Equal Independence

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

I Dewa Agung Ayu Alamanda Diastari, a representative of members of the Paskibraka (National Flag Hoisting Squad), says the Indonesian Youth Pledge in an inauguration ceremony presided over by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (15/8/2019). The President swore in 68 Paskibraka members representing 34 provinces, who will be tasked with hoisting the national flag during the 74th Independence Day on Saturday.

On Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, the Indonesian people will celebrate the 74th anniversary of independence. The anniversary of the proclamation of independence is the right moment for reflection and introspection.

Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta declared Indonesia an independent country on Aug. 17, 1945. They called independence a gateway to a just and prosperous society. The objectives of independence are stated in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution as protecting the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, promoting public welfare, educating the people and participating in ensuring peace in line with Pancasila principles.

The nation\'s founding fathers agreed to establish the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia with the ideology of Pancasila. Both are final elements of the nation\'s agreement. There is no need to tinker with Pancasila. The commemoration of independence is the right moment to see to what extent, the national goals have been achieved, to what degree people’s well-being and social justice have been realized by the nation\'s leaders and to what extent the state is able to protect the homeland and its people.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Annajah Kindergarten students, Sawangan, Depok, West Java, wear clothing from used and recycled goods while joining a ceremony for commemorating the 74th Independence Day at their school on Thursday (15/8/2019). The activity aims to foster a love of the environment and the concept of recycling at an early age. Environmentally conscious campaigns continue to be echoed all the time, especially to children.

A recent discussion on this daily with the University of Melbourne suggests that one of the the major problems facing the nation is social inequality, which is inequality among citizens and spatial disparity between Java and other islands.

As reported by Kompas on July 26, based on the national economic and social survey 2000-2018, 30 percent of total national wealth is controlled by the 10 richest residents, while 40 percent of Indonesia\'s population only control 16 percent of total wealth. Inequality is also shown by the Gini ratio of 0.39 in 2018.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

President Joko Widodo presents the service star to one of the figures who have contributed greatly in various fields of life in an awarding ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta, Thursday (15/8/2019). On that occasion the President gave a token of honor to 29 figures from the academic, legal, and also entrepreneurship circles.

The quantitative data indicates that the issue of social inequality is real. If the issue is not handled well, this could lead to social dissatisfaction and threaten the existence of the nation. The social inequality indicates that the main task has yet to be completed.

The situation is exacerbated by massive corruption in Indonesia. As many as 34 percent of Kompas survey respondents said corruption was a major problem for the nation. In addition to social inequality and corruption, the Indonesian nation is also confronted with symptoms of rising intolerance and antipluralism. The nations independence must be enjoyed by all the people.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Sastro puts a finishing touch to Garuda Pancasila, the country\'s emblem in a workspace in the Halim area, Makassar, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (6/8/2019).

Independence is not just for the political elite but for more than 260 million citizens. Development should not only focus on Java but also on other parts of the country. President Joko Widodo’s call to develop the country from its outer areas is an effort to spread out evenly the benefits of independence.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

A child sleeps when his parents queue up for zakat (alms) from the big family of Tasripin ahead of Lebaran in the Old City area, Semarang city, Central Java, Friday (31/5/2019). The tradition of distributing zakat directly to the poor has been carried out through the fifth generation by the Tasripin family who were once wealthy entrepreneurs.

The idea of promoting cooperatives as stipulated in Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution can actually be quickly realized through the digital revolution. The government can facilitate the development of the digital revolution to reduce social inequality. We encourage President Jokowi to focus more on fulfilling the purpose of independence, namely the realization of a just and prosperous society, one aspect of which is to fight corruption.