Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Indonesian principle of National Integration and its challenges.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Indonesian Principle of National Integration and its challenges.

Bambang Udoyono

        On his short visit to Indonesia on the 9^th and 10^th of November 2010 President Obama made a very interesting remark in University of Indonesia.  Let me quote him:  

“But even as this land of my youth has changed in so many ways, those things that I learned to love about Indonesia – that spirit of tolerance that is written into your Constitution; symbolized in your mosques and churches and temples; and embodied in your people – still lives on. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – unity in diversity. This is the foundation of Indonesia’s example to the world, and this is why Indonesia will play such an important role in the 21st century.” 

He further said: “Such is Indonesia’s spirit. Such is the message of Indonesia’s inclusive philosophy, Pancasila”.

And also:”As a child of a different race coming from a distant country, I found this spirit in the greeting that I received upon moving here: Selamat Datang.”

It is clear that as a guest President Obama was trying to please his host.  There is no doubt that his remarks are part of diplomatic courtesy.  But we cannot deny that his remarks have some elements of truth.  So what is so special about it?  What make President Obama thought that it is worth citing?  Let’s see these facts.

Historical background.

            The phrase Bhinneka Tunggal Ika which means unity in diversity was first written by Prapanca, a famous writer in the 13^th century in east Java.  Prapanca worked for the kingdom of Majapahit, a kingdom that united most of present day Indonesia for the first time.  The idea of uniting the kingdoms in the archipelago, however, was born in the previous era during the reigns of Singasari kingdom in east Java. The need to unify the archipelago was sparked by a threat from the mighty Mongol empire that had conquered most of Asia and a part of Europe.    In 12^th century Mongol emperor Ku Blai Khan sent an emissary to Singasari king to ask for tribute otherwise Java would be invaded by their army.  King Kertanegara was very angry and cut the emissary’s ears.  This event spurred the idea of strengthening the position of Singasari by making alliances with other kingdoms in the archipelago.  Unfortunately the kingdom of Singasari did not last long.  It was destroyed by Mongol army in 1292.

            Wijaya was the son in law of King Kertanegara.  When the king was killed in a rebellion he fled from the capital.  Not long after that the mighty Mongol army came to Java in 1292 to punish King Kertanegara and to conquer Java.  Wijaya had anticipated it with a brilliant plan.  He warmly welcomed the invading army.  Together with them he attacked the rebel who became a new king named Jayakatwang from Kediri.  The Kediri army was no match for the Mongol army.  They were easily defeated.  Then Wijaya held a party to celebrate the victory.  In the party his army attacked the Mongol army in a surprise attack.  They won the battle and Wijaya became the new king.  He established the kingdom of Majapahit that would be the most powerful and influential kingdom in Indonesia.

            The Mongol invasion strengthens the idea of unification of the archipelago.  During the era of Majapahit most of what makes Indonesia today could be unified through alliances and also conquest.   It was in this period that Prapanca wrote the motto of Majapahit – Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.  Unity in diversity.  Unity is needed to benefit every member of the society.

            The fact that Indonesia consists of about thirteen thousand islands with hundreds of ethnic groups makes it obligatory for them to cooperate if they want to survive.  Cooperation or partnership is needed since they cannot fulfill all their needs by themselves.  Trade had been flourished in the archipelago since at least two thousand years ago.  India had been the most important foreign trade partner over the centuries.  Historical evidences are abundant such as ancient temples for Hindu and Buddhist in Borobudur and Prambanan and many others.  The Malay language also spread throughout the archipelago because of the business activities.  The language is very simple so everybody can learn it easily.  Later on the language will become the lingua franca of Indonesian archipelago.  It will further receive many influences from many cultures and now it becomes the national language of Indonesia and Malaysia.    

            Since 17^th century the archipelago that once was prosperous had been conquered and colonized by the Dutch East Indies.   It was a powerful and tricky company.  When the company went bankrupt in the 19^th century the colony was taken over by the Dutch government.  Through divide and rule policy the archipelago had been split into many small powerless kingdoms.  When the wave of nationalism swept over Asia in 20^th century once again the Indonesian leaders found the need to unite.  In the struggle for independence in 20^th once again the leaders promoted unification by using the ancient motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.  They had a common enemy – the colonialist – as their trigger.   The first president Sukarno used it effectively to integrate many factions in Indonesian society.  Finally Indonesia reached independence on August 17, 1945.

Those   factors had shaped the integration of Indonesia in the past.  How about its role in the present?

Since the fall of Suharto in 1998 people feared the danger of national disintegration.  There are many conflicts in many parts of the country.  Those conflicts are based on religion, ethnic identity, and political affiliations.  Those conflicts had taken a lot of lives and assets.  But besides the negative side, there is an outstanding achievement in recent years – the conflict resolution in Poso, Ambon and Aceh.  Bloody conflict between Christian and Muslim communities in Poso and Ambon had been settled.  Separatist conflict in Aceh is now settled peacefully.  The only way to peace is through dialog. Continued dialog and willingness to understand others are key factors.  Without these two factors it is impossible to reach compromise and consensus among different groups of faith, ethnicity or politics.

As times goes by, challenges to national integration emerge.  Religious freedom that Indonesian people have enjoyed for hundreds of years   is now under serious threat not from secular people but from their followers.  Some people used violence to destroy and threaten people from other faiths.  Some other people, however, use more subtle way to impose their faiths to followers of other faiths.  They used economic power to convert others to their religion.  This is a disguised economic threat.  There is no violence but the pattern remains the same – using power to conquer others.   Education is also used to change people.  They do improve people’s skills but we cannot deny that there are efforts to influence people’s opinion.

