013, just miss by the margin from the five percent target set by the regulator. This is small compared to Malaysia where Islamic banking holds a 20 percent market share.

In this manner, hosting two major international events adressing the greater role of Islamic banking industries on financial inclusion should gain Indonesia full momentum to develop its Islamic banking industry. Indonesia should strenghten the ministerial-level coordination in this sector, improve highly qualified human capital with innovation and creativity as well as create legal business certainty environment.

As is Aceh Saman Dance, Indonesia has a great challenge ahead to bring this industry to the fore, transforming the region into the ‘Mecca’ of global Islamic banking.

When The Law Becomes Impotent

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/26/your-letters-when-law-becomes-impotent.html

Our hearts mourned with deep anguish to see the 63-year-old Asyani, an elderly woman from Situbondo, East Java wailed in tears at the courtroom, begging for  mercy not to be put in jail. The idea of the fragile hunched elderly could even lift a teak wood she was accused of stealing from the state forestry company PT Perhutani, looked ludicrous. Even walking straight seemed a struggle for her, let alone carrying a piece of log on hear arched back. Yet, if anything being accused of proved true, we still find the vulgar spectacle irksome for our sense of justice.

Onanother public display, graft suspects from the law enforcers corp and politicians get away from trial. They can easily bend the rule. Smiling venomously, they defy the court order and make justice as a game of power. They manipulate the system and use any loopholes the judicial system for their advantage. They walk free with their privileges still intact.

This two contrasting dramashave our heart boiled with rage. There’s no such thing of equality before the law. We bitterly come to realize that the basic principle that no man is above the law and no man is below it, is nothing but eloquent words nailed on the wall. This rule of law does not apply to the poor and powerless. They screamed at the top of their lung to demand justice only to come on deaf ears. Our legal system is impotent in the face of grave injustice, leading to an unacceptable erosion of people's faith in the justice delivery system and the rule of law itself.

Too often we hear cases how the court and law enforcers treat the poor differently from the rich and the powerful. The court with its system profoundly discriminative, goes after the weak sooner and harder than the have and powerful, metes out harsher punishment to weak defendants and never, ever brings the same measure of mercy to them as to the strong and powerful.They pursue minor criminal charges committed by the elderly all out and indiscriminately and force them to stand on trial despite their failing health. Yet, the same law becomes impotent to bring criminal charges committed by high ranking profiles into court. Graft suspects with immense power walk free with big smile. Convicted corruptors who have emptied the state coffers for their own selfish interest will soon receive clemency.

It is suffice to say that money buys justice and power holds it as hostage. It follows the natural common law that the strong will have the inclination to prey on the weak, the rich on the poor, survival of the fittest.Only a few has courage to defy this 'new normal' and stand firm to uphold justice regardless of wealth, color, gender or creed.

The justice system becomes the prey of hostile powers to accumulate wealth and privilige. It is so frustrating to see this vicious circle.

We feel so exasperated as we become passive spectators of the injustice. We become numb to it since it’s so systematic.  When we think that something can be bought and sold, we end up treating it like a commodity.  Indeed, justice has become a profitable commodity for the rich and powerful. They are above the law in our country, because decisions on prosecuting them are made by politicians, or by prosecutors who have an eye on a political career, and do not want to piss off potential donors to their future campaigns. They enjoy near-absolute impunity. Corruption wasn’t just rampant, it was also almost never investigated or acted upon among these sharks.

Our hope is high when in recent years, a string of high-profile public prosecutions at KPK have targeted the elites, leaving us hopeful that the country’s finally getting serious about targeting graft in the higher echelons of society. Sadly, the flame dwindled away as these sharks are fighting back tooth and nail. One by one, the anti graft profiles are pursued and brought down.

Yet, no matter how bleak and cold the future of corruption fight might be, we must not lose hope. There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. In the case of Asyani, mounting public outcries amplified by the media has been successful to wake up the government to follow up the case closely.

When injustice is displayed so obscenely, people will react. They can not change the law. But in the information and technology era like today, people take to social media to initiate change, to put pressures on the court and law enforcers to uphold justice. Not even seasoned politicians nor public figures want to deal with fiery netizens. Just take a look at the tragic fate of Abraham Lunggana, the city councilor, who is constantly bullied by the netizens! His reputation is ruined, razed to the ground by the fiery flame of the people who resort to the social media.

When our three pillars of democracy fail us, we still have the fourth pillar, the media, as our last resort. It is by far the most effective arsenal to fight injustice, inequality and corrupt practices in this country.

Now the trumpet summons the citizen again -- not as a call to bear arms to seize our freedom from colonialism-- not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation, a struggle against our common enemies:  tyranny,injustice, and corruption.

The strong should protect the weak, the powerful should govern with sense of  justice and morality and the wealthy should help to empower the poor.The efficacy of the judicial system depends on its capacity to deliver justice to all irrespective of their social or economic standing in the society.