WR Soepratman's Memory Dikeroyok Sinyo-Sinyo Belanda Rasis

The composed of the song Indonesia Raya, Wage Rudolf Soepratman with his younger siblings. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The life of Wage Rudolf (WR) Soepratman is adequate. He was able to get an education at European Elementary School, Europeesche Lagere School (ELS) Makassar. Soepratman did not waste the opportunity.

However, he was often treated inhumanely by the Dutch sinyo. They often act racist. Soepratman was considered low. Sometimes when the sentiment made him ganged up by racist syno-sinyo. He then responded with the struggle against the Dutch colonialists through a pen and violin.

The lives of all the bumiputras during the Dutch colonial period were not all right. They have to fight so they can survive their daily lives. Instead of going to parties, traveling from one place to another is difficult, not playing.

In particular, this did not happen in the life of little Soepratman in Batavia (now: Jakarta). His father, Djoemeno Senen Sastrosoehardjo, had a classy job. He works as a Dutch East Indies Royal Army (KNIL).

The job was able to meet all the needs of his son. Soepratman's wish is always granted. Everything did not change when his father retired and his mother died when he was a child. His father did not let go. He wanted Soepratman to continue his studies.

His brother, Roekijem Soepratijah and her husband, Willem van Eldik, were given a mandate to educate and send Soepratman to Makassar. Soepratman's move to Makassar did not dampen his interest in art.

Her brother's husband is able to provide knowledge about musical instruments and how to play them to Soepratman. From zero to proficient. Soeratman was not only equipped with basic musical knowledge, Van Eldik also carried out Soepratman's father's mandate to send him to European Elementary School, ELS Makassar.

After his mother died and his father remarried, Soepratman followed his eldest older sister who lives in the city of Makassar. His sister followed her husband Willem van Eldik, an Indo-Dutch who worked as an employee of Battalion XIX in the city. van Eldik's husband and wife took Soepratman as his adopted son and put him in ELS (Europesche Lager School), Dutch Elementary School.

Before being admitted to the school, Soepratman, who was born in Dukuh Trembelang, Semogiri Village area, Purworejo, had to be "equalized" (gelijkkesteld) by adding Rudolf to his name. His full name became Wage Rudolf Soepratman," said JB Sudarmanto in the book Jayak-Pahlawan: Perekat Kesatuan Bangsa Indonesia (2007).

Schools in ELS are a great opportunity in Soepratman's life. He was united in a class of European descendants (sinyo), foreign eastern descendants, and natives from prominent figures. He had no difficulty adapting. Soepratman can carry out his education well.

The only thing that is a problem is bullying. He often gets bullied from sinyo-sinyo Netherlands. Verbal or non-verbal. A series of Dutch descendants felt that the bumiputras like Soepratman did not deserve to go to school.

Racism made Soepratman's blood boil. School is the right. He wanted to repay Sinyo-sinyo's racist treatment. Whatever the power, the fight often ended with Soepratman being beaten.

As a result, the treatment continued to make an impression on Soepratman. Moreover, racist treatment was not only directed at him, but to all the bumiputras. Where there are Bumiputras who are educated and act like Europeans, they will certainly be bullied.

Even so, he was able to graduate with a satisfactory average value in 1917. He continued his education at Normaal School (Learn School). Finally, he began to explore politics and music when he moved from Makassar to Bandung, then Batavia. He also immortalized himself as an active journalist in every discussion of freedom fighters.

Then, Soepratman used his pen and violin to oversee the path of Indonesian independence. He also composed a song of the struggle of Indonesia Raya during the momentum of the Youth Pledge the song was later known as the National Anthem.

WR Soepratman still remembers very well how sick he was when he was insulted and expelled from an ELS Dutch school in the past. Still imagined when he was beaten by Dutch syno-sinyo, beaten, ridiculed by the inlander 'vuile inlander' and many more.

All of this inspired him to criticize more severely in newspapers. As a young journalist, WR Soepratman likes to attend meetings. He has friendly, honest, and generous traits, likes to hang out, likes to be friendly and likes to argue about politics, "said Anthony C. Hutabarat in the book Sharing history and life history of Wage Rudolf Soepratman (2001).