In politics the situation is similar.  Today Indonesian people enjoy democracy.  There are free elections in national as well as in district levels.  Now Indonesia has directly elected president, governor and major,  but the cost is high.  In many areas   local elections spurred conflicts among supporters of local leaders.  Whenever a candidate loses in an election the other candidate accuse that there are unfair practices.  Consequently hostilities mounted.  Some of the conflict can be resolved at court but sometimes they broke into violence.

Unfair distribution of wealth and opportunities pose great potential of conflict.  A large portion of wealth is in the hands of a few people.  The difference of race and ethnic groups between them makes the situation worse.  Opportunities are open wider for university graduates than to elementary school graduates.  Unfortunately tuition fees in good universities are very expensive for most Indonesians.  People have been complaining about the high fee of universities but those complaints reached deaf ears.  The widening gap between expectations and reality is like a time bomb.  It will explode anytime if the gap reaches a point that is intolerable for most people. 

Intolerance to others’ opinion and thought are stronger today.  Some people try to impose their will and their opinion to other without any willingness to respect other’s opinion and thoughts.  They think that their opinion and thought are the only truth.  Usually we think that this standpoint exclusively belongs to religious groups.  But this is not always the case.   Today there are some secular groups who impose their secular views to everyone.  They insist that others must respect their view but they do not respect the views of religious groups.  Take the case of anti pornography bill for example.  Religious groups want to pass a bill to control the spread of pornography but they try very hard to stop it on the ground of freedom of expressions.

Today Indonesian society is sharply divided by politics because of political rivalry between two presidential candidates.  The incumbent president Joko Widodo aka Jokowi has a wide support from many walks of life while lieutenant general (ret) Prabowo Subianto is not far behind.  Jokowi enjoys support from nationalist parties, secularist, and non Muslims. Prabowo has wide support from Islamic parties and Muslim community.  The competition is so hard that people mock each other in social media.  Friends and family became adversaries.   Fighting broke out in many cities like in Yogyakarta.   That is why some people feared that the current situation will lead to a bloody conflict.

There is no doubt that freedom of expression is a pillar of democracy.  But some people want to manipulate it for their own interests.  They want freedom of expressions is exclusively their own.  They try to make sure that others such as religious groups must not have it.  Is this a good practice of democracy?   It is clear that certain people who speak for freedom of expressions are actually enemy of democracy.

It is ironic when a foreign president tries to promote it worldwide Indonesian on the other hand, do not respect it.  So from now on let’s try to put its dignity back. 

Unless measures are taken to put back the true notion of democracy where freedom of expressions is for everyone and nobody tries to impose their views to others, then democracy in Indonesia will deteriorate.  Democracy will only serve as a mask to cover the real identity of undemocratic practices.  Now it is the right time for both leaders to demonstrate their leadership qualities.  They must tell their supporters to make peace. 

                 

The Girl from the coast

The Girl from the Coast.

Author : Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

This story is a portrayal of the poor fate of a village girl under Javanese feudalism.  For thousands of years even up to 20th century the Indonesian people suffered from feudalism. The main character is just called Gadis pantai (the girl from the coast), who represents girls from poor and uneducated families in villages. She came from a poor fisherman village in the regency of Rembang in north coast of Java, Indonesia in early 20th century.

At the age of fourteen, a local government official that she did not know married her. What she knew was that she had to obey and respect her husband whom she addressed Bendoro (an honorific title for Javanese nobility). She never had any personal relationship with her husband. In her husband's house there were parts that she never set foot. Even there were rooms where she never saw forever. Her husband had married several women before but he had divorced them. She knew it when she saw several babies who had no mother. Their mothers had been divorced so the maid took care of them.

Pramoedya described class discrimination in the novel. Mardinah, a new maid, came. She was a daughter of a low rank official. She was arrogant. Her attitude to the girl from the coast was very impolite. Eventually when she accompanied the girl from the coast came home to village, people revealed that she had a mission. She was sent by regent's wife of from Demak to persuade bendoro to marry her daughter. If Mardinah succeeded she would be married as the fifth wife.

Besides disappointment, the girl from the coast enjoyed financial and social advancement. she became a respected member of village society. When she came home to see her parents everybody in the village warmly welcomed her. She threw party and gave presents to the elderly people.

Until one day she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. The gender made Bendoro disappointed. When her parents came to see them, Bendoro called her father to get in his house. When he got out from the house he was downhearted because his daughter was divorced ! Bondoro gave him some money but he had to take her daughter home immediately, while the baby must stay. Maids would take care of her. Gadis pantai (the girl from the coast) was deeply hurt, disappointed and ashamed.  So as she got home she did not want to stay. She immediately left because she could not bear the humiliation.

When I read Pramudya’s interview with Time magazine I realized that the novel is based on true story. He told Time he came from a wealthy family in a small town in central Java.  One day an old poor woman came to his home to buy old stuff that she would resell.  Soon her mother and the old woman had a warm conversation.  But not long after that her mother was very surprised when she found out that the old woman was her mother.  Unfortunately Pramudya’s grandfather divorced her when Pram’s mother was still a baby.  Then out of desperation and frustration she left her home.  She never met her daughter again until that day God had them reunited.  Pram’s mother offered her to stay with them but she refused.   So Gadis pantai in the novel is actually Pram’s grandmother. 

