JAKARTA - The life journey of the seventh Indonesian President, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has always been in the spotlight. Including how his campus life as a student of Gadjah Mada University (UGM). Narratives are juxtaposing Jokowi with the activist figure of the '66 generation, Soe Hok Gie. How's the story?
Not Jokowi's militancy as an activist or intellectual. Jokowi is known as a nature lover student (Mapala). He is said to like to climb mountains. This is what makes Jokowi equated with the figure of Gie.
In school, Jokowi was known as an ambitious person. He had dreamed of attending SMA Negeri 1 (Senior High School) Surakarta. But failed. Jokowi finally entered SMA 6 (Senior High School) Surakarta.
At SMA 6 Jokowi often became the overall champion. This achievement paved the way for the teenager who was born in Surakarta on June 21, 1961, to study in the Wood Technology Department, Faculty of Forestry, UGM.
“At that time, Jokowi already had a choice: the Faculty of Forestry UGM. Don't want the eldest to fall into disappointment if he fails to enter UGM, Sujiatmi ordered Jokowi to join tutoring so that he can penetrate the entrance to state universities".
"For a month Jokowi participated in this tutoring. His friends were graduates of SMA 1, a favorite school that had disappointed him. The results were not in vain", wrote Kristin Samah et al in the book Saya Sujiatmi, Ibunda Jokowi (2014).
Jokowi deliberately majored in Wood Technology while studying (1980-1985). Jokowi said that the major was taken because of his closeness to the wood industry since childhood. Yes, Jokowi was born and raised in a timber business environment. Grandfather, uncle to his parents are wood businessmen.
"My grandfather was in the wood business, my uncle also sells wood. In addition, my immediate environment also lives by selling wood," Jokowi was quoted as saying by Mukti Ali Qusyairi in the book Jalinan Keislaman, Keumatan, & Kebangsaan: Ulama Bertutur tentang Jokowi (2018).
Jokowi's campus life as a student
Jokowi journey as a student has not been very smooth. Jokowi's parents were short of funds to send him to graduate school. At that time Jokowi's father was a small timber trader.
His father's income is only enough for his daily food. To make matters worse, Jokowi's three younger siblings - Iit Sriyantini, Ida Yati, and Titik Relawati - are also still of school age which requires a lot of money.
Regarding his decision to choose a campus, Jokowi has made up his mind about UGM. One day his parents had a family meeting. The problem of lack of funds was finally solved.
Tuition fees are not only borne by his father but also by his mother's uncles and grandmothers. At that time, Jokowi was also pacing as a debt collector for his father's troubled customers. The money is also a source of funding for Jokowi's college.
“Jokowi is phenomenal. Even though he has never studied social science, let alone psychology (his previous lecture was at the Faculty of Forestry, UGM, Yogyakarta), Jokowi applies the rules of social intervention very precisely, only based on his common sense and commitment to work (I don't want to mention 'conscience,' because the term has become a market, it's even cheap)," said Professor of the Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia (UI), Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono as quoted by Owen Putra in the book The Eccentric Liked: Jokowi (2012)
Jokowi is a nature lover student (Mapala)
One interesting thing about Jokowi's lectures is that he is active as a Mapala activist. At that time, Jokowi was a member of Mapala Silvagama UGM. Jokowi knows very well the importance of education outside the classroom. Jokowi has always referred to being a Mapala as a space to hone sensitivity to the environment.
"But I'm also active, but mainly in nature lovers. I'm really happy and I can learn anywhere, not only on campus but in nature we can learn too", Jokowi said as quoted by Suara.com.
Jokowi's friend during his time at Silvagama, Herdanto Hartomosuharjo, agreed with this. Jokowi's soul is forged to be familiar with nature. Herdanto even remembers Jokowi as a forest-minded student. An expression for those who are instinctively guided to care for the environment.
Every time he goes up a mountain, Jokowi is not someone who comes to the top of a mountain and destroys it. It is said that Jokowi often invites his friends to protect the mountainous environment.
Jokowi is also said to be a role model for his friends when climbing. Jokowi with his small body can move swiftly in climbing, especially reaching the peak of Mount Kerinci in West Sumatra.
