In The Footsteps Of SM Amin Nasution, The First Governor Of North Sumatra Who Is Now A Hero

SM Amin Nasution (SPECIAL)

MEDAN - President Joko Widodo awarded the title of national hero to six figures including Sutan Mohammad Amin Nasution. SM Amin Nasution was the governor of North Sumatra in the early days of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

Regarding the awarding of the title of national hero, historian from the University of North Sumatra (USU), Budi Agustono, is grateful. SM Amin in his eyes is a figure of warrior and thinker.

"Because when he was young he joined many organizations. He joined Jong Sumatra, then he joined Gerindo. Gerindo was one of the nation's political parties at that time which was quite radical, I think it was anti-capitalist at that time," Budi told reporters, Tuesday, 10 November.

The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at USU explained that SM Amin when he joined a political organization, participated in fighting for national independence, especially the people of East Sumatra.

"At that time, East Sumatra was experiencing a process of foreign power that tore apart the structure of the East Sumatran society at that time," he explained.

Apart from organizing, SM Amin is also active in writing. From his writings, BC Amin struggled to free the nation from colonialism, especially in the early 20th century.

"He was a product of the early 20th century because he was born in 1905 when the Dutch East Indies underwent an extraordinary process of change as a result of the introduction of education by the Dutch government at that time," he said.

"So with his education, he became a movement activist. He did not want to become a government employee because he knew very well that his nation in the early 20th century experienced a process of underdevelopment," he continued.

Budi said, by carrying out these political activities, SM Amin became a figure who played a major role in arousing and reviving nationalism to fight for the liberation of his nation from foreign grip.

"So with SM Amin's track record, it's no surprise that he got the award as a hero," he said.

SM Amin's political career continued, in 1947 when he became independent. He was appointed the first governor of North Sumatra.

"That year was a very important year for North Sumatra, because at that time North Sumatra was undergoing a process of decolonization as well as maintaining independence from the desire to return to Dutch foreign power who wanted to re-annex Indonesia and North Sumatra," said Budi.

Budi explained that in that year, East Sumatra experienced many problems. Besides there are internal problems that have not been resolved as a new republic, SM Amin is also faced with the desire of foreign powers to seize it again through political action.

"Imagine when the young republic was undergoing an adjustment as an independent nation and then faced with an internal situation, especially economic and political issues that were not yet strong as a new republic. Plus foreigners who wanted to re-colonize East Sumatra," he explained.

In the midst of the extraordinary political turmoil at that time which resulted in a messy economic life due to the political situation, SM Amin as governor resolved structural problems.

"This is SM Amin's big contribution to the nation and people of North Sumatra," he continued.

In its history, Budi said that SM Amin had not left any physical traces of its struggle.

"I don't think there is, a hero does not leave the physical, but thoughts and actions and virtue and devotion. So I think this is non-material that is left behind by heroes because heroes do not leave the physical, unless the grave must be every hero has," he said.

"If heroes at that time had property from which they were taken. Because during the waqf period, his life was not looking for wealth but wanting to liberate the nation," continued Budi.

Efforts to Mediate the Aceh Conflict

Apart from being an activist and governor, SM Amin was told by Budi as a Problem Solver. Budi talked about SM Amin's efforts when he mediated the dispute between Daud Beureueh's Aceh and the central government.

At that time, said Budi, SM Amin wrote about the development of Aceh in the 1950s. The conflict occurred as a result of Daud Beureueh wanting to free Aceh, which was fighting with the central government over economics and politics.

"So he is a peace maker, a person who often thinks about peace, it is evident that in the 1950s he did that, wrote about complex Aceh problems and tried to resolve conflicts. He was the governor who did. This is SM Amin's big contribution to solving regional problems. and the center, "he explained.

After SM Amin was declared a national hero, there was homework to be done by the North Sumatra Provincial Government (Pemprov). The North Sumatra Provincial Government asked him to explore the thoughts of SM Amin.

"Because his thoughts are extraordinary across the borders of North Sumatra, even nationally. Because he was a very productive book writer when he was governor of North Sumatra," he said.

According to Budi, North Sumatra has yet to optimize its approach with the mind of a national hero. Exploring Amin's thoughts, said Budi, was an urgent matter that the North Sumatra Provincial Government had to do.

"That must be done by the provincial government to explore the thoughts of SM Amin as a national hero. This is very urgent so that we, the people of North Sumatra, know that SM Amin's thoughts are extraordinary," said Budi.