It is a touching novel based on true events. The novel has been translated into English so you can enjoy it.  If you want to know the social condition of Java in the past, this novel is a good choice.

Visiting Dieng Plateau

Dieng plateau is located in the province of central Java, Indonesia. What's so special about it? You might ask. Well, at least the nature gives us splendid view. Furthermore ancient people had built temples in the exotic plateau. What can we see there? Let's find out.

Dieng is a high land deep in the heart of the island of Java. The height of the plateau is more than 2000 meters above sea level so the weather is very cold. It is always cloudy there especially in the afternoon. In the morning usually the weather is clear. The view is splendid. Visitors can see the beauty of some valleys, hills and potato plantations.

It is accessible from Semarang, the capital city of central Java and also from Yogyakarta. It takes about three hours by car from Semarang. Tourists may stay in Semarang or Yogyakarta. It takes the whole day to visit Dieng from Yogyakarta, but you can visit also Borobudur temple on the way back from Dieng. Wonosobo is the closest town to Dieng where visitors may have lunch. There are two good restaurants in Wonosobo. For those who visit Dieng by bus, they have to stop in Wonosobo to find smaller cars because bus cannot go to the plateau due to the small roads there. If you stay in Semarang, you can start at 8. But if you go from Yogyakarta you'd better start earlier, let's say at six o'clock.

Along the way from Semarang and Yogyakarta visitors can see the beautiful scenery of rice fields, hills and mountains. The weather is always sunny there. But as we get to the town of Wonosobo the weather changes. It is always cool there. You'd better stop at a restaurant here in Wonosobo to take a rest for a while and to order lunch that you will have on the way back. The streets from Wonosobo to Dieng plateau is small and it begin to climb, so bus cannot go. After about ten kilometers from Wonosobo we will pass mountains with beautiful valley. We can stop somewhere to enjoy the view and to take some pictures. It takes about one hour to get to the plateau.

The best time to visit Dieng Plateau is in early morning.  So it is better for you to stay in the small town called Wonosobo.  It is not far from the plateau, only about forty kilometers away.  You would better start before 7 o clock so you can enjoy beautiful view of valleys, plantation of tobacco and potatoes and hills.   You can stop to take pictures and enjoy splendid view along the way. 

In the plateau there eight ancient Hindu temples from the 8th century. Unfortunately history of Dieng is hidden inside the cloud of history. There is now written record from 8th century so we know very little about the kingdom who built those temples. We have no ideas as to the kings and the capital of the kingdom. We can only assume that the capital must have been around it maybe in the north coast of Java where people used to trade with India and Southeast Asian countries.

The temples were found in 19th century by a Dutchman. They were in a small lake at that time. Then he dried it. Today there is a small museum in the western part of the plateau where we store small statues of Hindu gods like Nandi (buffalo), Ganesya (Hindu god with a head of an elephant), Durga (a beautiful goddess) and ornaments from the temples. Expert estimated that the temples are older than Borobudur and Prambanan temples. We do not have any ideas about the original names of those temples but today they have names like Arjuna temple, Bima temple, and Gatutkaca temple. These names are taken from Indian epic of Mahabarata.

From the temples we will continue to another temple - candi Bima, the temple of Bima. It is located several hundred meters from candi Gatotkaca. In the niche of this temple there are faces of gods. Then following the small road we will get to a crater called Sikidang. The smell of sulphur is very strong here. We can see a boiling crater here. Sometimes local people show the heat of the water by boiling eggs inside the crater. Around the plateau there are many craters. This one is the easiest to visit.

After visiting the crater then we do a little trekking by visiting a small forest where we can see Semar cave. Local people believe that Suharto, the ex president once meditated here in his youth to attain spiritual power. Unfortunately the gate of the cave is always closed so we cannot see the inside.

Then we can visit a lake called Telaga warna. It means colored lake. The color of the water is bluish green and sometimes brown. Perhaps it is the influence of the sulphur. Besides this lake we can also visit a sprig called Tuk Bima Lukar. There is an ancient bathing place here but unfortunately the location is far from the lake.

Usually tourists only visit the temples, the museum, the small forest and the lake. After this we go back to Wonosobo to have lunch. There are two good restaurants there. After lunch we continue to Semarang or Wonosobo. For those who stay in Yogyakarta, usually we visit Borobudur on the way back. From Wonosobo we can choose a different route where we will pass many beautiful rice fields and plantation of clove. Clove is an ingredient for Indonesian kretek cigarette. About two hours later we will get to Borobudur. Then we will get to the hotel in the city of Yogyakarta at about six PM.

Obrolan Sabtu malam Minggu

Obrolan Sabtu Malam Minggu

Atas inisiatif beberapa orang terselenggaralah obrolan Sabtu malam minggu pada tanggal 29 September kemarin di Kopi Kong Djie di jalan Biak. Inilah catatan kecil saya tentang obrolan tersebut.

Acara ini dihadiri oleh senior kita pak Erwan, saya (Bambang Udoyono), pak Hanibal, pak Bembeng J, Danang, Ira, Risma, seorang teman Ira, dan tentu saja tuan rumah Tantri. 

Kesan saya tentang tempat itu (Kopi Kong Djie) lumayan enak suasananya.  Di bagian depan ada ruang terbuka buat para perokok. Lantas di bagian dalam ada ruangan yang cukup luas dan nyaman buat ngobrol bersama banyak orang.

