MAKING
JAWANESE INTO FOOD
The
Poetry and Paradox of Need
Jawanese was once the language of this land. Little by
little Jawanese is being supplanted by the use of
Indonesian. Our educational system is now focusing on
Indonesian as well as English. These two languages are
seen as the tools that will secure our success, both in
terms of national unity and in terms of our place in the
global economy. But Jawanese is the language of our
people. Jawanese is the language that has expressed the
thoughts and hopes and history of this storied land for
hundreds of years. Jawanese is the language of
Ranggawarsita. When spoken well, Jawanese is a language of
ineffable beauty. It is rich in vocabulary. Its
extraordinarily subtle grammar can convey the most nuanced
of meanings. It is the equal of the greatest languages on
earth throughout all of history. Arguably, it is far
superior to the clumsiness and banality of Indonesian. So,
how is it that Jawanese could become a dead language
within this century? What has brought us to this point of
cultural decay? And, most importantly, what can be done to
reinvigorate the use and study of Jawanese?
As I stand before you today, it is important to remind
ourselves that we are here to consider a still-living
thing. The Jawanese language still survives. It is a
contemporary organism, not a fossil in a museum. But for
Jawanese to flourish and survive into the next century, it
will need to prove itself as relevant to contemporary
people. It will not survive because we love it. It will
not service because many have written exquisitely for it.
No. If Jawanese is to survive, it will do so because the
shopkeeper and the architect, the becak driver and the
software developer find that they need it. And I believe
that we do need it, more than we currently realize. I will
admit to you that it has taken me years to see clearly the
need to defend something that seemed so self-evidently
meaningful to me. I have often thought to myself, of
course we need the language of Ranggawarsita, as surely as
English speakers need Shakespeare and Germans need
Schiller. Defending the language I grew up speaking seemed
as unnecessary to me as defending the drinking cup with
which we take our water. But in our lifetime we have seen
great changes. We now live in a world of practical
pressures. For Jawanese to survive, our need for it is
going to have to be seen as something far more practical
than aesthetic poetry.
PART
I
LANGUAGE AND THE NEW COLONIAL CONQUEST
I believe that the word 'survive' is the key to
understanding our need for Jawanese. The question before
us today is not simply: Will the language of Jawanese
survive? The larger question within that question is: Will
the Jawanese people survive as a singular people with a
culture and a sense of identity?
The current
homogenization of Indonesia that threatens the Jawanese
language and culture is seen as a tool of national unity.
This is a foolish mistake on the part of our government in
Jakarta. The unspoken theory is that we will be stronger
once diversity has been properly eliminated. Three decades
of Suharto have molded this policy. And this strategy for
national unity is a recipe for the destruction of
indigenous culture and language on a massive scale.
Madurese, Balinese, Sundanese, and Jawanese are sliding
into obscurity as our government and style-conscious
urbanites sell Indonesian and English as the engine of
progress and sophistication.
In the last 400 years, the oppression of European
colonialism sought to turn Java into a satellite of the
Dutch government. Our culture, government, our language
and identity were subordinated to the greed of Europe.
This once proud hub of the Majapahit Kingdom, this
glittering jewel of culture and civilization has been
tragically stunted by the desires of Europeans for spice,
rubber, oil, and power. It is a testimony to the
resilience of the Jawanese people that we have survived
with so much of ourselves in tact.
Since
our independence from the Dutch 63 years ago, new
colonial oppressors have taken the place of Europe. It is
possible that this new colonialism will finish the job
started by the Dutch 400 years ago. These new colonial
powers hide behind benign sounding words such as
"Nationalism" and "Globalization". I believe that the term
"Globalization", as most Westerners use it, is a misnomer.
Its contemporary Western meaning is closer to "Economic
Colonialism". "Nationalism", as it is applied by the rich
and powerful of Jakarta, is often an attempt to make
ourselves more attractive to Western business interests.
