Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sumpah Pemuda (Youth's Pledge)

Eighty one years ago, young people from various ethnics all over the Dutch colony in South East Asia gathered in the capital city of Batavia.

In spite of the tight security imposed by the Dutch Colonialists against any efforts to establish an independent nation, those young people have daringly made the following pledges known as Sumpah Pemuda (Youth's Pledges) :

1) We belong to one country, a country called Indonesia
2) We belong to one Nation, the Indonesian Nation
3) We speak one Language, the Indonesian Language

The above Youth's Pledges have united Indonesians in their struggle to establish an independent country, which became a reality on 17 August 1945.

In spite of the above fact, it seems to me that many Indonesians seems to forget about the Sumpah Pemuda. This can be seen from the selection of Miss Indonesia 2009 who could not speak the Indonesian language and doesn't know our culture.

I hope that the new government, especially the Minister of Culture & Tourism and the Minister of Education would make serious efforts to make sure that the spirit of Sumpah Pemuda would not be forgotten by the Indonesian people.

7 comments:

colson said...

One country, one nation, one language.

Of course you are right by encouraging the minister, the government, not to forget these ideals.

Yet I think, despite the huge problems (in Aceh and Papua for instance indigenous people may have quite different opinions), RI can boast a tremendous success as for the creating a unified country.

As an outsider I can't but pay honour to the likes of Sukarno.

The integrity of the country has survived all crises. Scores of different peoples and scores of different languages may exist, but everyone speaks Bahassa Indonesia. And though within the borders of the country one may identify himself/herself as Minang Kabau or Javanese or whatever, outside Indonesia all ( at least all I ever met) Indonesians present themselves as Indonesian.

Nevertheless: I second you on the wish to never forget the Youth's Pledge of course.

Anonymous said...

Yes Harry, I hope the same thing. And like Colson I too am an outsider. The problems that remain are not covered up by the people and all are ready to discuss them and all are looking to the future and keen for further improvements; and in many respects this attitude is a lesson for many outsiders to reflect upon when they view their own cultures and their own democracies.

Unknown said...

@Colson,

Thank you for your kind support.
I really admire your knowledge about Indonesia and our people.

@Duckham,
I appreciate your support.
Indonesia needs leaders who will lead us to the right direction as has been done by our founding fathers.

Saung Web said...

Via hari sumpah pemuda lets go to mengembalikan jati diri bangsa ini

Unknown said...

Saung Web,

Yes, now it's the time to uphold our national identity again.

Pasang Iklan said...

SUMPAH PEMUDA....

jangan tanyakan naskah sumpah pemuda kepada pemuda dan pemudi masa kini...
karna bisa dipastikan mereka tidak hafal...
apakah ketidak hafalan mereka terhadapnaskah sumpah pemuda membuat mereka tidak menghargai serta menghormati sumpah pemuda???
salah besar...
karna sumpah pemuda tidak hanya untuk menghafal naskahnya saja..
tetapi bagaimana kita berperan membangun pemuda-pemudi negeri kita ini untuk maju dan mandiri...

pemuda sekarang hidup dijaman serta era yang berbeda dengan ja,an dahulu...
pemuda-pemudi sekarang sangat berperan membangun bangsa ini...
dengan berbagai cara mereka membangun negeri ini...

jangan anggap remeh pemuda-pemudi jaman sekarang...
ajangan hanya melihat dari keterpurukan serta kerendahan moral para pemuda-pemudi sekarang...
majulah para pemuda serta pemudi negeriku...
bangun negara kita agar lebih mandiri dan maju.
Iklan

Unknown said...

Pasang Iklan,
Terima kasih banyak atas kata kata nya yang mengingatkan kepada kita tentang 'jiwa' dari sumpah pemuda yang harus dimiliki pemuda-pemudi Indonesia sepanjang masa. Memang yang utama adakan 'jiwa' nya itu: satu Nusa: Indonesia, satu Bangsa: Indonesia, satu Bahasa: Indonesia