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Editorial: Heroes and heroism
"Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it," says a popular English aphorism
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"Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it," says a popular English aphorism. At home, we have a similarly popular adage: "A great nation is one which fully appreciates its heroes."
Put them together and you probably have the real reason why the government -- despite years of deliberation and protracted controversy -- eventually confer national hero status on Mohammad Natsir, Soetomo (Bung Tomo) and KH Abdul Halim on the occasion of National Heroes Day today.
The decision to confer national hero status, granted annually to Indonesians who worked and struggled for Indonesia's independence or for the development and betterment of the country, has always been controversial. The recipients' political inclinations and character, combined with the ruling government's personal and biased evaluation of the nominees, has, although unwritten, likely been the reason for delaying or failing to endorse a candidate's nomination for national hero status.
The ruling government's personal and biased evaluation of the nominees was obvious when the then Soeharto government conferred hero status on the late first lady Tien Soeharto in November 1996, only seven months after her death. The decision was controversial not only because the criteria applied for the endorsement were questionable, but also because there was an uncommonly short interval before she was nominated.
Such unfair treatment is also the reason behind the delay in the nominations this year.
While there has not been much controversy surrounding the proposal to confer hero status on KH Abdul Halim, a little-known West Javanese Muslim cleric awarded for his contribution to improving Islamic education and the Indonesian people's socioeconomic development, the government's belated naming of Mohammad Natsir and Bung Tomo as national heroes is beyond reason.
Natsir and Bung Tomo have both undoubtedly met the criteria for being heroes. (The broad definition says heroes are those who do great deeds that have a lasting claim on peoples' respect).
Bung Tomo was the chief protagonist behind Indonesia's legendary Nov. 10, 1945, struggle against the Allied Forces' plan to gain control of Surabaya (East Java), a few months after Indonesia proclaimed its independence from the Dutch. The historic date has since then been National Heroes Day.
Natsir was involved in both the pre-independence and the post-independence struggles against Dutch colonialism and during the short period of Japanese occupation in 1942. He also played an active and influential role in domestic political affairs during the critical and turbulent period between the late 1940s and mid-1950s -- the highest position he held being that of prime minister between August 1950 and March 1951.
Where Bung Tomo was admired for his amazing oratory skills, stirring a feeling of nationalism among the people to fight colonialism and foreign occupation, Natsir was admired for his state administration skills -- including several years as the conceptual thinker behind then president Sukarno's speeches -- yet remained humble, pursuing a simple life despite holding such an important government position.
The only reason for the government to delay the decision to name Bung Tomo and Natsir as national heroes was apparently because both were outspoken critics of the Sukarno and subsequent Soeharto presidencies. So long was the delay that the decision only came after both Sukarno and Soeharto died, and more than a decade after the two heroes themselves died.
Besides Bung Tomo, Natsir and Abdul Halim, there are still a number of Indonesians who deserve to be awarded national hero status. They may have different political and religious orientations and beliefs, and have taken a stance in opposition to the ruling government or any mainstream organizations here, but their contribution to Indonesia's independence and to the struggle for the nation's betterment might not be any less than that of those already deemed national heroes.
It's high time to forget all those past differences. And we should not wait for our neighbor(s) or the international community to recognize our heroes and grant them the awards they deserve.
