A Crucible As People to Start A Life

Once evicted from their places for the sake of development, some residents of Sumedang and Majalengka regencies in West Java now have to go through it all again for similar reasons. Their expectations for a prosperous life have been delayed again.

The reciting of Quran verses has just concluded during tahlilan, a ritual to mark someone’s death at the house of Didin Nurhadi, 49, a resident of Cacaban village, Conggeang district, Sumedang regency. Nurhadi’s father-in-law died five days ago.

The tahlilan soothed Nurhadi’s feelings. Dozens of his neighbors joined the ritual, bidding farewell to his father-in-law. However, their arrival brought some concerns. Almost all of them talked about their expectations for a prosperous life.

One of his neighbors asked a question after the tahlilan ritual concluded. “So, what should we do? If we are about to be evicted again, where should we move?” one resident asked.

Nurhadi did not answer the question. He responded only with a blank look. Seeing Nurhadi’s response, others were hesitant to repeat the question.

Uneasy

Along with 150 other people, Nurhadi has lived in Cacaban for just one year. They live on a former durian plantation. The land is not too fertile. The condition is very different from that of their previous place of residence in Cipaku village, Jatigede district, Sumedang regency, some 32 kilometers from Cacaban.

“We relocated here after the Cipaku village was submerged with water from the Jatigede Dam. We went with Pak Nurhadi, the former village head. We hope for a prosperous life,” said one resident.

But the reality is different. Now, they are about to relocate again. The village is in the path of the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) toll road project.

Cisumdawu toll road project head Wida Nurfaida said the Cacaban, Conggeang Kulon and Cibeureunyeuh villages would be affected by the project. The project will use the land to minimize seismic land movements.

Nurhadi has not received confirmation about the eviction plan related to the project. But the arrival of some people, who claim to be from the project, has made the residents worried. “The news is a second blow to us. We have not finished preparing a new life. But it seems we must relocate again,” Nurhadi said.

It is not an easy thing to start a new life. Compensation from the government of Rp 29 million per family for relocating from Jatigede was far from sufficient. Several residents had to sell their assets. Some of them are now in debt.

Sumawijaya, 45, a former Jatigede resident, for example, said he was indebted to his father-in-law. The Rp 29 million was spent only on housing materials. The cost of the construction work was paid with a loan and by selling his cattle. “Within a year, I learned how to grow vegetables myself without government assistance. It was not an easy process because I used to sow land and grow cattle. I don’t know what I will do if I’m evicted again,” he said.

Residents of Sukamulya village, Kertajati district, Majalengka regency, have had the same experience. After the residents of nearby villages such as Bantarjati, Sukakerta, Ker-tajati and Kertasari were relocated due to the development of the West Java International Airport (BIJB), thousands of Sukamulya residents chose to stay. One of them was Jumantara, 36. About four years ago, he was a resident of the Congkok neighborhood in Bantarjati village, Kertajati district. He relocated from his place after realizing that bantarjati was included in the airport development.

At that time, Jumantara surrendered. He received Rp 147 million. That amount was far below the initial agreement. Two houses and a plot of land measuring 560 square meters were to be bought for Rp 247 million. “They said there was a deduction. But I was too afraid to complain because it was through a trial process. I spent the money to relocate to Sukamulya village,” he said.

On Sukamulya, 5 kilometers from Bantarjati, he pinned his hopes. Jumantara built a house, although he had to get a Rp 30 million loan. He lived as a farmer and was paid Rp 80,000 per day.

Need attention

Now, his life is disturbed again. Due to a lack of information, Sukamulya was in fact part of the airport development project. This time, he does not want to take it as it is. Along with thousands of Sukamulya residents, he has chosen to stay. They are demanding that the government guarantee their life in the new place.

“I do not want to repeat my bad experience,” he said. He said he had not solved his problems. Of the total 740 hectares in the Sukamulya area, 346 hectares have been included in the airport development project.

Bambang Nurdiansyah, coordinator of the Front of the Sukamulya People’s Struggle, said the land acquisition process did not involve the residents.

“The land prices here varied between Rp 700,000 to Rp 1.3 million per 14 square meters. In fact, there is a plot of land priced at Rp 7 million per 14 square meters,” he said.

Presidential Office special staff member Noer Fauzi Rachman once visited Sukamulya. He mediated between the residents, the local administration and PT BIJB, a company belonging to the West Java administration. “People have rights in the development. They have the right to agree or disagree with the development,” Fauzi said in early January 2017.

On the same occasion, West Java administration assistant for economics and development Deny Juanda said there was a larger interest to consider in the development of the international airport.

Herry Susana Kalangi, a community figure in Sukamulya, said local people were not anti-development. “This land is our life. If it is lost without a substitute, what will our lives be like?” he asked.

(IKI/TAM/CHE)