Saya sendiri datang agak terlambat (Maaf lahir batin).  Meskipun demikian kelancaran acara tidak terganggu karena waktu kami masih longgar.

Setelah  ngobrol ngalor ngidul mulailah kami agak serius, tapi tetap dengan suasan santai.  Pak Bembeng J membuka obrolan lalu mengarahkan obrolan ke materi pokok yaitu membahas buku saya yang berjudul ‘Sukses menjadi pramuwisata profesional’  yang lumayan luas beredar di kalangan pariwisata sehingga sering dijadikan rujukan dalam karya tulis mahasiswa pariwisata. (Saya sering mendapat kabar tentang orang yang menulis skripsi dan menggunakan buku saya sebagai referensinya).  Pak Bembeng lantas memberi saya kesempatan untuk memaparkan isi buku ini.

Dalam waktu kurang lebih duapuluh menit saya paparkan inti pokok buku saya ini.  Pertama saya sampaikan bahwa konsep buku itu adalah serius tapi santai.  Jadi saya tidak ingin memaparkan definisi tentang pramuwisata dan tugasnya dengan bahasa yang lugas dan garing.  Saya ingin menyampaikan hal yang serius tapi dengan bahasa yang enak dan gampang dipahami.  Belakangan saya tahu dari reaksi pembaca bahwa ada yang menganggap buku saya ringan tapi ada juga yang merasa berat.  

Untuk memudahkan definisi pramuwisata saya memakai gambaran berikut.  Ketika memandu di candi Borobudur, terutama ketika turun dari candi, saya sering berpapasan dengan rombongan wisatawan Indonesia yang ngedumel.  Mereka complain di sana yang mereka lihat cuma batu dan sekumpulan orang dalam cuaca panas.  Sedangkan para tamu saya selalu merasa puas. Mereka selalu bilang ‘impressionant’  atau ‘very impressive’ untuk melukiskan kepuasan mereka.  Perbedaan itu adalah karena wisatawan Indonesia tidak memakai jasa pramuwisata dan wisman memakai.  Pramuwisatalah yang mengatur jam keberangkatan tour sehingga ketika tiba di tempat wisata para wisatawan tidak kepanaan karena masih pagi atau sudah sore.  Kemudian pramuwisata yang menghidupkan tumpukan batu kuno tersebut dengan cerita sejarah, gaya arsitektur, filosofi dsb.   Di sisi lain wisnu yang tanpa mamakai jasa pramuwisata berangkatnya saja ngaret.  Dari Jogja misalnya, mereka berangkat jam 9.00 pagi dan tiba di Borobudur jam 10. 30. Ketika mereka di sana antara jam 11-12 siang pasti sedang ada di puncak panasnya.  Akibatnya alih alih menikmati wisata mereka justru kepanasan.  Maka mereka ngedumel.  Jadi itulah gambara seorang pramuwisata secara singkat. Yaitu seseorang yang membuat perjalanan wisata aman, nyaman, lancar, enak.

Kemudian di buku itu saya papakan contoh memandu di Jateng, Jatim dan Bali dan juga saya paparkan kiat mengantisipasi masalah. Sedikit saya singgung juga pengembangan diri pramuwisata.  Boleh saja seumur hidup jadi pramuwisata. Meskipun demikian jangan lewatkan peluang lain yang ditawarkan dalam kehidupan.  Dengan kata lain pramuwisata bisa dijadikan batu loncatan untuk menggapai sasaran lain.  Saat ini pramuwisata bisa juga menjadi pengajar, asesor, penulis, wiraswastawan di bidang pariwisata, transportasi, dll. 

Singkatnya buku ini lumayan komprehensif membahas berbagai aspek pramuwisata.  Karena itu waktu terasa cepat berlalu sebelum tuntas dibedah semuanya.  Jadi buku ini masih relevan untuk pramuwisata muda terutama.  Meskipun demikian gagasan saya dama  guiding sebenarnya sudah berevolusi. Dari bacaan, obrolan dengan teman seprofesi dan pengalaman memandu saya menyadari bahwa story telling lah yang membuat kesan paling kuat bagi wisman.

Kenapa story telling paling kuat?  Karena ia menyentuh emosi pendengarnya dan bukan cuma menyentuh logikanya.  Kesan yang ditangkap oleh emosi lebih kuat tertancap di hati daripada yang didapat oleh logika.  Data dan fakta akan segera dilupakan.  Misalnya kita katakan di Borobudur ada 505 atau 504 patung Buda.  Lima menit setelah mendengar mereka akan lupa lagi karena tidak relevan tidak penting buat mereka.   Bagaimana membuat story telling yang menarik?  Barangkali next time bisa kita bahas lagi.  Dulu pernah ada guide Malaysia paparkan cara story telling tapi dalam pandangan saya dia tidak mengajarkan teknisnya, dia hanya utarakan normatifnya saja.

Ada dua contoh yang saya paparkan kemarin.  Keduanya selalu berhasil menarik perhatian para tamu ketika saya terapkan kepada mereka dalam perjalanan overland.  Cerita pertama tentang perang dunia kedua di Jateng.  Ini adalah pengalaman almarhum bapak saya.   Dulu ketika bapak saya masih muda dan belum menikah beliau sempat berfoto dengan keluarganya di sebuah gerai foto di Pecinan Magelang. Namanya Matahari.  Fotografernya orang Jepang yang kata bapak saya sangat sopan dan bisa ngomong bahasa Melayu. Foto keluarga itu masih ada sampai sekarang di Magelang. Di jamannya foto hitam putih itu sangat bagus sehingga dia mendapat banyak langganan.  Ketika tentara Japang datang di Magelang semua orang terkejut karena dia ternyata seorang kapten AD Jepang.   Ternyata dia adalah seorang mata mata Jepang yang menyamar jadi fotografer untuk mencari data intelejen.  Jadi ketika tentara Jepang datang mereka sudah mengenali dengan baik kota tersebut dengan data dari si fotografer. 

