"Ambyar"

I have traveled to a thousand cities. I have asked a thousand hearts. But no one understands where you are going. For years I have searched, but I have not found you up to this day.

These are a sample of the lyrics featured in the many songs written and sung by Didi Kempot, who is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity with a new generation of fans. Didi Kempot\'s songs are written in Javanese and he has sung them for a long time. However, only recently have these songs exploded in mainstream pop culture. His fans are expanding, not limited to those who understand Javanese; not only parents who love dual-language songs, but also young people with a modern lifestyle and far from tradition.

Why are Didi Kempot\'s songs accepted by so many fans? Because the songs talk about broken hearts, betrayed love and promises that are easily denied. The wounds of the heart are experienced by many people today. And Didi Kempot is seen to be representing and expressing those feelings, so those who are broken hearted feel they are not alone. His male fans call themselves Sad Bois, the women Sad Gerls. Both gather under the name Sobat Ambyar (Friends of the Broken Hearts). And their idol, Didi Kempot, is named the Godfather of the Broken Hearts, or the Lord of Ambyar.

It is not enough to simply return the word ambyar to Didi Kempot. This era only borrows the ambyar of Didi Kempot to reveal the symptoms and history that we are

Ambyar: this word is self-explanatory. But why did the word suddenly become so popular? Moreover, why does ambyar represent so many people\'s feelings? Is that word just about the romance around the sadness of a broken heart? If we can ask this question, it means there is a deep meaning in ambyar. And ambyar cannot only be related merely to heartbreak. It seems as if ambyar was given by the circumstances of the age so that we feel it more broadly and deeply. It is not enough to simply return the word ambyar to Didi Kempot. This era only borrows the ambyar of Didi Kempot to reveal the symptoms and history that we are experiencing.

Disaster of progress

In Javanese treasure, as a historical phenomenon, ambyar reopens what is stored in the forecast of poet Ranggawarsita, as written in Serat Sabda Jati: Para djanma sadjroning djaman pekewuh, kasudranira andadi, dahurune saja darung, keh tyas mirong murang margi, kasetyan wus nora katon (In this difficult and wrong era, humiliation of the human mind increasingly worsens, the complexity of life continues to occur, people deliberately take the wrong path, loyalty can no longer be seen by the eye).

Apparently we are now experiencing the prediction of Serat Sabda Jati about the arrival of the era of pekewuh (uncomfortable feeling), the complicated era, the era of ambyar.

In this ambyar era, human beings enter an awkward situation. And it seems as if there is a hidden power that is trapping humans in the awkward situation. The era of ambyar is not a prediction of the future. Ambyar is the disaster of today. And ambyar is what determines what will happen in the future, including human ideals about progress. Therefore, Frankfurt School philosopher Walter Benyamin said:

“The notion of progress is that its basic and starting point is disaster. What continues to move forward is the disaster itself. And that disaster is not what will come, but what is happening now. When we talk of salvation, they are only small leaps from the persistent calamity.”

According to that line of thinking, a bright future is only a fantasy. What will happen is a disaster. Or in Javanese treasures, the future is the era of ewuh-pekewuh, the era of ambyar. In Western literature, articles about disasters or ambyar can easily be found. Starting from the articles of philosophy, critical sociology, politics, and ecology, to psychological analysese, literature and theological reflection. So disaster or ambyar is not only about the nature and environment but about humans, their thinking, rationality and psychological condition.

Disaster or ambyar is discussed deeply for example by Pankaj Mishra, a scholar of Indian descent, in his famous book, Age of Anger: a History of the Present (2017). He pointed out that the root of chaos, disaster or ambyar in today’s era is the enlightenment utopia of Western society. Utopia is a beautiful dream that finally lands as a reality of nightmares of today era. Enlightenment with the fruits of capitalism and liberal democracy is implanted in countries that have no roots in the tradition of Western enlightenment. Its implanting is frequently by force: military invasion, after which — it is believed — democracy will bloom by itself.

An enlightened utopia longs for progress and modernity. But what happens is in the opposite: antimodernity. In many countries, antimodernity is gathering to become an act of religious radicalism, violence and terror. According to Mishra, these actions were not initially aimed at destroying the establishment of progress and modernity. Instead, these actions want to enjoy the establishment. But the universe as a limited resource is certainly not able to provide what they want to enjoy, let alone since they are already in the hands of those who are advanced and modern.

