Traditional Village of Dukuh Memprihatinkan, House Leaking and Posts Eaten by Termites

GARUT - The condition of the Adat Village of Dukuh in Pameungpeuk District, Garut Regency, requires serious attention. Many traditional houses are leaking, the rooms are hollow, and the wooden poles are starting to rot from termites.

The Chairman of the West Java MASDA, Inspector General of Police. Purn. Anton Charliyan conveyed this after visiting the Adat Village, Dukuh, Monday, June 23. He came with the West Java MASDA team and was received by the adat elder Mama Uluk, Uwa Buloh Ibrahim, the head of RT Kang Yayan, and local residents.

Kampung Dukuh has an area of about 13 hectares. A total of 12 hectares is a prohibited forest. Another hectare is a residential area. The inner village is inhabited by about 40 families. The outer village is inhabited by about 79 families.

The former West Java Police Chief, commonly called Abah Anton, said Kampung Dukuh has a strong historical and cultural value. In the area there is a petilasan of Syekh Abdul Jalil, the founder of Kampung Adat Dukuh. Syekh Abdul Jalil is said to have been the ruler of Sumedang Larang during the time of Prince Rangga Gempol or Raden Aria Suradiwangsa in the 17th century.

Residents of Dukuh Village still maintain a number of customary rules. In the village, the house cannot use cement, tiles, and electricity. The building must use natural materials. The roof uses jute, the walls from the room, the floor from wood and palupuh, and the lighting uses kerosene.

Traditional customs are still running. Among them are the 14 Maulid ceremony, Cebor 40, ngahaturanan tuang, pilgrimage to the tomb, the tradition of going to the forbidden forest, as well as birth, circumcision, marriage, and pregnant mothers.

However, according to Abah Anton, the physical condition of the village now needs serious attention. He said that around 60 to 80 percent of the buildings in the village were damaged and poorly maintained.

Mosques, madrasahs, residents' houses, gates, and parking areas also need improvement. The roofs of ijuk and kirai are increasingly difficult for residents to reach because the price is expensive. Meanwhile, some residents work as laborers, farmers, ranchers, and tappers.

"Many roofs leak, the room is hollow, and the wooden pillars are rotten and eaten by termites," said Abah Anton in a written statement received on Friday, June 26.

Another problem is road access. The road to Kampung Adat Dukuh from the southern Rancabuaya cross-over is about 9 kilometers long and is said to be severely damaged.

Abah Anton also highlighted the need for kerosene. Because the village does not use electricity, residents need kerosene of around 800 to 900 liters per month. He assessed that there should be special subsidies so that residents are not burdened.

The indigenous people, said Abah Anton, also hope that there will be ulayat land for joint development. Currently they only have leuweung larangan or prohibited forests, not productive land to support the common economy.

He proposed renovating traditional buildings, repairing roads, arranging parking lots, building an ethnic-themed gate, adding art tools, standby vehicles, adding garbage cans, and repairing water channels.

Abah Anton also encouraged the planting of productive plants and economically valuable medicinal plants. For prohibited forests, he asked that the plants be adapted to the local endemic trees.

The adat elder Mama Uluk also asked for a large reforestation in the Papandayan Mountain area. The area is referred to as an important upstream for the Citarum, Cimanuk, and Ciwulan Rivers.

According to Abah Anton, the request needs to be heard. If it is not anticipated immediately, damage to the upstream area can trigger water scarcity, landslides, and floods.