Cerita kedua tentang alas Gumitir di Jatim.  Dulu pernah suatu malam ada bus melintasi hutan perawan di Gumitir.  Di tengah hutan yang gelap gulita mendadak si sopir mengerem busnya sehingga mengejutkan semua penumpang.  Ketka ditanya di sopir menunjuk ke depan bus.  Di sana tampak seorang bayi yang tengah merangkak di tegah jalan.  Kemudian seorang penumpang turun dan berupaya menggendong si bayi. Suasana menjadi tegang.  Beberapa penumpang memberi peringatan agar hati hati karena siapa tahu itu bukan bayi manusia.  Tapi orang itu berani. Dia baca doa lantas si bayi diagkatnya. Ternyata dia bayi manusia.  Mereka lalu berunding dan memutuskan akan menyerahkan si bayi di kantor polisi terdekat.  Singkat cerita, polisi menerima dan kembali ke tkp.  Di sana ditemukan ibu si bayi dala keadaan luka terkapar di tepi jalan.  Itu adalah upaya pembunuhan.  Untunglah keduanya masih dilindungi Allah. 

Kedua cerita itu selalu berhasil mendapatkan perhatian para wisman sehingga menyebabkan obrolan jadi gayeng. Dan masih banyak lagi cerita lain yang bisa dikembangkan.

Dalam pengalaman saya cerita begini lebih menarik daripada cerita tentang data dan fakta.  Ketika akan melewati perkebunan misalnya, dulu saya cerita fakta bahwa ini dulu perkebunan milik Belanda. Setelah merdeka diambil alih oleh pemerintah dan ada yang dijual ke swasta dsb.  Tapi kalau dalam perjalanan itu kita melewati banyak perkebunan maka kedua dan ketiga kalinya sebelum kita omong tamu pasti sudah bisa menduga guidenya pasti akan mengullangi cerita yang sama.

Setelah itu Bembeng J menanyakan kepada semua apa yang dimaksud dengan guide yang sukses.  Kami memiliki beberapa pandangan yang saling melengkapi. 

Pak Erwan memaparkan tinjauannya dari sisi standard kompetensi.  Ira juga memaparkan opini dan juga pertanyaan yang menggelitik.  Risma juga punya pandangan bahwa pramuwisata sukses adalah yang mampu mememuhi keinginan wisman.  Pertanyaan saya bagaimana kalau keinginannya aneh aneh?

Rasanya sabtu sore dan malam minggu kemarin terlalu singkat. Masih banyak hal yang bisa kita obrolkan.  Banyak hal yang bisa kita pertukarkan.  Jadi alangkah baiknya kita agendakan pertemuan rutin semacam ini untuk memperkaya wawasan, menambah ilmu dll. Pertemua mendatang saya usulkan membahas tentang vlog dengan narsum Danang dan boleh juga yang lain.  Lain kali mungkin tentang menulis. Karena menulis blog, artikel dsb sangat bermanfaat, meskipun kita tidak bercita cita jadi penulis. 

Sekian dulu catatan saya. Sila yang lain kemukakan catatannya masing masing.

Guiding 28

Saya sedang menulis buku ketika telepon genggam saya menerima order untuk memandu city tour di kota Jakarta pada tanggal 28 Mei 2018.  Saya mendapat informasi bahwa tamunya bakal menginap di Hotel FM di dekat bandara.  Program city tour Jakarta ini sebenarnya sudah tidak asing lagi buat saya tapi ada beberapa tempat yang belum pernah saya kunjungi sebelumnya seperti Museum Art 1 dan rumah makan Tugu Paleis di Menteng. 

Pada hari H saya berangkat pagi pagi sekali.  Sesudah subuh saya langsung memesan Gojek menuju ke terminal Kayu ringin.  Jam 6.00 pagi bus Damri berangkat dari sana dan di luar dugaan saya, jam 7.00 pagi saya sudah sampai di hotel Amaris di dekat bandara.  Saya harus turun di sana karena bus Damri tidak melewati hotel FM.  Jadi dari depan hotel Amaris saya naik gojek lagi sampai ke hotel FM.  Jam 7.15 saya sudah sampai di hotel tersebut.  Terlalu pagi sebenarnya karena tour dimulai jam 9.00. Tapi tidak masalah, saya bisa mengisi waktu luang dengan memotret hotel itu untuk saya unggah di Google map lalu membuat reviewnya. 

Sekitar jam 8.00 ada dua orang bule yang keluar dari restaurant dan duduk di lobby.  Saya kira mereka tamu saya lalu saya sapa. Ternyata dugaan saya meleset.  Jam 9.00 lewat sedikit ada dua orang masuk ke lobby.  Salah satunya perempuan bule yang agak tua dengan anak laki lakinya yang tampangnya tidak terlalu bule, kulitnya agak mirip orang Asia. Awalnya saya agak ragu tapi setelah bertegur sapa ternyata mereka adalah tamu saya.  Mereka orang Belanda jadi saya berbicara dalam bahasa Inggris.

