Parmalim Palace, a place of worship for the local followers of Ugamo Malim, an indigenous faith of the Batak, one of the biggest ethnic groups in North Sumatra, came to life on a recent Saturday as a congregation was streaming in for their routine mass.

Ulupunguan Rinsan Simanjuntak, who led the procession, slowly walked into the place of worship holding burning incense, followed by his parishioners. All of the worshippers were barefoot and clad in traditional Batak attire.

Women were dressed in kebaya with ulos cloth draped over their shoulders. Men wore western-style suits and donned local turbans. There was a different dress code for unmarried attendees — both men and women wore sarongs without headdresses and ulos. Inside, men and women were segregated. They chanted prayers while sitting cross-legged on the floor.

The Parmalim, as believers of the indigenous religion are called, performed the procession in their native Batak dialect. That day, they also prayed for an end to discrimination against all groups that have suffered.

Ugamo Malim is believed to be as old as the Batak themselves. Much of the credit for its survival through to modern history went to the clan of priest-king Patuan Besar Ompu Pulo Batu, aka King Sisingamangaraja XII (1849-1907). He was killed in a battle against Dutch colonial troops and was declared a national hero in 1961.

Since his demise, his priesthood has been handed down to successors in a tradition that has continued to this day. King Poltak M. Naipospos, who resides in the Ugamo Malim headquarters in Huta Tinggi, Toba Samosir regency, oversees Ugamo Malim traditions.

Ugamo Malim followers faced oppression under the New Order regime (1966-1998), which did not recognize native belief systems. The Parmalim, like other followers of native faiths, had to choose one of six official religions while applying for ID cards or risk being denied their civil rights.

A great many of them caved in, pretending to embrace state-recognized religions by registering under religions they did not adhere to in order to obtain ID cards. Rasdin Sijabat, a Parmalim who lives in Medan, said he risked being isolated from his community had he not done so.

“On my ID card, I identified myself as a Catholic even though everyone in our community knew I’m a Parmalim,” he said before attending an Ugamo Malim religious service. He registered as a Catholic to qualify for a job as a civil servant.

Like many of his fellow Parmalim, Rasdin, a teacher, wants to change his religious identity on his ID card. “The time has come to show our true identity as Parmalim.”

Another Parmalim, Jonga Gultom, said that he and his family had been subject to alienation from his community before he registered as a Christian. “They eventually accepted us after I changed my identity to the Christian religion on my ID card,” said the 61-year-old.

Kasman Sirait, 62, said he once bribed a subdistrict official to issue a Christian ID card for his son, who wanted to join the police force in 2001. He said he knew that his son’s application would be rejected if he professed to follow the local belief.

“Unfortunately, my son failed the tests, but his ID card still today lists his religious identity as Christian.”

The Parmalim deem the recent Supreme Court’s ruling on recognizing the civil rights of followers of indigenous faith as a newfound freedom.

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