Leaders of Independence

KOMPAS/DIDIE SW

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An independent Indonesia arose upon a winner’s spirit soul. As victors of the revolution, the nation’s leaders viewed the future with confidence that their ideals will be achieved. For most of them, the image of democracy reflects the national ideals. Democracy is synonymous with the virtuous and peaceful society of the future (Feith, 1962).

Their high self-confidence was reflected in a cultural movement. On Feb. 18, 1950, less than two months after the international recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty, a group of artists linked through the Siaat weekly launched the Arena Confidence Statement. The statement started with a strong declaration: "We are the legitimate heirs of world culture and we will continue this culture in our own way."

The ethos of victory and pioneering was no illusion. There was a period when Indonesia founded the decolonization movement, the non-aligned movement and a new world order of trust. Ahead of the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, 14 prominent humanities scholars from the United States sent a letter to Prime Minister Ali Sastroamidjojo. These scholars included Nobel Laureate for Peace economist and sociologist Emily G. Back, Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner female novelist Pearl S. Buck, religion professor S.R. Marlow, and technology philosopher and historian Lewis Mumford.

Their letter contained hope for Indonesia: "Many of the world\'s population live in poverty, many live in fear, many others are engrossed in forming blocks. In the midst of such pressure and chaotic situation, we make this letter... The world has tired of oppression, dogma and war. The world has tired of seeing the lust of various state invaders, or the lust to establish defense pacts. We have great hope in you; hopefully you can freely solve all problems to formulate the bases of a new society... We sincerely hope that you can become Asoka to reunite our world in a society based on mutual love, a world where people understand each other, and the technical community and the arts community can develop towards perfection."

Where does the Indonesia\'s lofty dignity come from? The greatness of a country’s population and its vastness do not guarantee its people’s greatness. Historian HG Wells frequently asked, "What determines the magnitude of a nation?" He concluded: "The most important element that determines the fate of a nation is the quality and quantity of its determination."

This determination is a state of mind that reflects the strength of the nation\'s soul.

Therefore, Bung Karno repeatedly stressed the need to promote the nation’s soul: "Each nation has its own great people, each period in history has great people, but what is greater than Mahatma Gandhi is Mahatma Gandhi\'s soul, greater than Stalin is Stalin\'s soul; bigger than Roosevelt is Roosevelt\'s soul... What is bigger than every great person is the soul rather than the man. The great soul that has not emerged exists in the heart of every human being; we even have a soul as a nation. So, we as humans have an obligation to promote our own souls and to raise the soul of the nation of which we are a member."

In Bung Hatta’s view, a nation is not brown and grow by itself, but grows from a belief and attitude within that must be fostered and nurtured throughout time, especially the Indonesian nation as a political construction that mixes various ethnic groups into a new national unit, and "to maintain it, every person must strive with all his strength and ability."

The nation’s future

The above hopes and warnings of the two fathers of the nation should be contemplated before the fifth general election of the reform era. The long years during which this country’s gift of wealth and beauty have been disproportionate to the dignity of its people, is now over: natural wealth does not bring prosperity, a large population does not increase competitiveness, national diversity does not strengthen cultural resilience, and diversity does not encourage moral awareness.

Standing at the beginning of the new millennium in the century of Asian awakening, touches our sense about the future of the nation. How did a nation-state that pioneered the Asian-African revival become a follower in regional development? We should be able to get back on the winning track. We have inherited the remains of historical capital. We still have the adequate resources to rise amid adversity. What is necessary is to unite all elements of national power and to channel the nation’s energy toward something more productive.

The political leadership must be able to direct the nation’s energy to future victory, not in endless condemnation and politicization of the past. Our habit of condemning the past by repeating it, not by surpassing it, relegates Indonesian politics to an immature stage (regressive politics). Surpassing the past requires a more progressive concept of patriotism, a patriotism that does not rely merely on an object of resistance, but also on what can be offered. This historical project should not only maintain, but also improve, the country’s condition.

In line with the national goals, progressive patriotism is oriented towards protecting the entire nation and the entirety of the motherland through achieving welfare in security, the economy, politics, the bureaucracy and culture.

Therefore, democracy as the manifestation of imagined ideals, needs to be grounded in the fullness of its substance. Procedural democracy, which simply stops at capital-intensive electoral rituals by frequently replacing rules and regulations and the design of political institutions, has no significance on national welfare and progress.

