The Song Indonesia Raya In Every Important Moment Of The Nation's Struggle

The 20th anniversary of the acceptance of the song Indonesia Raya by WR Soepratman as the national anthem on October 28, 1948. (Perpusnas)

JAKARTA - The Second Youth Congress is an important event in Indonesian history. The birth of the Youth Pledge pledge is behind it. Young people promise to spill blood, nation and speak one: Indonesia.

The inkrar is equipped with the presence of the song Indonesia Raya. The song composed by Wage Rudolf (WR) Soepratman became an important 'ammunition' against the invaders. The spirit of the Bumiputras was able to burn because of it. As a result, Indonesia Raya was transformed into an important marker of the nation's struggle.

The 1920s was an important moment of the struggle of the bumiputras. Independence fighters have begun to openly state the concept of the independence of the bumiputras in the Dutch East Indies (now: Indonesia).

Nyal it was shown by the presence of a variety of movements of young people. The courage was clearly recorded in the momentum of the First Youth Congress. Then, the Second Youth Congress. Both are important milestones. National awareness, especially.

Young people feel they have to unite to change the fate of their people. Youth oaths were launched at the Second Youth Congress in Batavia (now: Jakarta), on October 28, 1928. The Youth Pledge was absorbed in every sanubari of the bumiputras.

Especially in their commitment, young people loudly swear in blood, nation, and language one: Indonesia. The historic incident was closed with the presence of the freedom fighter cum musician, WR Soepratman.

Instead of just expressing support for young people, he actually contributed a song to accompany the struggle of the bumiputras. Indonesia Raya, his name. Even the song Indonesia Raya, which was first heard in public, was immediately greeted with great fanfare.

He stood up for a moment waiting for the sound of applause to disappear. After a quiet atmosphere, he began to show his skills in playing the violin to perform his songs. For about five minutes the rhythm of the violin charmed the attention of the audience.

Then with a smile he bowed to the public who greeted him with thunderous applause. Some were accompanied by a match, others accompanied him with a twist that asked for it to be repeated. With emotion because it has been given the honor to listen to songs created which are expected to become the national anthem at a historic time, "wrote Bambang Sularto in the book Wage Rudolf Soepratman (2012).

The debut of the song Indonesia Raya at the Second Youth Congress received a positive response. All freedom fighters then used the song Indonesia Raya to accompany a series of struggle agendas. From meetings to meetings of the Bumiputra party.

The Bumiputras consider the song Indonesia Raya to have magical powers. Because, often the song has made Indonesian freedom fighters rise together against the Dutch. Even the song Indonesia Raya did not lose its stage when Dutch power was taken over by Japan.

The song Indonesia Raya was allowed to accompany the Japanese colonial period. Even though it was banned for some time. This negligence made the song Indonesia Raya known throughout the country. Independence fighters have a moral responsibility to introduce the anthem Indonesia Raya to all elements of society. Bung Karno, for example. He actively taught young people in exile --Ende and Bengkulu -- to sing Indonesia Raya.

As a result, the spirit of the song Indonesia Raya for the whole of the archipelago made the invaders a common enemy. The meetings of the freedom fighters of the young and old groups did not escape to perform the anthem Indonesia Raya as an opening or closing celebration. In the meeting which was presented by the Preparatory Business Investigative Body for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) and the Indonesian Independence Preparation Committee (PPKI), for example.

Moreover, WR Soepratman's song even accompanied the increase in the Red and White Flag when Indonesia proclaimed independence on August 17, 1945. It was my wish that those who came to Jalan Pegangsaan Timur 56 together sang the anthem Indonesia Raya even without any music.

What is a bit striking is that since the acceptance of the song Indonesia Raya by the Indonesian Youth Congress, the song Indonesia Raya was usually sung before the trial of a political party began. The Dutch were not happy with this habit. Therefore, the government then issued a ban on all civil servants attending political party meetings to stand tall as a sign of respect during the listening of the song Indonesia Raya.

"Usually, the audience is welcome to stand before the Indonesia Raya song is sung. The employees who are present are looking for reason to avoid violating the prohibition. They remain standing before they are welcome. In this way, they did not violate the government's prohibition on respecting the anthem Indonesia Raya as it should be," Slamet Muljana said in the book National Insight: from Colonialism to Independence (2008).