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busy graduate life in Bandung has made me unable to visit my hometown, Jombang, regularly. I usually return to Jombang bimonthly but last semester was so busy that I wasn'€™t able to pay a visit for the whole semester.

When I finally returned, Jombang welcomed me with a strange new face that really ground my gears. The city had been painted in yellow and green. I had read in the news that the local government had painted its offices with those two colors. I just did not think it would be that much. This so-called kuningisasi ('€œyellowization'€) virus has infected buildings such as offices, fences, trees and even the Ringin Contong water tower, Jombang'€™s iconic building.

Some might think it is a matter of color choice and that there is nothing to worry about. However, this was quite arguably a planned agenda since the elected city mayor and his vice mayor come from political parties that use the colors of yellow and green.

Jombang is derived from Javanese words ijo and abang, which mean red and green. Our city seal also has those two colors in the background. It can be said that red and green are Jombang'€™s official colors. Then why did they paint the city yellow and green?

Lately, some schools have also been repainted in yellow and green. I don'€™t know if it is regular maintenance or it was a form of political patronage. You may wonder where those schools got the money to repaint. If local newspapers also reported that some school charged illegal fees to students in Jombang, I am afraid this would give us a clear answer.

Knowing that the city is now at risk, youth have gathered in a movement named Save Jombang, using the Twitter handle @savejombang. This youth-led movement expects a hundred people to sign its online petition for Jombang Mayor Nyono Suharli Wihandoko to stop kuningisasi in the city.

Sign the petition at change.org/p/bupati-jombang-hentikan-kuningisasi-di-kabupaten-jombang.

Ahmad Affandi
Bandung