Eric Weiner (2016) suggested that there was no correlation between the golden era of statehood and democracy. The substance that is needed is creative freedom, not simply democracy. China has never had a democracy, but has an enlightened autocrat that provides the creative space for its citizens to develop their potential and fulfill their civilian duties. True democracy should contain a broader and healthier climate of freedom, with a spirit of citizenship that respects public rationale and morals.

Under such a climate, cultural literacy is strong; talent, tolerance and technology grow. The love of the motherland (amore patria) is a virtue of citizenship. The leader is a guide; the citizens are guardians of the republic. In implementing a substantive democracy, the presidency plays a very decisive role. As a state official that is elected directly by the people (in theory), the president embodies the people\'s hope. "The hardest task of a president," said Lyndon B Johnson, the 36th US president, "is not doing what is right, but knowing what is right." To know what is right, a president must find guidance from the philosophical and constitutional foundations of the country.

A state leadership’s constitutional commitment should focus on efforts to secure and seek balance in meeting the three public goods principle: democratic legitimacy, economic prosperity and collective identity. The legitimacy of democratic institutions starts from the assumption that these institutions impartially represent the interests and aspirations of all people.

This claim can be fulfilled if all political decisions are, in principle, open to free, equal and rational public deliberation. Only by respecting the process of public deliberation can rules and decisions possess the democratic legitimacy that binds all citizens for the government to implement properly (right) and without hesitation (enforce).

After democratic legitimacy has been attained, the next public benefit is economic prosperity. Political democracy cannot run well without the democratization of the economy. Pancasila itself suggests that the end achievement of the ideals of nationhood must lead to "social justice for all Indonesian people". During the reform era, Indonesia has achieved significant progress in creating a more transparent and open society in the political sphere.

However, these achievements are often countered by economic downturns and disparities. In the view of Joseph E. Stiglitz (2005), creating general welfare in developing countries like Indonesia requires a balance between the government and the market. In this case, developing countries must be increasingly free and able to determine their economic policy choices.

State leaders must have the courage to uphold the constitutional mandate in utilizing the earth, water, air and natural resources for the welfare of the people. State leaders, as the eyes and ears of the people’s heart and rationale, must have the courage to take a pro-people stance in natural resource exploitation that is detrimental to the nation and state.

The above two are preconditions for attaining the third “good”: the collective identity as the Indonesian nation. The existence of Indonesia as a multicultural nation requires the realization of civic nationalism according to the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), based on Pancasila as a meeting point, the fulcrum and common denominator of all diversity.

Continuing the struggle

Amidst the pull towards populism and identity politics, the state leader’s function as a force of moderation among public extremes is being tested. Even though they appear on the back of support from certain parties or groups, as the nation’s leader, they should continue to stand firmly on the foundation of republicanism. The price is too high if all structures of national consensus are torn down to mobilize support in pursuit of short-term political gains.

The atmosphere ahead of this year’s Independence Day commemoration was infused with a critical political moment in determining the presidential candidate pairs. The intersection of the two important events should be a moment to remind us that the true nature of changes in the national leadership is to continue the struggle in achieving the goals of independence: to realize an independent, united, sovereign, just and prosperous nation.

Freedom from colonialism is not the be all and end all. It is a beginning that raises challenges and at the same time, demands solutions. The enormous challenges of the Indonesian nation, due both to its latent heritage and new problems, can only be answered by leaders with great souls; a soul that possesses a mentality as vast as the Indonesian territory and a spiritual wealth as large as the Indonesian population. It is a soul that always asks what it can give to the country, not what it can take from the country; a soul that does not sacrifice the safety of the nation and its people the mere sake of seeking power.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI (RAD)

Yudi Latif

A great soul has great creativity and is able to bear great responsibilities. As Bung Hatta pointed out: "Indonesia, its land is vast, its regions are many, and its areas are far-flung. The government for such a state can only be managed by those who have the greatest sense of responsibility and have very broad views. That sense of responsibility will live in our hearts if we can pursue a life of thinking first about the interests of society, the safety of the nation, and the honor of the nation. To gain the greatest sense of responsibility, we must educate ourselves with the love for eternal truth and justice. Our hearts must be full of great ideals, [that live] greater and longer than ourselves."

Yudi Latif, Director, National Alliance