The result is resentment, hatred. Therefore, Mishra emphasizes the importance of comprehending again the thoughts of philosopher Rousseau and Nietzsche. Both of them argued that resentment occurred because of inferior experiences, which then bring on feelings of envy. The intension is to imitate, but it can\'t. The desire to imitate continues to increase, while the ability of self is increasingly left behind. The promises of modernity and equality are ultimately only dreams. The dreamers then encounter a reality that is not in line with their dream. Their life deteriorates, in terms of justice, education, status, power and welfare. Their life turns out to be ambyar. Who wants to be ambyar? Therefore, those who are disappointed are frustrated. Out of frustration, they become angry, protest, become radical and do not hesitate to carry out their actions with violence. That is the anger of those who in ambyar in the age of anger.

Fading loyalty

In today’s era, ambyar does not only invade politics, economics or the environment. Personal relationships can also feel the brunt of ambyar. In personal terms, Didi Kempot\'s mellow songs about heartbreak seem to translate and localize the crisis of loyalty, which is now spreading everywhere. As reported by Stephanie Schramm (die Zeit, 7/4/2011), a study from Hamburg and Leipzig, Germany, showed that 90 percent of respondents said they wanted to remain loyal to their partners, but 50 percent claimed at least once violated that loyalty.

Being faithful is not just about being loyal to a partner for life; people can also feel loyal to "other people", who happen to be their partners at that time. Loyalty can be a serial loyalty to changing partners. Monogamy seems to be increasingly felt as a cultural effort that is contrary to natural and human nature, which finds it difficult to be loyal to one person. Because of that, monogamy is difficult to maintain. Also among young people, there is a widening gap between desire and the reality around loyalty. They uphold loyalty. However, in practice, they easily change girlfriends or partners. This fact reveals an irony: Young people want to truly hold loyalty and idealize it as a guide, precisely because in reality, loyalty is being ambyar and is difficult to experience.

The study also showed that many infidelities occur mostly because the offenders are interested in new partners. Relationships with their partners can be satisfying, also sexually. However, that does not guarantee that people cannot be interested and then are satisfied and happy with new partners. This fading loyalty is often caused by chance; it is not deliberate or planned. Opportunities to fall in that coincidence are now widely available. Because today, humans are more mobile, move from one place to another very quickly and can meet "new people" in a very short time. Through the internet, it is also easy for people to find new stimuli, which are very varied and interesting. And that can be experienced in the most private space, even when people stay close to their families or partners.

Even this kind of sacrifice is the one that is now fading. No wonder so many loyalties are now ambyar.

According to many studies, psychology, sociology or anthropology, infidelity is determined by many factors. And it is difficult to ascertain, which factor is the most decisive. Family therapy expert Guy Bodenmann said that loyalty is a cognitive process, in which people desire an exclusivity. And that presupposes that people are totally willing to give their commitment, emotionally and sexually. Such commitment requires a strong and unanimous will. That means, to be loyal, people must be willing to sacrifice to give themselves. Even this kind of sacrifice is the one that is now fading. No wonder so many loyalties are now ambyar.

"Ambyar" political soap opera

Like in love, loyalty is also a value in politics. Therefore, in political science, loyalty is called political virtue. Good politics is created when politicians are loyal to their political promises, loyal to their constituents and loyal to their coalition partners in the pursuit of mutually agreed ideals. It is clear that good politics presupposes loyalty. When upholding that value, politics will automatically manifest loyalty in commitment, and honest and sincere self-sacrifice. However, even in politics, people easily betray loyalty, deny commitment and plunge themselves into new political infidelity.

Therefore, just like or beyond the case of love, loyalty in politics is easily plagued by the ambyar virus, only their levels are different. Sometimes the difference is not much, sometimes it’s crazy. Unfortunately, there are symptoms, along with the outbreak of the ambyar virus, in Didi Kempot. Lately, our politics also seems to be exposed to the ambyar virus. So, if people believe in the Javanese kawruh (knowledge), the outbreak of Didi Kempot’s Sobat Ambyar is also a sasmita (gesture), which allows us to ask whether our sociopolitical situation is also feared to be being ambyar.

