‘Nyepi’ in the Year of Politics

KOMPAS/ADI SUCIPTO

Two men make final touches to an ogoh-ogoh effigy on Monday (3/04/2019) in Balun village of Turi district, Lamongan regency, East Java. The village parade is to feature eight ogoh-ogoh effigies for Nyepi (Day of Silence) this year, three of which were made by non-Hindu people. Balun is home to Christian, Muslim and Hindu people, who live side by side in harmony.

‘The celebration of Nyepi (the Hindu Day of Silence) in the 1941 Saka New Year on Thursday, March 7, will be held in conjunction with the increasing political temperature ahead of the 2019 general election contestation.

This Nyepi celebration in 2019 seems to be so special. There will be three spiritual events surrounding it. The Nyepi celebration itself, the atmosphere of abstinence and fasting during the Pre-Easter period for Catholics, and the mystical atmosphere ahead of the general election on April 17, 2019. For Catholics, Wednesday, March 6, is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the start of the fasting and abstinence period until Holy Friday on April 20, 2019.

The essence of Nyepi and the period of fasting and abstinence for Catholics is self-control. Self-control is an important factor when this nation is entering a politically drunken era ahead of contestation in the April 17, 2019, election.

Self-control becomes important to enable us to still have a responsibility to be able to shun false news, counteracting destructive issues that could threaten the existence of the nation state. It is precisely on Nyepi and the Pre-Easter period for Catholics that it is an important time to temporarily withdraw from the political hustle and bustle. Pondering to examine deeper, track record of presidential/vice-presidential candidates, candidates for members of the House of Representatives (DPR), candidates for members of the Regional Representatives Council, and candidates for members of the provincial and city legislative councils (DPRD). From that track record, clues will surely be found as to which candidates have more responsibility for the fate of this nation, candidates who have clearly sought to advance public welfare or common welfare.

Now, almost all public spaces are filled with political issues and messages. Nearly all the corners of the city are filled with political banners. Political messages to market themselves in presidential election, election of members of the DPR/DPRD, or members of the DPD. The number of legislative candidates reaches 7,968, while the candidates for the DPD reach 807 people. The number of legislative candidates for DPRD is greater.

The election on April 17, 2019, is the people\'s right to elect their leaders. The election is the constitutional momentum for the people to elect the president and elect representatives who will sit in the legislature. In the era of political marketing like now, we cannot choose the candidates only based on banners or posters about themselves or their campaign promises.

Further investigation is needed as to what extent the candidates or political parties have anti-corruption commitment, commitment to human rights, commitment to small people, commitment to pluralism and tolerance, and have a great commitment to the existence of the nation state and commitment to the Pancasila state ideology and have great will to strive for the presence of common prosperity.

Utilizing the spiritual atmosphere of the Nyepi celebration, we hope that all parties, especially the political elite and the success teams, can still control themselves. We also encourage voters not to blindly support and hate candidates simply because they are ordinary people. Choose candidates who are believed to be able to bring the Indonesian nation to a better direction.