Introduction to "Making Indonesia"
by
Abdurrahman Wahid
In this book various authors and researchers put forward their views about the formation of each of the Republic of Indonesia. The origin of the most important events and analysis of the events were all collected into a book that tells the story of Indonesia as they understood according to their respective visions. This means that almost all authors looked at the growth of Indonesia as a naturally occurring growth, sometimes beyond the understanding of those who lead change for the sake of change.
Outside the "framework" is, in fact there are still vast areas that have not been tilled by the authors. The emptiness of this work is completed through the statements that are global descriptions, without studying the things that really happened. As an example can be presented here, that all the author of "skipping" the third level which encourages the young students in a variety of agencies and institutions to form Hezbollah. There is no any description about the process of formation of a military body outside the "nationalist" in the military field. Thus, there is no description of anything that embody the opposition between "the military-religious students" and "the military non-religious students" who later became the APRI (Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia), although Ruth McVey was there mention of S.M. Kartosuwiryo and Darul Islam. That movement has its own dynamics, among others, in the form of refusal to as the military-religious students participated in the APRI, pointing to the existence of these dynamics - the internal dynamics of Islamic movements in this country.
Narrow nationalism in Indonesia, often referred to figures such as Sukarno, Sukarno but not least to develop nationalism is incomprehensible as part of "reading" of a long historical background of this nation. Well, the placement of Soekarno view by most authors and researchers showed their inability to understand the emergence of the national spirit (of course in many different terms.) The inability to understand the spirit of nationalism would be frustrating enough heads of those who want to know, such as why people like KH. M. Asy'ari Tebu Ireng and his son A. Wahid Hasyim in Banjarmasin NU Congress in 1935 to fight for the spirit of "shy away" from the attitude of the purposes of childbirth an Islamic state in the region. Their view was that then create a second Muslim leaders accepted the Pancasila Soekarno formulated as the basis of a State which later became the Republic of Indonesia. Discussion Einar B. Sitompul on this subject has its own meaning until now has not followed others.
At the time of this writing, that is at the threshold of government "old model" is not defined clearly, people start talking about the future of the Republic of Indonesia and Indonesian people as a Nation. Without any "guidance" is clear, these efforts are only fumble it, which of course highlights what is considered a failure at this time. Have a clear failure of government (state religion or not?), How the economy should be regulated, why the eradication of corruption failed, why the rule of law not being realized, why mafia law in our courts. Still, smudged and a number of other questions, protruding from these bitter realities.
For example why do we not just use a clear concept about the economic growth of this nation? And why did we become so dependent of foreign debts, even though we have the economists in a number of quite large. The answer, of course can be seen in the fact so many differences regarding the orientation of our economic development (including in the future).
Similarly, the failure of a number of local businesses "of the military-religious students," such as AUI (Angkatan Umat Islam) led Kyai Mahfudz from Sumalangu (in Kebumen) in 1950-1951, as a "direct result" of the development process by Col. AH Nasution (and later adapted by the Cabinet Hatta) as a rationalization by specifying only the educated and qualified they are certain to become an officer. Things like this has been discussed several times in several posts at a later date, such as resistance Alex Kawilarang in Kahar Muzzakar rebellion in South Sulawesi, which is described in an article in the magazine "Prisma" a few years ago. Even now we do not yet know clearly emerge and fall Permesta movement in North Sulawesi, which pretty much create intricacies of today, more than 40 years later.
The authors tell and perform analysis on things they know. However, "modern history" Indonesia is rooted in the old civilizations different from one period to another, from one region to another. Because of this when we talk about the unity of Indonesia and its placement in a series of principles of nationhood, without knowing the historical background, can deceive ourselves.
Why the leaders of Indonesia up to now still voicing the theme of this unity? Certainly raises questions in our hearts, because it also appears in the creed Mpu Tantular from Majapahit in the form of the phrase "Unity in Diversity". Therefore, we really can not "think low" instinct talks about the unity of this nation. It is strange, in the era of globalization is still emerging discussion about the unity of the nation. This of course brings its own consequences, such as symptoms of Islamic fundamentalism and nationalism narrow. Islamic fundamentalism, the attitude of the Muslim militants in Indonesia, often only seen as part of a "resurgence of militancy" those associated with the emergence of the same in other areas, such as the Middle East. In fact, the emergence of Islamic fundamentalism in Indonesia is also determined by the concept of the economic technocrats who like growth on the one hand, and on the other hand those who embrace the idea of the nature of distributive equity. The ambiguity about the orientation, it shows our inability as a nation to determine the future of the national economy for the nation.
By reading this book, we can "mirror" the growth of the nation in this modern era. Therefore, the publication of this book in the Indonesian language proper welcome. The author believes he will enrich our own vocabulary of nation and country. The wealth of natural resources slop with a population of very large (about 210 million people) in Indonesia during this edition was published and geographical location in the archipelago region (native English first edition published ten years ago in 1996 -- ed.), actually can be a capital for the existence of a strong nation and a great State. Hopefully, this book contributes to that goal.
Jakarta, 27 April 2006