Today's History July 4, 1927: Indonesian National Party Establishment As Soekarno's Political Vehicle

President Soekarno made a speech on the pulpit. He and seven colleagues founded the Indonesian National Party in Bandung, which is part of today's history, 4 July 1927. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Today's history, 95 years ago, on July 4, 1927, Soekarno and his friends founded the Indonesian National Party (PNI) in Bandung. The PNI became Bung Karno's political vehicle to fight for the independence of the Bumiputra.

The PNI's struggle was known to be radical. Every day the PNI openly proclaims an independent Indonesia. This gait made PNI officials, including Bung Karno, wary of the Dutch East Indies colonial government. PNI officials were also imprisoned for it.

The Dutch colonial period was the toughest period in the nation's history. The fate of the natives was largely ignored by the Dutch. Those in power only see the bumiputras as mere assets – if they don't want to be said to be like cash cows. The suffering was increasing day by day because the Dutch were always racist towards the natives.

The caste of the natives is considered low. The natives were furious. Soekarno, who was studying in Bandung, moreover. As a student from the Technische Hoogeschool te Bandoeng (now: Bandung Institute of Technology), Soekarno often saw injustice. The arbitrary treatment of the Dutch became the main focus.

President Soekarno gave a speech at the Indonesian National Party Congress in Bandung on December 15, 1954. (Khastara Perpusnas RI)

Bung Karno also observed the situation. He sometimes goes around to feel firsthand the injustice that is received by the bumiputras. Bung Karno often visited carpenters to farmers. The answer is always the same. Dutch colonialism made them suffer.

The son of the Dawn was moved to fight for the fate of his people. He chose the political path as a means of struggle. Every day, he ignites the spirit of the bumiputras with his rhetoric that booms from the pulpit to the pulpit. It was this momentum that later made Soekarno known as a symbol of resistance to the Dutch colonialists.

"Soekarno's enthusiasm for political activity since the beginning of Soekarno studying at the Technische Hoogeschool te Bandoeng (THS) has worried the campus rector, Professor Klopper. He called Sukarno privately. Professor Klopper said: you have to promise me that while studying at THS you will not participate in any political activities and only concentrate on completing college," wrote Akmal Nasery Basral in the book Buya Hamka: Setangkai Pena di Taman Pujangga (2020).

The answer that Professor Klopper got was not very satisfactory. Soekarno could only promise that his studies would not be neglected. This means that Sukarno did not want to leave political activities. He still appears in every pulpit event to burn the spirit of the natives for independence.

Photo of Sukarno (sitting far left) with the founders of the Indonesian National Party. (Wikimedia Commons)

He also with the support of six friends founded the Indonesian National Party (PNI) on July 4, 1927. The party became Bung Karno's political vehicle to free the natives from the shackles of colonialism. Soekarno also began to use words mocking the Dutch in each of his rhetoric. Likewise, the cry of an independent Indonesia is familiar to the Bumiputras.

“On July 4, 1927, with the support of six friends from the Algemeene Studieclub, I founded the PNI, the Indonesian National Party. The people are ready. Bung Karno is ready. Now nothing can hold us back —except the Netherlands. The goal of the PNI was complete independence. Now even my most loyal followers tremble at this overly radical goal, because the previous organizations always concealed some of their aims, so that the Dutch would not interfere with them.”

“With me, there's nothing to hide, straightforwardly. In the debate in the closed room, several people tried to derail me from the rails. The people are not ready yet, they say. The people are ready, I answered sharply. And it is our motto: Indonesia is independent now. I say Indonesia is independent now," said Bung Karno as written by Cindy Adams in the book Bung Karno: Penyambung Lidah Rakyat Indonesia (1965).

The founding of the Indonesian National Party in Bandung on July 4, 1927 became a part of today's history in Indonesia.