Heroes' Day 10 November: Regarding The Title Of Bung Karno As A National Hero

Bung Karno and Bung Hatta have given a clear direction about the future of the Indonesian nation. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The founders of the Indonesian nation, including Ir Soekarno or who is familiarly called Bung Karno, are certainly not random people. There is a lot of scattered evidence that explains their greatness, intelligence, and sincerity in fighting for the nation and state, as well as their determination in principle.

Prof. Dr. Subroto in his book 'Indonesia di Berhitung' saja-kagum dengan kedahsayanan naskah editorsi dalam pembukaan UUD 1945 yang menjadi warisan mereka.

See the first paragraph, That actually independence is the right of all nations, is proof that the founding fathers of the nation are those who think they are independent in the midst of symptoms of colonialism in various forms at that time.

Then the fourth paragram,... protects the entire Indonesian nation and all of Indonesia's bloodshed and to advance public welfare, educate the nation's life, and participate in implementing world order based on independence, eternal peace and social justice... ".

The opening of the 1945 Constitution is like a beacon that clearly gives direction and wants to become what the Indonesian nation will look like in the future. These are not just beautiful but meaningless words, but full of intent and purpose.

"Please elaborate and dig further every word and every paragraph of the contents of our Preamble to the 1945 Constitution, including the last part containing Pancasila grains which is the basis of the Indonesian state," said Subroto.

However, on its way, the political dynamics of Indonesia in the post-independence phase dispersed the nation's founders. Bung Karno, who at that time was named President of the Republic of Indonesia, was affected. The bloody tragedy on September 30, 1965 became the turning point for Bung Karno's struggle.

The allegation of his involvement in the tragedy surfaced in the Temporary People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS). This is stated in the TAP MPRS RI Number XXXIII/MPRS/1967.

"That based on a written report from the Commander of the Operations for Security and Order Recovery/Determination of MPRS No. IX/MPRS/1966 in his letter No. R-032/67 dated 1 of February 1967, which was accompanied by a speech on his report before the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly, while he argued that there were clues, that President Sukarno had made policies that indirectly benefited G-30-S/PKI and protected G30-S/PKI figures," reads the MPRS TAP in weighing point c.

MPRS finally decided to revoke the power of state government from President Soekarno.

"Prohibiting President Sukarno from carrying out political activities until the general election and since the enactment of this Decree has withdrawn the mandate of the People's Consultative Assembly while from President Sukarno and all State Government Power as regulated in the 1945 Constitution," as stated in Chapter I of Article 3 of the MPRS TAP.

History proves that Bung Karno's thoughts in the concept of nationalist state are inconsistently consumed by the times. That's right, the Indonesian people respect and appreciate his struggle.

In 1986, President Suharto through Presidential Decree No. 86/TK/1986 conferred the title of proclaimer hero for Ir. Soekarno and Moh. Hatta.

As an affirmation, the People's Consultative Assembly, in 2003, then issued MPR Decree Number 1/MPR/2003 concerning Review of the Materials and Legal Status of the MPRS Decree and the Assessment of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) from 1960 to 2002.

As written in Article 6, the stipulation states that the TAP MPRS RI Number XXXIII/MPRS/1967 is no longer valid. There is no need for further legal action, either because it is einmalig (finals), has been revoked, or has been completed.

On that basis, in 2012, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono awarded Bung Karno the title of national hero. This ended the debate over whether the proclaimer hero and national hero.

Puan Maharani as Bung Karno's grandson hopes that the awarding of the title of national hero to Soekarno will stop the desoekarnoization movement. We place Bung Karno in the right position as one of the ending fathers of the Indonesian nation.

"Bung Karno is what reminds us all that a great nation is a nation that appreciates the services of its heroes," said Puan at the time.

In his statement regarding Heroes' Day in 2022 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday, November 7, 2022, President Joko Widodo also emphasized that Bung Karno had never betrayed the nation and had met the requirements for awarding the title of heroism.

"This is proof of the recognition and respect of the state for Bung Karno's loyalty and services towards the nation and state, both as a fighter and proclaimer of independence, as well as as a Head of State when the Indonesian nation is struggling to build national unity and sovereignty," Jokowi said in his official statement.

Bung Karno, said Emha Ainun Nadjib, was just a small piece of the long history of the archipelago civilization. However, it is the biggest milestone of Indonesia's existence. Bung Karno is a great monument to the honor and great spirit of the Indonesian nation.

How do the Indonesian people interpret their history that they once had, admired and loved great people like Bung Karno? How great is their sincerity in actually listening to and learning to him?

"Does the Indonesian nation have the loyalty to carry out his national aspirations? Do you also have the determination and discipline to maintain his thoughts in carrying out his government and development?" said Cak Nun (Emha Ainun Nadjib) in his writing The betrayal of Bung Karno.

Not only domestically, Bung Karno's actions in the international arena have also been recognized by world countries. According to the sentence stated in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution,... participate in implementing world order based on independence...

Political observer from the University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Hutri Agustino, considers Bung Karno a visionary.

"When the world was divided by liberal and capitalized thoughts carried by western bloc and socialist communist countries carried by eastern bloc countries, Bung Karno actually appeared as one of the pioneers in creating the Non-Aligned Movement," Hutri told VOI some time ago.

By carrying out the concept of active free foreign politics, free to determine attitudes and wisdom towards international problems and not apriorily binding on one world power and actively, Bung Karno has made Indonesia, which at that time was just independent as a respected country.

Karismanya is worldwide. A number of countries even perpetuated her name as a symbol of appreciation. In Egypt, Bung Karno was immortalized as the name of a street in the Agioza area, Giza. Also in Morocco, Jalan Rue Soekarno in Rabat.

In Pakistan, as the name of Soekarno Square's place in Khyber Bazar in Phestar and Soekarno Bazar in Lahore. In Russia, as the name of the mosque in the city of Saint Petersburg. Meanwhile, Cuba captured Bung Karno's name as an official postage image on his 80th birthday of Fidel Castro.

Happy Heroes' Day. My hero, my example.