Ganjar Sees The Birth House And Soekarno Boarding House In Surabaya: He Is Arek Surabaya!

Ganjar Pranowo (Photo via Central Java Provincial Government)

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo was invited to the wedding of President Joko Widodo's younger brother in Surabaya, Saturday 18 February. Ganjar, who arrived in Surabaya at dawn, took advantage of the morning for sports around the city.

But it's not just an ordinary sport. Ganjar can be called history jogging because he ran to explore the village for the sake of Soekarno's struggle, the First President of the Republic of Indonesia.

Several places were visited by Ganjar, including the birth house of Soekarno, on Jalan Peneleh Gang Pandean IV, Genteng District, Surabaya City. In that small white house, the proclaimer was born.

"Many don't know if Bung Karno was actually born here. He is Arek Surabaya. He used to be wrong, he knew in Blitar," said Ganjar, Saturday, February 18.

Unfortunately when Ganjar arrived, Soekarno's birth house was closed. He couldn't enter and just peeked at the condition of the house from the front glass door.

Not only in Sorkarno's birth house, in Peneleh's narrow alley too, there is one place that was the beginning of Soekarno's struggle. Is the house of HOS Tjokroaminoto, founder of Sarekat Dagang Islam and teacher Soekarno.

Ganjar took the time to see the house of a figure known as the King of Java Without a Crown on Peneleh Street Gang VII, Surabaya City. It turned out that it was at that house that Soekarno had boarding and learned how to move to HOS Tjokroaminoto with his friends.

Ganjar had time to go up to the second floor, where Soekarno was boarding. In Soekarno's room, there are only mats, small tables and mirrors. It is said that the mirror is often used by Soekarno to study speeches.

"Well, this is Bung Karno's boarding house. It turns out that everyone's owner knows, HOS Tjokroaminoto, it attracts the writing of the Teachers of the Founders of the Nation. So this is not a teacher of the founders but his mother was a founding father," said Ganjar.

According to him, HOS Tjokroaminoto is the real teacher of the nation because it gave birth to children who were boarding here and later they became ideological people. Because, in that house apart from Soekarno there were also Musso, Semaoen, Samanhudi to Kartosoewirjo.

"I still imagined that the boarding house here met HOS Tjokroaminoto to talk about it. Bung Karno could meet Kartosoewirjo and other friends, what did they talk about. They shared a boarding house, but there were different ideas and ideas. There are nationalists, religious, socialists and others," he added.

Ganjar, who had gone up to Soekarno's boarding house and his friends, felt very well how the great figures studied.

"So I think it's extraordinary. Then the children who are boarding here become figures in this nation. We must learn from the harmony of those who are in the same room," he concluded.