In this regard, nationalism and globalization can be used
as two sides of the same colonial agenda. For example, by
homogenizing Indonesia under one language, the theory is
that we are better prepared to work together.
The argument
continues, this nationalism will prepare us to participate
in the global economy and, eventually become a superpower.
Therefore, one language means better business. And I don't
disagree with that principal. Those who hold the best of
intentions have a genuine desire to see Indonesians rise
and prosper. This is all to the good.
However, there is a darker agenda at work here. We must be
careful not to confuse the national and international
interests of Indonesia with the colonialist agendas of
Bill Gates and McDonald's hamburgers. Yes, we need to
strengthen our national power so that we might best
participate in the global economy for the betterment of
Indonesia and the people of Jawa.
But the agenda of many
U.S. manufacturers is arguably incompatible with the
strengthening of Indonesia and Jawa. We are currently a
manufacturing satellite of the rich nations of the earth.
They come to Indonesia, not to make us strong. No. It is
in their best interest to keep us as a cheap pool of
labor and a source of raw materials. In other words, it
is in their best interest to keep us weak.
Let me be clear. I am not here today to speak against
nationalism or our participation in the global economy. I
very much believe in the viability of Indonesia as a
nation and I support that. And our participation in the
global economy is also essential to our survival as a
people. My purpose today is to shout to anyone who will
listen that our distinctiveness as a Jawanese people, with
a language and culture, is an asset both to the nation and
to our place in the world economy. The best face of
nationalism and globalization is the face that celebrates
our diversity and distinctiveness, as well as commonality
and cooperation.
PART II
CULTURE AS FASHION AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR SURVIVAL
Of course, you have not come here today to hear about
nationalism or globalization. But these subjects cannot be
ignored. The interests of the world, or should I say, the
designs of the world on Indonesian resources and cheap
labor directly affect the decisions which are being made
in our homeland. And these decisions have profound
implications on the education of young Jawanese children.
These decisions are directly affecting the language
studies offered in Indonesian schools.
I think it is time to remind ourselves of the central
question: survival. As it relates to the global economy,
will Jawa survive to serve the West? Will we be a
satellite of the West as we were in the days of Dutch
colonialism? Or will we survive to further our own
interests? In other words, if we try to survive
economically by making ourselves more like America, will
we survive culturally as a Jawanese people? To put
bluntly, will our economic survival make us more Jawanese,
or more American? And if it makes us more American, have
we survived at all? This is, of course, both a practical
and a philosophical question. Simply put, what is
survival?
Let us set aside the colonial agenda of the West for a
moment and look at the desires of Indonesians. To many
Indonesians, the reason English and Indonesian have
prestige is that they are connected to the dominant
cultures. English is the language of blue jeans and Coca
Cola. We connect it to a life-style of luxury that we
perceive to be embodied in Western culture. English is
fashionable. Indonesian, as an element of national unity,
is a symbol of our desire to become a strong nation that
will eventually be able to afford all of the good things
enjoyed by other strong nations such as America and Japan.
Certainly, Indonesian and English are important tools for
us, and I am blessed to count both of them among the
languages I speak. I do support their study. This is well
and good. The mistake that is being made is that we are
ignoring our own identity in the belief that, once again,
if we submerge ourselves to the larger interests of
others, we will improve our position in the world.
This is exactly what we have been doing for the last four
centuries, and it's time we stop and ask ourselves a
simple question: Is this strategy working? While under the
Dutch, we submerged our identity to the needs of the
Dutch, and we continue down this tragic path of
self-deception.
Those Indonesians who would murder the Jawanese language on the sacrificial alter of survival are
guilty of conspiracy with this new brand of colonialism.
