Make the Difference Healthy

KOMPAS/ DHANANG DAVID ARITONANG

Yudi Latif

The critical problem of present-day Indonesian politics lays not in the differences that lead to political polarization, but in the way the political community views the difference. The difference in the support framework that comes into existence within the axes of support for the incumbent versus the opposition can be constructive, as long as differences are responded to in the spirit of “yin and yang”. It is like looking at night (dark) and day (bright), two things that are diametrically different but mutually complementary as a part of the unity that is life.

Under this spirit, the differences among the political groupings – with all the derivative choices, platforms, and individual and group behavior – can help accelerate each camp in developing healthy competition. Criticism and counterarguments from the opposing side can be used as a stepping-stone to comprehend and resolve a group’s own weaknesses towards improvements in its political vision, mission and programs for the greater good of the public.

Differences can also be destructive when responding in the Manichaean spirit, which sees the opposing side in the framework of a war between Ahuramazda (light) and Ahriman (dark). The two powers cannot be reconciled, so the battle must end with one killing the other to the death of both.

Under this kind of spirit, criticism is raised and used as a means to defeat the other. Whatever the opposing side’s arguments and programs, they are inherently wrong. Politics loses its power to reflect when it does not have a mirror to view its own weaknesses and shortcomings from different perspectives. This kind of political stance paves the way to fascism: for one political color to exist, the other color must be eliminated.

Developments in the direction of the Manichaean political spirit have caused a great disruption to the ideals of the Indonesian political culture. This nation’s political culture is designed on the ideal values of mutual cooperation: one for all and all for one. Differences are permitted along political lines, but remain within the framework of a dynamic and familial spirit.

A political culture of mutual cooperation shines light on the cosmological world of the country’s primordial religions, which are generally illuminationist in character; that everything that exists in this world consists of pairs that identify with each other, complement each other and depend on each other, as they radiate from the same source.

Different from Aristotelian logic, which rejects the existence of opposing truths, the primordial tribal logic of the Indonesian nation tends to have monodualistic or unipolarist characteristics that life develops according to the duumvirate logic, loro ning atunggal (the unity of two): night-day, man-woman, light-dark, etc. Even diversity (bhinna ika) is basically seen from the view of “oneness” (tunggal ika), and that all diversities are dependent on one another constitutes illumination from ”Yang Esa” (God), which does not depend on anything (Sumardjo, 2014).

With such a view of life, Nusantara’s cultural ethos has the characteristics to be adaptive, gradual, esthetic and tolerant. Differences are not something that must be rejected or, at best merely tolerated, as long as they do not pose a danger. To the contrary, differences must be accepted joyfully as part of the completeness of life that encourages the spirit of mutual acceptance, sharing and respect.

The shifting response to differences constitutes an accumulation of crises in the psychocultural (national character), institutional and material spheres. The development of these three spheres has deviated from the imperatives of the Pancasila morality.

Under the moral spirit of Pancasila, psychocultural development is directed toward creating a nation that possesses the characteristics of (primarily) the first principle of Pancasila, as well as its second and third principles. Harmony can be achieved amid differences when we are able to develop a relationship of compassion with the Creator that exudes a divine spirit that is cultured, spacious and tolerant; compassion for our fellow human beings that exudes a humanitarian spirit that is just and dignified; a relationship of compassion between human beings and the natural sphere (the country) and its natural association (nationality) that exudes a spirit that is united within the nation’s diversity.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Yudi Latif

Sociopolitical developments must be directed toward becoming a sovereign nation with politics based (primarily) on the fourth principle. This is realized through the ideals of the public good, consensual deliberation and wisdom within the framework of democratic institutions that can strengthen unity (family state) and social justice (welfare state), as manifested in a state government that protects the Indonesian nation and motherland as a whole, progresses toward public justice, enlightens the life of the nation and participates in establishing a world order that is free, peaceful and just.

Material developments are guided toward becoming an independent nation that is provides public welfare based (primarily) on the fifth principle. This is realized through establishing a free economy that is based on a spirit of cooperation with the state controlling important production industries that support many livelihoods and its land, water and natural resources; providing comparative advantages through skills and technology-based added values; and offering opportunities that carry a social function to the private sector.

Only through a psychocultural, institutional and material transformation based on Pancasila can we prevent the Manichaean spirit – a spirit that can destroy our communal home – from spreading across our political universe.

Yudi Latif, Executive, National Alliance