We easily find the state of being ambyar in our political behavior lately. We may be relieved to see Prabowo Subianto and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo unite and Gerindra enter the Indonesia Onward Cabinet. However, critical questions may still arise: Is it that easy for the politicians to forget the sacrifice of their supporters. Where is their political loyalty and commitment to the expectation of their supporters? Understandably, before the 2019 presidential election, supporters of the two camps were so divided that it was unthinkable at all that their leaders wanted to form a political coalition. Politics does have 1,001 reasons to justify itself. But in the political phenomenon above it remains to be proven, politics is not faithful to promises. Therefore, it is understandable when supporters feel the bitterness of the song Cidra by Didi Kempot: Wis samesthine ati iki nelangsa, wong sing tak tresnani mblenjani janji… Gek apa salah awakku iki, kowe nganti tego mblenjani janji… (This heart is supposed to in misery, because someone I love breaks promises ... What is my fault, until you have the heart to break the promise).

The ambyar soap opera on the political stage continues. Having just made a pledge to be loyal to the coalition, NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh embraced affectionately with the president of the Prosperous Justice Party, Sohibul Iman. The media was busy with that scene. President Jokowi also quipped, Surya Paloh looked brighter than usual after hugging Sohibul. And President Jokowi still commented, "I don\'t know what it means. However, the hug was not usual. I have never been embraced by Bang Surya Paloh as closely as Pak Sohibul Iman. "

Later, at NasDem\'s eighth birthday celebration, the hugging language continued. The President repeatedly emphasized that there was nothing wrong with the hug. After all, the President still quipped the hug was only a matter of jealousy. This is how our political discourse has been reduced to: a hug problem. Some of our political time is confiscated to speculate about hugs. Our political language is the language of Sobat Ambyar. Surya Paloh expressed "love" to the figures.

"And don\'t doubt anymore, how much I still love Mbak Mega." Megawati showed a smile hearing that greeting.

However, people know this is a political soap opera; that smile may be interpreted as a cynical smile of disbelief. In the eyes of many viewers, the smile seemed to say, mbel (nonsense). Or in the language of Sobat Ambyar, that smile is a song: Jebule janjimu jebule sumpahmu, ra biso digugu (Your promise, your oath turn out to be fake).

The Indonesia Onward Cabinet also has not proven its work. In the midst of such a situation, it has been read, how politics makes maneuvers so they can maintain or gain power in 2024.

If, together with the ambyar phenomenon, we want to be reminded of the sasmita of the ewuh-pakewuh era, we must be vigilant that falsehood and fidelity to promises appear to be the colors of our politics. See, the 2019 general elections and presidential elections have just passed. Political figures have not proven themselves at all whether they can fulfill their promises from the last campaign. The Indonesia Onward Cabinet also has not proven its work. In the midst of such a situation, it has been read, how politics makes maneuvers so they can maintain or gain power in 2024.

For our politicians, democracy seems to be only a tool to pursue power. This is really ambyar politics. Ambyar because politics removes traces and the basis of its birth. As philosopher Richard David Precht said, politics was not born by itself. Politics was born from people\'s trust and honesty. The people then hope that based on that trust, politics would act wisely, be loyal and be self-aware. Politics that only pursues power means sweeping away the basis of its birth. No matter the trust and honesty of the people, prek (forget) about loyalty and wisdom. What is important, anyway, is how to reach power. Politics no longer thinks what is best for people who believe and pin their hopes. All that is thought is about what is the best for him, and that is the increasing power.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Sindhunata

Such politics is a politics of disloyalty promises. That is the politics we now feel. So, with regard to such politics, along with Sobat Ambyar, the people may say: Tak tandur pari, jebul tukule malah suket teki (I plant rice, but it turns out that what is growing is wild grass). Yes, with our politics now, the people may be heartbroken. It seems, we are indeed living in an era of ewuh-pekewuh, where many things turn into an awkward situation, let alone politics, which is wr-wr-wr, ambyar.

Sindhunata, Journalist, chief editor of Basis magazine, Yogyakarta