They are as guilty as Microsoft of fostering the new
economic colonialism. If they succeed, they will erode our
identity to such an extent that we will fail to stand as a
unique people. I believe the misguided theory behind this
is that if each of the 17,000 islands of Indonesia
abandons its singular identity, then the strength of the
nation as a whole will be increased. But a dish with 52
bland ingredients offers nothing to the feast. Similarly,
Jawa only contributes to the nation of Indonesia to the
extent that we stand strong in our cultural identity. I am
a better Indonesian as a strong Javanese connected to my
culture, language, and history. Survival demands that we
be centered in our culture, as opposed to the culture of
America, or the myth of national homogeneity.
What has made America strong and independent? For better
or for worse, Americans are a confident people, and they
do not subordinate themselves to the interests of others.
This is at once a strength and a weakness of the American
mindset. Certainly, their political unilateralism and
insensitivity to the needs of the world have caused great
problems for the rest of us. Clear examples can be found
in America’s failure to ratify the Kyoto Accord and, in
general, America’s singular lack of interest in living as
good global citizens. These are not examples we should
emulate. At their worst, they can be supremely arrogant.
But at their best, Americans project a remarkable sense of
self confidence that is most compelling. Like it or not,
we are learning many lessons from America.
But I am not
convinced that we are learning the proper lessons, the
beneficial lessons from America. Are Indonesians learning
about American self-confidence, or American arrogance? Are
Indonesians learning about American productivity or the
American obsession with consumerism? These are
distinctions we are failing to grasp.
There are ways in which Jawa must subordinate itself to
larger interests. The communal side of Jawanese culture is
one of our great strengths and we must never allow
arrogance to suck us into the political mode America
exemplifies. Rather, the lesson we should take from
America is its steadfast refusal to devalue itself. Jazz,
American modern dance, Hemmingway and even the lowly
hamburger continue to influence the world because America
not only has the power and money, but it has the
self-confidence to see its own culture and values as
worthy of export. And so should we.
You may or may not like American culture. After having
lived there for many years, I have developed both a
profound love of America, and a deep mistrust of it.
Regardless of your opinion of America, it has lessons to
teach us. America has not become strong by subordinating
itself to the needs of Europe. Nor will the Jawanese rise
in strength by blindly subordinating ourselves to the
needs of Indonesia or the West? Indonesia, and all of the
cultures that make up these 17,000 islands, will only rise
in strength in the firm foundation of our personal
identities.
PART III
SCHOLARSHIP AND THE REVISION OF JAVANESE CULTURE
Scholarship is a two edged sword. At its best, it can
illuminate and help us rediscover our neglected culture.
The best of scholars, Jawanese and foreign, have shown us
a new appreciation of what it means to be Jawanese. Many
Jawanese people turn to the work of foreign scholars in an
attempt to learn about themselves. And this can be quite
dangerous to our survival. Westerners have taken it upon
themselves to interpret our culture for us. I was at first
concerned, then upset, then finally quite angry because I
have seen the priceless traditions, inheritance and
knowledge of my culture and language perverted by some
Western scholars.
The bulk of Western attempts to write
meaningfully on the Jawanese language and culture have
yielded disappointing and often misleading results. The
tendency is to see Jawanese culture through the lens of
Western experience. The resulting perversion is something
of a sacrilege to my sensibilities.
It is essential that Western scholars listen more than
they speak. It is essential that Western scholars take
extra care to understand the context and nuance of our
culture and language. And it is most essential that they
do not allow Euro-centrism to influence their work.
Westerners will never learn from Jawanese culture until
they make a space for the new and set aside their biased
Western points of view.
There is a tendency in the West to
remake everything so as to render it most digestible for
Western consumption. This tendency is resulting in the
subtle destruction of Jawanese culture.
To be fair, I doubt that my writings on Roman Catholic
Theology would meet with the approval of the Vatican. But
then, I have the good sense not to set myself up as an
authority on such matters. Would that that were true of
many Westerners I have encountered? I have heard the cries
of many Westerners that the reason they had to step in was
that Indonesians were not preserving their own culture.