Tour dimulai dengan kunjungan ke Kota Tua.  Di dalam mobil segera terjalin obrolan akrab dengan ibu dan anak.  Mereka ramah sekali sehingga obrolan dengan mudah mengalir lancar jaya. Si anak laki laki yang bernama Ruben adalah seorang manajer sebuah perusahaan travel di Bangkok sedangkan ibunya, namanya Nada, adalah seorang seniwati. Dia menguasai seni lukis dan seni kriya, terutama keramik. Namun pekerjaan utamanya adalah mengelola sebuah hotel kecil di daerah Bourdeau di Perancis selatan.   Di sana dia memiliki sebuah rumah tua dari abad ke 18 yang disewakan kepada tamu tamu.  Ketika sedang penuh tamu dari kota besar seperti Paris maka dia tidur di rumah mobilnya. Dia memiliki sebuah rumah mobil yaitu kendaraan yang berbentuk seperti bus yang dilengkapi dengan kamar mandi, kamar makan , tempat tidur dan lain lain.

Pagi itu Kota Tua sudah padat dengan pengunjung yang kebanyakan para pelajar dari Jakarta dan sekitarnya.  Seperti bisa paparan saya tentang kawasan itu diinterupsi oleh mereka yang ingin berfoto dengan tamu saya. Maklumlah kebanyakan orang Indonesia masih heran melihat orang bule.  Hapir semua mata menatap tamu saya dengan ekspresi yang menunjukkan keheranan.  Di dalam museum Fatahillah suhu udara terasa panas meskipun tidak tersengat matahari langsung.  Beruntung tamu saya menyukai Asia dengan suhu panasnya.  Sekitar satu jam kami di sana.  Setelah itu perjalanan dilanjutkan ke museum Art 1.  Saya belum pernah ke sana sebelumnya.  Untunglah di jaman now ini sudah ada mbah Gugel yang memudahkan saya mencari informasi dan lokasinya. Kami menuju ke sana dengan dipandu oleh peta mbah Gugel.  Sopirnya juga cukup mahir memakai paduan peta mbah Gugel.  Meskipun harus mencari lokasi kami sampai juga di museum tersebut dengan lancar jaya.

Dari depan bangunan museum ini nampak biasa bisa saja.  Tidak ada yang nampak istimewa dari penampilan depannya.  Seorang satpam menyambut dan mengarahkan kami ke lantai dua.  Di sana sudah banyak anak anak muda, mungkin pelajar atau mahasiswa yang agaknya sedang mengikuti sebuah acara diskusi.  Beberapa karya seni kriya menghiasi ruangan penerima tamu.  Ada replika mobil tua yang dibikin bulat seperti bola. Nada berkomentar gagasan ini pastilah meniru gagasan seniman Perancis. Tiket masuk ke museum ini mahal juga dibanding tempat wisata lain di Jakarta.  Setiap orang harus membayar IDR 150 000, kecuali guide.  

Seorang pemandu lokal memandu kami naik ke lantai berikutnya.  Ruang pamernya cukup luas dan nyaman.  Udara dan sinar masuk dengan cukup sehingga suhunya nyaman dan karya terlihat dengan baik.  Di sana di pajang berbagai karya seni kontemporer dari beberapa pelukis Indonesia.

Ibu Nada sangat antusias menikmati karya karya tersebut. Menurut dia karya para pelukis Indonesia yang dia lihat itu sudah berkualitas sangat baik.  Pemandu lokal hanya memberi informasi ala kadarnya saja tentang karya karya tersebut.  Saya bukan seorang seniman lukis atau kriya sedangkan tamu saya adalah seorang seniman, jadi saya pikir lebih baik memancing pendapatnya tentang karya seni itu.  Lalu saya sampaikan sebuah kalimat pancingan.

‘It is hard to understand contemporary art like this’

Seketika muncullah jawaban yang saya kehendaki.  Dia lantas menerangkan dengan panjang lebar.

‘You don’t have to understand these works.  The most important thing is interaction between these art work and you. Now what do you think of this one?’

Dia menunjuk sebuah lukisan yang buat saya nampak abstrak tapi indah. Di kanvas itu hanya ada sapuan warna hijau muda di bagian bawahnya dan putih cerah di bagian atasnya. Nampak juga beberapa detil yang tidak jelas bentuknya.  Kesan saya melihat itu adalah perasaan cerah ceria, gembira.  Ini saya sampaikan kepada Nada.  Dia menafsirkannya sebagai sumber air yang membuat segar.  Kemudian kami menatap lagi sebuah lukisan yang tidak kalah anehnya di mata saya.  Bagian bawah lukisan itu hanya ada warna hitam kebiruan (blue black). Warna itu memenuhi kira kira 75% dari bidang kanvas.  Di bagian atas agak kurang gelap tapi ada gambar lingkaran merah gelap.  Agaknya seperti lukisan malam purnama yang suram dan gelap. Saya merasa tidak nyaman melihat lukisan tersebut dan ingin cepat cepat meninggalkannya.  Tapi tamu saya menanyakan kesan saya tentang lukisan itu.

‘It is frightening.  It remids me to a bloody political conflict in Indonesia in 1965.  I was a kid at that time. I did not know what was going on, but I felt something wrong was happening.  My mother told me to go home immediately after school and not to play far from home.  Some years later I realize that there was a conflict that took many lives.’

