Anton Charliyan: Don't Let the Storm Come Again After the Sunda Culture is Claimed by Other Parties

Chairman of the Sunda Custom Assembly (MASDA), Inspector General of Police. Purn. Anton Charliyan. (IST)

BANDUNG - The Chairman of the Sunda Custom Assembly (MASDA), Inspector General of Police. Purn. Anton Charliyan, reminded the public not to be complacent in maintaining the culture and traditions of their ancestors. According to him, the biggest threat to local culture is not only from outside, but also from the fading concern of the younger generation about their own cultural heritage.

Anton Charliyan, who is familiarly called Abah Anton, considers that the Sundanese culture must be seriously guarded so that it is not eroded by the flow of modernization and the influence of foreign cultures that continue to enter without limit.

"Don't let us feel that we have it after losing it," said Abah Anton in Bandung, quoted from a written statement received on Sunday, June 7.

The former West Java Police Chief said that the message of preserving the ancestral heritage had actually been contained in various ancient Sunda manuscripts, one of which was the Galunggung Mandate. In this teaching, the Sunda people are reminded to preserve kabuyutan or ancestral heritage as part of honor and identity.

According to Abah Anton, the development of time must be followed. However, progress must not make the community uprooted from the cultural roots that become its identity. He admitted that he was worried that the younger generation was getting more familiar with foreign cultures, but began to move away from language, traditions, art, and cultural values that were passed down by the ancestors.

"Don't let it become a foreign master in your own home," he said.

Therefore, Abah Anton invited community leaders, cultural figures, academics, youth, and cultural communities to jointly care for traditions in their respective regions.

According to him, cultural preservation is not enough to be done during celebrations or festivals. Culture must remain alive in daily life, ranging from language, writing, customs, traditional clothing, art, crafts, cuisine, to values that become the people's life support.

Abah Anton also touched on a number of polemics that have emerged regarding Indonesian cultural heritage which has become a debate at the international level. According to him, events like this should be a lesson for the community to be more concerned about their own cultural wealth.

He gave examples of various cultural heritages that often become the public's attention, such as pencak silat, keris, batik, rendang, reog, to regional songs.

"If today we don't care, it is not impossible that one day our cultural heritage will be disputed or claimed by other parties. When that happens, usually we only talk about it," said Abah Anton.

He also reminded the Sundanese people not to take the various regional cultural heritage, ranging from kujang, pangsi clothes, Sundanese iket, ketuk tilu, jaipongan, lais, debus, to various other local traditions and wisdom.

According to Abah Anton, no less important is to maintain the noble values that have long been the foundation of Sundanese culture, such as silih asih, silih asah, and silih asuh.

"Cultural heritage is not just objects or art. More importantly, the values that are passed down to the next generation," he said.

Abah Anton emphasized that Tanah Parahyangan has great cultural wealth and local wisdom. Therefore, preserving culture is not merely the business of culturalists, but a shared responsibility so that the identity and character of the nation remain preserved in the midst of changing times.

"Take care of the kabuyutan. Don't let it be seized by foreigners," said Abah Anton. "If we are not the ones who take care of it, who else?"