The argument is that, if Westerners didn't save Jawanese
culture from the neglect of the Jawanese, it would be lost
to the world. The decay of Borobudur is often sighted as
an example of timely Western intervention. I greet the
intervention of Westerners with mitigated enthusiasm. I
admire those who have done it well, and I view with great
disdain those who have done it poorly. I would like you to
consider something that I believe to be vitally important
for all scholars. It is a paradox that is central to the
work of each one of us. Sometimes "preservation" can be
destruction.
For an example, I turn to an experience I had while living
in America. On a hot day, in the Midwest town of St.
Louis, an artist friend of mine and I stepped into lovely
19th century church to get out of the heat. The church was
in a poor neighborhood. It was falling down from neglect,
and I commented on its poor repair. My friend said that
she felt it was very lucky that this little church was in
a poor neighborhood. She went on to say, "If this church
had been in a wealthier neighborhood, the fashions of
renovation in the 1950's or 60's would have forever been
stamped on it". Later she showed me some mid-twentieth
century renovations that she considered to be unfortunate
and destructive. I must admit to you that when it comes to
Victorian American architecture, I could not tell a good
renovation from a bad one, except in the most extreme
cases. I had not grown up with this style of architecture,
and its subtlety eluded me. Furthermore, the
preservationists of the mid-twentieth century certainly
believed that they were doing a good job. Time proved them
wrong.
Obviously, I am not suggesting a halt to all scholarship
and renovation. I believe there is a middle path.
Sensitive scholarship can preserve and enlighten Jawanese
language and culture. But the insensitive scholar can just
as easily destroy it. This is in part because many
Jawanese, imprisoned by their insecurity and subservience
to the West, have accepted the inferior works of many
Western scholars. The result is disastrous to our
understanding of ourselves.
Indonesians have a saying, "Don't swallow without
tasting". When it comes to our culture and language, we
must not accept uncritically the teachings of others.
Everything must be carefully weighed, examined and
re-examined. We must never assume that the West knows more
about us than we know about ourselves. This sense of
inferiority is a part of the colonial legacy, and it must
be abandoned if we are to move forward.
I have heard the argument that at least a poor
interpretation or renovation might preserve it for future
generations. I could not disagree more strenuously. Better Jawa should fall into dust, then that it becomes what it
was never intended to be. We cannot allow careless or
Euro-centric scholarship to subvert the true meaning of
what it means to be Jawanese. Having said that, we need
support and careful scholarship from across the world.
Those of you who are on a quest for genuine understanding
are our partners and our friends. Your help, your care and
support, and your humble desire to learn are among our
greatest assets.
PART
IV
THE
ROAD BACK TO OURSELVES
I often reflect on the road back for us. After 400 years
of submission to the needs of others, how do we find our
way back to ourselves? How do we find our true selves once
again? What is the path? Language has been a constant
fascination of mine. In my studies of various foreign
languages, I am constantly impressed by the way each
language reflects its people. The Inuit peoples of Alaska
and Northern Canada have many words for snow, each
describing some unique property or quality of texture and
appearance. The Jawanese have twelve words for rice. And
these are only simple examples of the way vocabulary
develops to fit the conditions of the people who use each
language. More subtle, more mysterious and profound are
the ways in which each language develops to express the
inner life of each people.
This proud identity that was once ours, before the first
Dutch ship landed on our shores, this 'sense of self'
still lives in the language of the Jawanese. This is the
language of Sultans, sages and master poets. Just to speak
it is liberation from centuries of abuse and submission.
Listen to it. Hear its beauty and its grace. Hear its
dignity. Even the words I speak before you today are
freedom. These words are a road map back to our true
selves. There is nothing remarkable in my choice of words.
I bring you nothing today ... nothing that can compare
with the glory of the language I use for my message. These
words are a repository of thousands of years of the
history, the very essence of the people of this land. This
noble language speaks of what it means to be Jawanese.