‘See,  a work of art can reveal a trauma’

‘You are right.  I never saw any violence but I felt it.  I felt the atmophere of conflict.  I felt the anger and the fear among people.’

Saya berkata demikian sambil menjauh dari lukisan yang menyeramkan itu.  Memang benar kata dia bahwa ada interaksi antara karya seni dengan kita, dan itulah yang terpenting.  Kita tidak usah repot memahaminya. Kita hanya perlu merasakannya.

Setelah itu ada beberapa karya lagi yang membuat Nada dan saya terkesan.  Dan dari semua tempat wisata yang kami kunjungi hari itu, museum Art 1 adalah yang paling berkesan.  Bahkan di sore hari dalam perjalanan kembali ke hotel kami masih membicarakannya. Itulah highlight hari itu.

Jadi guiding hari itu berhasil dengan baik.  Bukan karena saya mampu menerangkan dengan baik tentang karya seni di museum tersebut tapi karena saya berhasil memancing tamu mengutarakan gagasan dan perasaanya tentang karya seni tersebut.  Guiding memang bukan lecturing.  Saat guiding peran kita bukan dosen dan tamu bukan murid kita.  Guiding adalah memuaskan tamu kita.  Kadang dengan cara menempatkan dia sebagai guru kita.  Terutama ketika berhadapan dengan seseorang yang lebih tahu daripada kita.  Kemarin itu saya hanya perlu menjelaskan siapa Basuki Abdullah, Sudjojono, dll.  Tapi saya tidak perlu mengajari tentang substansi lukisan mereka karena dia lebih mampu menjelaskan dengan mantap.  Dengan demikian dia puas dan kita mendapat wawasan baru.

   

      

The Battle of Bubat and its enduring impact.

Book Title        :  Gajah Mada, Perang Bubat.

Author             :  Langit Kresna Hariadi.

The battle of Bubat is a true event that took place hundreds of years ago but its implications is still apparent today.  Here is the background in brief.

The kingdom of Majapahit in Trowulan, east Java reached its golden age under King Hayam Wuruk and Prime Minister Gajah Mada.   The kingdom controlled most of western part of Indonesia today and even Tumasik (Singapore) and a part of the present day Malaysia.  Gajah Mada the ambitious prime minister had vowed that he would conquer the whole archipelago.  He was a smart military commander who had a great contribution to the development of the kingdom.

Hayam Wuruk was just a young boy when he came to power.  He was not married at the time.  At the age of twenty six he wanted to marry a lovely girl.  So he ordered his artist to everywhere to paint beautiful girls.  He received so many pictures but he did not like any of them.  Until one day one of his artists showed him a picture of Dyah Pitaloka, the daughter of King Linggabuana from the kingdom of Galuh, in west Java.   Hayam Wuruk instantly fell in love when he saw the picture.  He decided to marry the princess.  King Linggabuana accepted the proposal of Majapahit king.  Then one day he came to Majapahit with his daughter, his family and a small group of guards.

But when they arrived in Majapahit a problem arose.  There was a misunderstanding about the proceeding and protocol of the wedding.  Consequently hostility mounted.  Both sides were unable to control their emotion so a battle broke out.  The fight took place in a field called Bubat, not far from the palace of Majapahit.  The Galuh guards were outnumbered so they were easily defeated by the mighty Majapahit army.  All of them were killed.  Dyah Pitaloka was shocked, scared and finally she killed herself.

That is the true event that took place in 1360 AD.  The implication is great.  After the battle the west Javanese people or the Sundanese were deeply hurt.  Consequently the relationship between the two countries was bad along the ages.  There has been mistrust between the two ethnic groups as well.  The Javanese people always tell their children not to marry Sundanese women.  Perhaps the Sundanese family tell similar thing to their children – not to marry Javanese men.  Even today many Javanese do not trust Sundanese.  They will never choose any Sundanese for their leader.  They think that Sundanese are not capable of being a leader.

Langit Kresna Hariadi is one of the best Indonesian novelists.  This time he writes a novel using that episode of history as background.  In my opinion he is a master in writing historical thriller novel.  He adds some characters and events to the story that makes it more interesting.

Prajaka is the son of Pradabasu, a retired military officer.  Prajaka suffers from a kind of mental disorder but he can calculate very quickly.  He is also very talented in the art of carving and drawing.  One day he left his house and he forgot the way home because he suffered from amnesia.  He even forgot his own name.  He went to the west and finally he got to Galuh.

 Meanwhile Majapahit held preparations for the king’s wedding.  But some high ranking officials in Majapahit had a different idea.  They saw this event as an opportunity to conquer Galuh.   Gajah Mada wanted Galuh to be a part of Majapahit.  So he sent his men to threatened Galuh.  Some of Majapahit’s intelligence knew that Pitaloka had a boy friend.  The spy knew that Pitaloka met his boyfriend secretly inside the palace.  They were very worried if Pitaloka went too far with his boyfriend.  So they had a plan to sabotage the wedding.

 When the Galuh royal family went to Majapahit by sea, an officer reported to Majapahit that King Linggabuana of Galuh wanted the wedding be postponed for seven days.  Consequently when they arrived in Majapahit they did not receive any welcome party.  They were very disappointed.  Misunderstanding continued and finally battle broke out.

Langit Kresna Hariadi is good in giving surprise.  By the end of the battle there is a surprise.  But I am sure it better you find the surprise yourself.  It won’t be interesting if I tell you here.

