January 30 In History: The Birth Of The National Hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai

I Gusti Ngurah Rai (Wikimedia commons)

JAKARTA - Right today, 104 years ago, or to be precise January 30, 1917, I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Indonesia's national hero was born. His courage against the Dutch colonialists was so inspiring.

He led the Puputan Margarana or all-out war against the Dutch. This was done as a form of maintaining the dignity of the Indonesian nation. Reporting from many sources, the life journey of this national hero from Bali has quite an interesting story.

Rai is a child of aristocratic descent who was born to the couple I Gusti Ngurah Patjung and I Gusti Ayu Kompyang in Carangsari Village, Badung, Bali. This status made him fortunate enough to receive education at Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO) in Malang. Unlike other native people who do not have the opportunity to go to school.

After graduating from MULO, Rai joined the Prajoda Corps paramilitary unit in 1936, although Rai himself was not the first Indonesian to enter the education. Through the Prajoda Corps, Rai cultivated courage. At that time, the Royal Netherlands Indies Army acted to directly oversee all activities at Koprs Projoda.

Rai graduated as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant. As a continuation, Rai entered the Corps Opleiding Voor Reserve Officer (CORO) in Magelang, then continued to the Arterial Education Academy in Malang. However, his career in the military did not continue during the Japanese occupation in 1942.

As history has written, Rai worked as an employee of Mitsui Hussan Kaisya, a company engaged in purchasing smallholder rice. At that time, he chose not to join the Japanese military army.

Nevertheless, Rai is active in bringing together Balinese youths in the Anti-Fascist Movement (GAF). These efforts continued when Indonesia won independence. Rai even joined the Indonesian army and was appointed commander of the Rakyar Security Army (TKR) regiment. The area he guarded included the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali and Nusa Tenggara), by leading an army named Ciung Wanara.

Puputan Margarana 1946

As quoted from the Tirto.id website, the Dutch came back and landed their troops in Bali in early March 1946. At that time, I Gusti Ngurah Rai was going to Yogyakarta to consult the TKR headquarters.

The absence of I Gusti Ngurah Rai scattered his Ciung Wanara troops. Rai's anger is getting higher. Returning to Bali, Rai immediately regrouped his troops, which had been scattered.

The Dutch, who had proposed cooperation, were flatly rejected by Rai. This attitude reminded people of the spirit of King Badung VII, I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung, who chose to perpetuate the tradition of puputan or an all-out war against the Dutch in 1906.

Puputan is a term that comes from the Balinese "puput", which means ladder, breaking up, running out, or dying. The term is not much different when the puputan is translated into English, which means "conclusion" or "bringing to the end."

For more details regarding Puputan Badung, we once reviewed it at length in the article "Puputan Badung 1906, which forced the king and Balinese people to fight to the death."

The Dutch immediately launched a major attack on November 20, 1946. In that attack, Rai was pressed and called for his troops to fight all out.

This event became known as Puputan Margarana. I Gusti Ngurah Rai and his troops died on 20 November 1946 as kusuma nation.