So then, why are we not fighting to preserve this
language? Is it because we are being distracted by what we
believe to be our greater needs? The question on the minds
of most Jawanese is: How can I put a bowl of rice in front
of my children? And this is the question of most of
humanity today and throughout history. You and I know that
Ranggawarsita is a bowl of rice that can nourish us. And
our desire to bring Ranggawarsita to the tables of more
than 100 million Jawanese is a worthwhile goal. But in
order to do that we must demonstrate a basic need for
Ranggawarsita.
I was sitting in my garden last August. It was a hot, dry
afternoon. The air was motionless, indeed nothing moved of
its own initiative without the primal purpose of survival
to motivate it. During these hours of lethargy and
resignation I sat in the shade of the palm tree that
spreads itself generously across the center of my garden.
I noticed that between the trunk of the tree and the
outside wall of my house, a spider was hard at work in the
sun. The spider was adding to an extravagant web she had
spun. No rain or wind had disturbed this masterpiece, and
the effort spent had produced a work of such remarkable
beauty that I found it sufficiently enthralling just to
sit and watch the spider at work. What could prompt such
effort in the heat of the afternoon sun? Was the spider
setting out to make a work of art for the decoration of my
garden? No. The objective was the most basic of all needs.
The spider wanted to catch a meal. All of the beauty, all
of the poetry that existed in that web, indeed all of the
beauty and poetry that exists in the world is, in effect,
a simple search for a bowl of rice.
Like the spider, we make art to feed ourselves. Mangkunegara IV is food for the hungry Jawanese. Forgive
me if this sounds bourgeois. I do not mean to diminish the
seriousness of physical hunger. But there is a very real
hunger of the soul to know itself. We hunger to know our
authentic identities as separate from those who would like
to control us. There is an authentic need to nourish
ourselves on the culture, wisdom and poetry of our
ancestors ... and to add our own layer of meaning to that
culture. And Jawanese is the repository of that ancestral
food. Jawanese is our road map back to ourselves. Jawanese
is our cultural bowl of rice.
Currently, we Jawanese are starving to death on this
island of plenty. We live on the pabulum of Westernized TV
and popular culture. If we continue to see ourselves in
the mirror of Western culture, we will starve to death as
a people. And because of this famine of the spirit, the
world will also suffer the loss of our culture, as it has
suffered the loss of so many languages and cultures.
All art, all poetry is functional. It feeds our mind and
spirit. My meaning is at once more subtle and more
practical than it might at first appear. I am not merely
saying that Jawanese is the key to a wealth of neglected
cultural food. This is certainly true and obvious enough.
I'm saying that the key to bringing Jawanese literature
back to the forefront of Jawanese life lies in its
usefulness. Yes, its usefulness.
To date, the Western media and our national government in
Jakarta have done an extraordinary job of convincing us
that we don't need to know about ourselves. And they are
quite wrong! We must know about ourselves and our history
and the inner workings of our Jawanese identity.
We do not
simply need to know this so that we can read the poems of Ranggawarsita. We need to know who we are so that we can
stand on our own feet again, and see ourselves as whole!
We must see ourselves as a people of singular beauty ...
rather than as a satellite of the West. In this
self-knowledge is our strength.
There is a paradox that hinges on the word ‘need’. It is
often said that the very reason local languages are
disappearing is that there is no need for them. It is
commonly believed that Indonesian and English can fulfil
all of our needs more efficiently. But the word ‘need’ is
an illusive one. The one-thing politicians and business
leaders have not considered is our need for the staggering
power of self-knowledge.
The truth that is deemed
irrelevant and dispensable is in fact the redemptive
truth. The Bible tells us that, "The stone which the
builders rejected has become the cornerstone." This is the
poetry and paradox of need. Our essential truth is the
truth we have dubbed irrelevant.
Knowing English will help us in the global world of
business. Knowing Indonesian supports our national unity.
