Millennial Heroes

HERYUNANTO

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Struggling for the people’s welfare and defending the truth are an idealization of heroic values in the eyes of the majority of the millennial generation. The others still believe that heroism is synonymous with the struggle for independence and driving the enemy away. The heroism imagined is no longer synonymous with the heroic action of taking up arms.

This was revealed in the polling by Kompas research among pupils and students in 11 cities throughout Indonesia (Kompas, 5/11/2018).

With this portrayal has the millennial generation forgotten the persistence of the struggle by the youth of Surabaya when the Allied forces bombarded the city on Nov. 10, 1945? The biggest battle after Indonesia’s declaration of independence led to thousands of casualties. Is the present generation familiar with heroic figures in the early independence period of 1945-1949, such as General Sudirman? The spirit of nationalism and Islamism grew in Wiworo Tomo College, which was accused by the colonial government of being an unlicensed school (Notosusanto in Abdullah et al., 1988). Why are the nationalism and spectacular sacrifice of the freedom fighters of this republic not well recorded in the historical consciousness of the millennial generation?

Benedict Anderson described the military valor on Nov. 10, 1945, as the manifestation of the character of the Indonesian youth movement, which was very impressive and should be well remembered. In the observation of Anthony Reid, the Japanese military education during the occupation period (1942-1945) influenced the patriotism of the youths at that time, which emphasized the aspects of sacrifice, self-confidence and discipline (McGregor, 2007: 120).

What we can comprehend from the Kompas survey, including from the above-mentioned questions, is the perception and judgment of history in the eyes of the millennial generation. Borrowing the perspective of Taufik Abdullah (in Abdullah et al., 1988), the struggle of the heroes receives an unequal assessment in the historical consciousness of each generation. The millennial generation\'s assessment of the conception of heroes and heroism reveals a reflection of social-political tendencies after the heroes\' departure.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

A person walks past a mural depicting the country’s heroes in Pondok Kopi, East Jakarta, on Monday, May 21, 2018.

Ignorance and historical illiteracy

Let us look at millennial historical awareness in "Uncle Sam\'s Country" as a comparison. The Victims of Communism and Memorial Fund (2017) found that almost one in five millennials with ages ranging from 21-29 years in America (23 percent) considered Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as heroes. Nearly half of them (44 percent) loved socialism and communism. However, they did not know the concepts and implications of the two political systems. This anomaly is caused by ignorance and historical illiteracy. We can see that the level of education is not positively correlated with the level of literacy.

Reflecting from the American phenomenon, we should think of joint stages to prevent Indonesia’s younger generation from being trapped by a sense of ignorance, which leads them to experience historical blindness. What is encouraging is the fact that the majority of Indonesian millennials still consider the independence fighters as their heroes (49.3 percent). The image of the independence fighters as heroes is still deeply implanted even though there has been a shift in comprehension of heroism. The popular figures also become role models (33.6 percent), besides religious figures (9.6 percent) and imaginary commercial figures (3.5 percent). Breakthroughs in the teaching methods at educational institutions need to be made to help solve the lack of recognition of the names of national heroes, including examples of their patriotism.

The strengthening of orientation to the people’s welfare and defense of the truth in the framework of heroism indicates the concerns of the millennials about current fundamental problems. Their spirit is giving priority to the public interest in the principles of justice, in order to strengthen national solidarity. Challenges such as economic inequality and legal uncertainty need joint efforts based on love for the motherland. We should not let sectarian groups, fascist groups and political-religious extremists spring up to appear to defend justice.

ANTARA/HARVIYAN PERDANA PUTRA

Children look at pictures of national heroes at the Binagriya housing complex on Jl, Pesona Raya, Pekalongan, Central Java, on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. Dozens of pictures of national heroes were displayed to educate and remind people of their services in conjunction with the commemoration of Indonesia’s 73rd Independence Day.

By reflecting on the courage of the Surabaya youth in taking down and tearing the Dutch flag at the Yamato Hotel 73 years ago, the responsibility of the current generation is to maintain the Red and White’s sovereignty and struggle to uphold it and fly it as high as possible on the world stage. It is ironic that there is an element of this nation that disrespects the Red and White’s sovereignty and tries to tear down the collective memory of Indonesia\'s imagination as a pluralistic nation.

It is important to continue reviving the memory of the closeness of Abdurrahman Awad Baswedan and YB Mangunwijaya as reported by this daily (9/11/2018) so as to become an example for the next generation. The history of the persistent struggle of Mohammad Hatta cannot be separated from his friendship with Arnold Mononutu.

Buya Syafii Maarif (2009) beautifully described the inter-ideology friendship: How Natsir or Prawoto Mangkusasmito was so close with Ignatius Joseph Kasimo, Herman Johannes, Albert Mangaratus Tambunan or Johannes Leimena, both in the independence revolution period and afterward. Or between Burhanuddin Harahap and Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung, who was a Hindu. Kasimo together with figures from Masyumi and the Indonesian Socialist Party (PSI) even tried to fight against the authoritarian political system of Soekarno in the guided democracy era (1959-1966).

The independence fighters set examples of how to sideline differences in background on religion, ideology, and ethnicity for the sake of seizing the sovereignty of the state and uniting the peoples of the archipelago under the ideology of Pancasila. The national figures practiced embryonic citizenship politics without having to eliminate their respective political identities. This is a valuable legacy.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Students of state junior high school SMPN 4 Surabaya perform a historical play entitled “Unknown Heroes” at the Heroes Monument in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. Similar performances were held in a number of locations in Surabaya ahead of the commemoration of Hero’s Day on Nov. 10.

Young and advancing

The challenges of the millennial generation are quite complicated because of the existence of a tendency to strengthen group politics based on identity in line with the wave of global populism. We must keep an eye on efforts to drag the solution to the problems of economic inequality and legal injustice into the realm of identity politics by emphasizing group sentiments.

One of the ways to resist and at the same time block the possibility of the emergence of the tyranny of identity politics is to refresh the legacy of friendship across religions and ideologies in the public memory. Without their great soul and sacrifice, we would not necessarily have been able to see independent Indonesia with its diversity, from Aceh to Papua.

Kasman Singodimejo, a Muhammadiyah figure and Indonesia’s attorney general in the 1945-1946 period, was awarded the title of national hero by President Joko Widodo because of his important contribution to the formulation of the foundation of the state. He was an important actor behind the increasing soft stance of Ki Bagus Hadikusumo (general chairman of Muhammadiyah, 1942-1953), who was insisting on maintaining the words related to the Islamic code in the first principle of Pancasila, namely “Belief in Almighty God with the obligation for its Muslim adherents to uphold sharia”.

This crucial political decision marked the acceptability and equality of the Islamic people with other groups in the framework of the state foundation. It is not only important to record this state wisdom in the nation\'s collective memory, but also transform it in the process of advancing Indonesia. It is very encouraging to find that the millennial generation translates heroic values into the framework of the struggle to improve prosperity, fighting backwardness and upholding justice. Along with this, the young generation who dedicate themselves to working toward and achieving the further promotion of the nation\'s name are millennial heroes; the young who are advancing Indonesia.

Fajar Riza Ul Haq, Director of the Law and Human Rights Council of the Central Executive Board of Muhammadiyah