To talk about nationalism today seems to be so out of place that people shun it. They are tired of talking about it, because what they see every day is the opposite of nationalism. The misdeeds of certain leaders, the entrenched culture of corruption in all sectors of society, the overreaching statements of public figures that have a divisive rather than a uniting effect, all contribute to the people's indifference.
The endless conflicts based on ethnicity, religion, race or communal identity do not augur well for nationalism. The picture we have today is of a fractured society reeling under the onslaught of multiple crises since 1998.
But isn't it all the more pertinent to talk about it, the more it seems out of place? At least it will increase our awareness that the nation is at a crossroads.
Mas Ngabehi Wahidin Soedirohoesodo, a Javanese medical doctor, did not have today's reality in mind when he and his friends founded the first modern nationalist organization, Budi Oetomo, on May 20, 1908, to improve their lots under the yolk of colonialism. Nor was it on the minds of hopeful youths who convened in October, 1928, and pledged to have one nation, one country and one language. The national awakening that was incubated in 1908 was hatched in 1945 when freedom was won and Indonesia was born.
From the standpoint of Javanese culture, this year's national awakening day falls in the eighth year of Soeharto's 1998 downfall. According to the Javanese, the predominant ethnic group in the country, life revolves around a cycle of eight years. Hence, the fact that the crisis has not been completely resolved means a lot of things.
In fact, we are moving backward in some areas. Pluralism and secularism are under attack. For some, nationalism as our founding fathers understood it is no longer relevant, because what they have in mind is what some pundits here call Talibanism or Arabization. Secularism is out. A new goal, turning Southeast Asia into a gathering of Muslim nations, is in. It is a kind of deja vu as we look back to the early 1960s, when the nation was wrestling against Westernization.
Nationalism long ago acquired a bad name thanks to politicians who exploited the term for narrow political interests. It is a big shift from what nationalism was understood to be in 1908 -- which was, the right to free choice. We accomplished that in 1945. The question now is, how should we understand nationalism today?
We should ask ourselves whether it is still relevant to exploit nationalism for short-term political interests or in order to arouse xenophobic sentiments. What should we do with our ethnic and cultural diversity? These are pertinent questions to wake us up. What does it mean to be an Indonesian? You must have a reason to feel good about being an Indonesian.
The very mention of Indonesia today conjures up a picture of violence and corruption. Why not democracy and freedom? Because there are regions, such as Aceh and Papua, where the level of democracy and freedom is much lower. These two provinces don't happen to share a historical legacy with many other provinces. It is fortunate that the language used throughout the archipelago is Indonesian. It is almost the only unifying factor.
The confused picture of nationalism we have today stems from the neglect of nation-building. Common destiny and shared vision have largely been absent in the last 60 years. The political elite has failed to carve a path toward a common goal, while the people are mostly indifferent.
It will require a common effort by both the elite and the silent majority to emerge from this impasse. We have to break the chain of indifference. We have to take a stand and take action to guide our nation into the correct path as foreseen by our founding fathers.
