Death of the Universities
Illustration: Handining
The rise of sectarian practical political movements in the universities now, on behalf and carry the banners of the universities, being held inside and outside the campuses by a number of lecturers and students, need questioning because they tarnish names of the universities and cause troubles to the wider community.
Moreover, state universities whose births are inherent with the struggle of the nation have a special mandate to make Pancasila as the highest principle in the life of the nation and the community, and refer to the Constitution as the main guideline to behave. The public lose faith and question as to why this can happen, where are the authorities of the higher education in this country?
Furthermore, where, in this world, are there universities which do not defend the Constitution and the highest norms of their nation? And if the universities deny the Constitution and the spirit of their own nation, there has been an anomaly. Moreover, the (state) universities are financed by the taxes of the people; how about the responsibilities of the universities to the public?
The sectarian political movements in universities are ahistorical because they oppose raison d’etre of the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, which was fought by the founders of the nation. The important declaration of the Youth Pledge in 1928 reminds us. The youths from various "little nations" based on ethnicities (Harsya Bachtiar, 1976) swore to be faithful to the one nation, motherland, and language: Indonesia.
The Youth Pledge is a very important foundation toward the proclamation of independence in 1945 and was followed by many other national events; whose formulation of the continuity of the nation and state is further legalized with various legal products under the umbrella to the Constitution so far.
The movements also hurt the universities as moral movements where products of sciences are born, which have academic autonomy, and therefore have a special position, which cannot be equated with any institutions, including political and business institutions. The universities hold their mandate as the gatekeepers of truth, and scientists with their intellectual capacity are obliged to contribute to the settlement of the problems of society and be critical.
In case there is a denial of the university mandate, it means that the academic autonomy has been misused.
The freedom of opinion, expression, and the freedom of thoughts, religions and beliefs as the important elements in democracy are guaranteed by the law (Article 18, Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Law Number 12 of 2005). However, this freedom creates special obligations and responsibilities to the extent to respect the rights/reputations of other people, protect national security/public order, or health/general moral (Article 18 Paragraph 2).
Moreover, Article 20 mentions that: (1) any propaganda for war must be prohibited by the law, (2) any action which incites to do discrimination, hostility, or violence has to be prohibited by the law.
Our universities at present
Our universities and academic community are currently busy echoing the world class university ranking. The structural leadership in universities are busy pursuing achievements, following world university standards, which are proclaimed by the policy of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. Each lecturer is required to follow the line of the achievement marked by scientific work, especially the Scopus Index, if he or she wants to be promoted and get remuneration, with all its sanctions. So far lecturers and professors have been considered "lazy", underachievers, even though they are paid, so that strict policies must be implemented.
Of course, it is imperative for each lecturer to excel for the universities and its nation, through various quality scientific findings in the fields of science, technology, social science and humanities. However, how is the method to cultivate a culture of love for science? Is it appropriate to encourage a thinking scientist by simply making a number of administrative regulations and sanctions alone? Is not what is needed is a conducive policy in the implementation of autonomy in universities and the financing of the academic activities which is not hindered by administrative rules, whose management puts forward transparency and public accountability.
Developing an academic culture is growing and nurturing the way of thinking, knowledgeable, and having norms, whose methods cannot be instantaneous, like they are today. The essential academic culture has to start from the love to the motherland, awareness for the responsibilities for the survival of humanity, ensuring physical and spiritual welfare and substantive justice for all Indonesian and human beings.
Forgetting the mandate
Apparently, due to administrative busyness to chase the ranking and the world class prestige, the universities forget their mandates to implant and nurture the values of the nation, humanity and respect to differences and diversity as mandated by the Constitution and the philosophy of Pancasila.
The universities, the high-ranking ministerial officials who are the most responsible, seem to let, or do not consider important, the current state of emergency in the condition of our nationality which is being torn apart. It is clear that the Indonesian nation stands on the diversity of races, ethnicities, languages, dialects, religions and beliefs, political groups, classes, genders; even the plurality becomes its distinctive characters that distinguish it from other nations.
The diversity whose miniature is reflected in the life of universities, where lecturers and students come from the diversity. If the diversity is denied, even threatened, the universities have lost their authority. Even the universities and their organs can be considered to have neglected to participate in the efforts to save the integrity of the nation and the call of the motherland.
In society, there is a silent major, which is very restless, anxious, watching the critical situation due to the mounting cases of intolerance and majoritarianism, which has also crept up to the current Indonesian law enforcement institutions (Lindsey & Pausacker, 2016). The society whose number is the majority prefer to be silent.
They are not used to voicing their aspirations and anxiety by the ways of mobilizing the masses, attacking with hard and harsh words, let alone by the instrumentation of religious sentiments. Only a small part who dares to speak up in social media, but most of the others prefer to be silent. They are looking forward to the strength of the universities, the backbone of the nation power, but does not present, even a part of the academic community participate in propagating the sectarian movements.
The academic and silent majority community must be brave and work hands in hands to voice their allegiance to the Indonesian-ness, especially when the state is silent and neglects to respond to the emergency of diversity. The lecturers and students have to fight for the red and white from their mind, and willing to dedicate their devotion and all social lives only for the Indonesian-ness. Support your country, strengthen the ranks of the leaders to awaken from their sleep.
The leaders of the country are required to be assertive to defend the Constitution and Pancasila, whose actions are justified by law. Even Article 4 of Covenant of the Civil and Political Rights allows the state action in emergency condition which threatens the life of the nation and its existence. After being officially announced, the state which has ratified it can take necessary steps by law, precisely in an attempt to protect the diversity of races, skin colors, sexes, languages, religions, or social origins.
We must arrive at the celebration of the one hundred years of independence in 2045 and welcome and enjoy the prosperity of Asia along with other Asian countries in 2050. We have to glorify our Motherland during our lives.
SULISTYOWATI IRIANTO
Professor of Law Anthropology, the School of Law, University of Indonesia