The novel is really entertaining.  It is not only a book on the history of Majapahit and Galuh but it is an excellent literary work. It is beautiful.  I believe it is worth translating into English and many other languages.  In the preface he also writes his message the two ethnic groups should forgive each other.

Bambang  Udoyono

Kehendak Tuhan dan Upaya manusia

Kehendak Tuhan dan Upaya manusia

Bambang Udoyono

Arjuna Wiwaha adalah sebuah cerita klasik dalam sastra Jawa yang ditulis oleh Empu Kanwa di abad ke 11 dalam bentuk kekawin.  Kekawin adalah salah satu bentuk karya sastra Jawa kuno dalam bentuk puisi yang memiliki kaidah kaidah spesifik. Gelar Empu menunjukkan bahwa dia adalah seorang cendekiawan yang diakui dan dihormati di masyarakat Jawa di masa lalu. 

Empu Kanwa merangkai cerita ini dengan memakai tokoh tokoh dalam cerita Mahabarata. Plotnya dia ciptakan sendiri. Jadi ini adalah cerita varian dari Mahabarata. Dalam bahasa Jawa ada istilah ‘carangan’ untuk menyebut karya tambahan yang bukan asli dari Mahabarata. Inilah cerita Arjuna Wiwaha secara singkat.

Ketika itu hubungan antara Pendowo Limo dengan saudara sepupunya Kurowo sudah semakin meruncing.  Permintaan Pendowo kepada Kurowo agar Pendowo menguasai kembali negri Ngamarta dan Ngestina ditolak oleh Kurowo. Akibatnya ketegangan semakin meningkat.  Maka Pendowo lantas menyiapkan pasukan untuk menyambut perang besar di kalangan keluarga Barata alias Baroto yudo joyo binangun dalam bahasa Jawa. Arjuna mempersiapkan diri dengan bertapa di gunung Indrakila.  Konon dalam tapanya Arjuna digoda oleh beberapa bidadari tercantik dari kahyangan.  Meskipun Arjuna dikenal sebagai seorang play boy namun dia berhasil mengatasi ujian tersebut sehingga dewa mengabulkan tapanya dan dia diberi hadiah sebuah anak panah pusaka bernama Pasopati yang sangat sakti mandraguna.  Kalau panah itu ditujukan ke gunung maka gunung itu akan runtuh dan kalau ditujukan ke laut maka laut tersebut akan kering, demikian para dalang Jawa menggambarkan kesaktian pusakanya.

Setelah mendapatkan pusaka Arjuna turun gunung bermaksud akan pulang.  Ketika dalam perjalanan turun dia dikejutkan dengan keributan yang disebabkan oleh seekor celeng raksasa yang mengamuk.   Si celeng memakan tanaman di kebun penduduk dan ketika dihalau malah mengamuk sehingga jatuh banyak korban.  Melihat kedatangan Arjuna orang desa lantas meminta pertolongannya.  Sebagai seorang satria Arjuna merasa berkewajiban menolong penduduk yang sedang terancam bahaya.  Tanpa ragu dia mengambil panah pusakanya. Dibidiknya si celeng dan kesaktian panah terbukti.  Si celeng raksasa tersungkur mati seketika.  Arjuna dan penduduk datang mendekati bangkai celeng. 

Tiba tiba dari sisi lain muncul seorang satria yang membawa busur.  Dia lantas mencabut anak panah yang tertancap di badan celeng.  Semua orang terkejut.  Di badan celeng ternyata ada dua anak panah.  Arjuna juga mencabut anak panahnya dan mengatakan panahnyalah yang membunuh celeng karena lebih dekat ke jantung celeng daripada panah satria tersebut. Si satria juga berkata demikian sehingga terjadi perdebatan dan akhirnya perkelahian.

Pada awalnya perkelahian itu imbang tapi akhirnya Arjuna terdesak dan bahkan jatuh, kalah telak oleh satria itu.  Arjuna sudah tidak berdaya ketika sang satria tiba tiba berubah menjadi seorang dewa.  Arjuna menyembah dan meminta maaf.  Untunglah Arjuna diampuni dan dia bisa pulang.

Sampai di sini ada satu adegan penting yang menarik perhatian saya dari cerita ini yaitu adegan ketika anak panah Arjuna dan satria secara bersamaan mengenai dan membunuh celeng.  Kemudian mereka berdebat dan bertengkar soal panah siapa yang membunuh celeng.  Saya yakin bahwa ini adalah metafora dari si penulis bahwa keberhasilan manusia dalam mencapai cita citanya adalah kombinasi antara kehendak Tuhan dengan upaya manusia. Ngeyelnya Arjuna mewakili pandangan kaum sekuler bahwa keberhasilan manusia adalah murni karena upaya manusia.   Perkelahian yang dimenangkan oleh satria juga matafora bahwa sesakti apapun manusia tidak akan menang dengan Tuhan.  Karena itu manusia harus bersyukur, tunduk patuh kepada Tuhan.  Itulah pesan moral si penulis dalam pandangan saya.  Kebenarannya hanya Tuhan dan Empu Kanwa saja yang tahu. 

Cerita Arjuna Wiwaha ini ini menurut saya sangat indah dan mengandung banyak metafora.  Saya yakin metafora itu berisi pesan moral dari Empu Kanwa.  Karena itu saya memiliki tafsir atas bagian lain dari cerita ini yang saya tulis dalam artikel terpisah.  Jadi tunggu artikel berikut.