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Jakarta residents insist on driving in ‘takbiran’ convoys
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Residents take part in a convoy to celebrate the end of Ramadhan. (kompas.com/-)
I
n spite of calls from Jakarta officials for residents not to celebrate takbiran (the eve of Idul Fitri) by driving around the city on pickup trucks while banging on bedug (drums), some have insisted on keeping up the convoy tradition.
“There is no fun in celebrating takbiran without convoys,” said 25-year-old Muhammad Adilla Rudy, a resident of Rawa Belong in West Jakarta.
This year, he said, he would mark the end of Ramadhan by driving with seven friends using a pickup truck and several motorcycles from a mosque to the National Monument in Central Jakarta.
For Adil, driving in convoy is a way to “recite the greatness of God while getting closer to his friends, who he rarely meets daily.”
Nonetheless, Adil said he was well aware that the activity was prone to accidents and other issues. Hence, he said he and his friends would wear proper motorcycle clothing.
However, unlike previous years, they will not drive around until dawn, following Tuesday’s bombing in Surakarta, Central Java, in addition to a recent terror attack in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
“We are afraid there will be similar attack in Jakarta to those in Solo and Medina. We want to have fun but we will try not to go overboard,” Adil said.
Previously, Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat called on residents not to drive around the city in convoy on Idul Fitri eve, citing concerns that it could cause accidents and increase crime in the capital. Instead, he suggested that residents could celebrate at mosques.
Meanwhile, the Jakarta Police have asked residents intending to form convoys to report their plans to the nearest police station so that the police could prepare to assist if required, said Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono.
“We also need them not to bring firecrackers or any kind of weapons. We also do not allow them to get on pickup trucks,” Awi said, adding that the police required motorcyclists to wear helmets. (vny/iwa)
