At The Pasangiri Festival, Anton Charliyan Hopes That Pencak Silat Will Be Global

Inspector General of Police (Ret.) Anton Charliyan at the Pasangiri Festival. (IST)

SUKABUMI - "This couple must become an annual tradition, not only in Sukabumi, but also throughout West Java. We must preserve pencak silat as a proud cultural heritage, to be able to excel at the international level," said Inspector General Pol (Ret.) Anton Charliyan, a Sundanese cultural figure and former West Java Police Chief, in his remarks at the Pasangiri Pencak Silat Festival in Sukabumi, Friday, December 13, 2024.

The festival which was held in the Hall of the Juang Building, Merdeka Square, Sukabumi City, was initiated by the Dangiang Maung Bodas Siliwangi Padepokan. This activity aims to preserve the art of traditional pencak silat as well as strengthen friendship between ceilings in Sukabumi, Sukabumi Regency, and Cianjur.

Inspector General of Police (Ret.) Anton Charliyan, a Sundanese cultural figure who is familiarly called Abah, considers the Pasangiri Pencak Silat Festival as an inspirational step. "This couple is an example for other ceilings," he said.

Anton Charliyan also emphasized the importance of this event as a gathering event. "We must be able to make this Pasangiri a forum to strengthen familyhood between ceilings, build synergies, and maintain the cultural heritage of pencak silat in order to stay alive in the midst of modernization," he added.

The Pasangiri Pencak Silat Festival became an important momentum, followed by 250 participants from 15 ceilings. They competed for the Piala Bergilir Maung Bodas Siliwangi and the BJB Bank Cup. In addition, this event also became a stage for collaboration between arts and culture. Attraction of Pencak silat typical of Pamacan Maung Bodas from the Modern Islamic Boarding School and KH Fajar Laksana's Al-Fath Council looked stunning, adding to the excitement of the atmosphere.

This event was also attended by important figures such as Kasetukpa Polri Brigadier General Pol Dirin SIK, Professor of Padepokan Cang Maung Bodas Prof. KH Fajar Laksana, Chairman of PPSI and IPSI Sukabumi City HM Muraz, and Chairman of IPSI Sukabumi Regency H. Dedi. The inauguration of the Dangiang Padepokan Alliance, Maung Bodas Siliwangi, was also part of the event, with Abah H. Nunu Nugraha officially appointed as General Chair.

The Pasangiri Pencak Silat Festival is expected not only to be an annual tradition in Sukabumi, but also to be an inspiration for other regions to preserve traditional martial arts. Pencak silat is not only a sport, but also a cultural identity that must be maintained and passed on to future generations," concluded Abah Anton.