"He was most memorable when he climbed to Kerinci. Because of the few who took part, he was number one at the top", said Hardanto Hartomosuharjo as quoted by Darmawan Prasodjo in the book Jokowi Mewujudkan Mimpi Indonesia (2021).
Together with Soe Hok Gie
Jokowi's footprint in Mapala Silvagama has made him associated with activism. This image is attached to Jokowi because in general activism among Mapala is widely known as an organization that is critical of the New Order (Orba) under Suharto's leadership.
Jokowi's colleagues who are members of the 2014 election volunteer team have compared Jokowi with the activist figure of Mapala UI, Soe Hok Gie, or Herman Lantang. "Jokowi is a nature lover, mountain climbers like Soe Hok Gie and Herman Lantang."
"Could it be, Jokowi misses the mountains more in such a state than being in a crowd", said Jokowi's volunteer team, Indra J. Piliang in the book Selamat Datang Presiden Jokowi (2014).
However, environmental observer Yani Sagaroa calls Jokowi and Sok Hok Gie different figures. The two are difficult to balance or balance. The traces of Soe Hok Gie's activism are clear.
Soe Hok Gie is a young man who has a high sense of empathy. He is very sensitive to the suffering of the people. Gie also has great empathy for the existence of species or other living things that are equally threatened by the power system and the global capitalist system.
“Soe Hok Gie has high ideals. So he is very critical in looking at a problem, the criticism shown by Soe Hok Gie is not only critical of matters of state governance, the policies of the ruling government regime".
"But he is also critical of himself. Being critical of himself means that if he sees oppression in front of his eyes, if he doesn't act, he can be angry with himself, at his soul, to his conscience, and his friends", concluded Yani Sagaroa when contacted VOI, Monday, June 28.
Meanwhile, Jokowi himself in Yani's eyes is divided into two parts: young Jokowi and old Jokowi. Young Jokowi is described by Yani as a latent person with fairly strong principles. However, young Jokowi has different psychological values and characters from Soe Hok Gie.
Jokowi does not show vulgar resistance to the government, as shown by the younger brother of Arief Budiman (Soe Hok Djin). In Yani's description, Jokowi is a Javanese aristocrat who is calmer, calmer, and not frontal.
This non-frontal character continued to be brought by Jokowi until he became president. Yani said, maybe Mapala's soul is still in Jokowi's heart. But what about his concrete movement as head of state? The old Jokowi spawned many regulations whose perspective was on the economy.
Some of Jokowi's regulations are even dredging and exploitative in nature and the balance of the environment. A series of regulations, making the old Jokowi figure even more distant from the famous activist figure with the book Catatan Seorang Demonstran released in 1983.
"In a sense, in general, Jokowi is shackled. I admit that Jokowi is a clean person, a brave person. But Jokowi's courage does not go beyond the level of shackles in the circle of power".
"This circle of power is 'filled' by the owners of power shares. Which one, whoever owns this power, the public can judge", added Yani Sagaroa.
Yani Sagaroa's description is similar to that expressed by an Indonesian University student at the Faculty of Medicine who lived at the same time as Soe Hok Gie, Firman Lubis. Firman makes an analogy that Gie's struggle as a student can be like a wandering cowboy gunner who happened to stop at a village, where the village was a bandit's territory.
The cowboy was sick of seeing the oppressed villagers, then called to save the villagers. It's all just an instinct. After defeating the bandits, the villagers ask the cowboy to become the village sheriff.
Unfortunately, the cowboy refused. The cowboy understands very well what he is doing is not just chasing gifts or rewards. But a call of conscience. That is the picture of an independent Soe Hok Gie. Once a knight always a knight. Instead of serving the oligarchy.
“Soe Hok Gie believes that the student action is a group movement that should be like the cowboy's action. The movement is purely due to morals and the call of conscience, not for other reasons or expecting rewards, for example, to seek position and power. After completing their mission, they should return to campus, continue their studies and pursue their respective careers", concluded Firman Lubis in his book Jakarta 1950-1970 (2018).
*Read other information about PRESIDENT JOKOWI or read other interesting articles from Yudhistira Mahabharata.
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