Knowing Arabic deepens our knowledge of how to be servants
of Hyang Widhi. But, knowing Jawanese is a tool that will help
us regain our strength and cast off the oppression of our
colonial masters. Knowing Jawanese is not simply a matter
for pretty poetry and nostalgia. It is a way forward for
us ... a way to take our own destinies in hand. The
question is not: Will Jawanese survive without our
attention to it? Rather, the question is: Will we survive
as a people without the language of Jawanese?
PART
V
WHAT
CAN BE DONE?
The Xinjiang peoples of Western China are currently
engaged in a similar struggle with the Chinese government.
They are a Muslim, Turkish people and they speak Weega
rather than Mandarin Chinese. The Chinese government, in
an attempt to foster the illusion of national unity has
mandated that all college classes and all textbooks now be
exclusively in Chinese. This is a kind of cultural war
which many indigenous peoples fight with large national
governments. Of all of the endangered species of the
world, "Cultural-man" is among the most neglected.
What are we going to do to save culture-man on this island
of Jawa? What are the practical steps we can take. Let us
start by getting organized. This is a project, not just a
dream. This is not just a speech, it is an agenda that
must concern us all, Jawanese as well as our distinguished
guests from other lands. We must organize if we are to
save the Jawanese language.
I am currently preparing the groundwork for the creation
of the Yayasan Pawartos Jawi. The mission of the Yayasan
Pawartos Jawi is to strengthen Jawanese literacy and an
understanding of Jawanese culture. I began this project by
creating the website Pawartos Jawi. Let us now turn our
attention to the creation of the institutions and
resourses necessary to bring the Jawanese language back
into the forefront of Jawanese life.
In a small irony, the very media that is currently selling
Western culture is likely to be our greatest tool. We must
sell Jawanese to the Jawanese people. I propose that our
next step be the creation of a monthly magazine, followed
by a radio station of the Jawanese language. These two
newly created outlets will deal both with high culture and
with contemporary issue that are relevant to Jawanese
people.
The poems of Ranggawarsita, the Ramayana and the
Wayang Kulit can stand side by side with stories about
contemporary politics, art, fashion, pop music, and
current events. If the subjects and our treatment of them
are compelling enough, we will create a need to read and
understand Jawanese.
Let us work with contemporary Jawanese TV and musical
stars. If Dian Sastrowardoyo and Guruh Soekarno Putra were
to grant a Jawanese interview with our Pawartos Jawi
monthly newsletter, every young fan would struggle to
understand what they were saying in the interview. These
ideas have been shown to work in other parts of the world.
African pop stars have done this in their native
languages. Also Irish singers have sung in Gaelic and its
contemporary form known as Irish. Pop songs in Jawanese
would create new interest from young people. This can work
if the Yayasan Pawartos Jawi can convince celebrities of
the importance of contributing to an effort to save the
Jawanese language and culture.
Eventually, I envision a television production company as
well as feature films in the Jawanese language.
If we can
make each production compelling enough, it will find an
audience, and in the process, it will build Jawanese
literacy and interest. The same old stuffy articles will
not inspire a new generation. We must find a way to be the
freshest, the most fascinating and contemporary voice of
Jawa. One way we can become essential reading and
listening for all Jawanese people is by speaking the
truth. Truth has a way of inspiring loyalty. If we speak
the truth, we will find an audience.
It is unlikely that we will be able to convince Jawanese
people of the philosophical need to explore their cultural
identity.
My hope is that, by leading them to the language
of Jawanese, their culture will eventually unfold before
them. No English elementary school child begins by reading
the plays of Christopher Marlowe. No German child fell out
of the womb reciting the poems of Heinrich Heine. The way
to begin is by making the Jawanese language important to
Jawanese people. The deeper cultural understanding will
follow, as flowers follow the rain.
Advertising has shown us that needs can be created. The
Japanese company Sony determined through market research
that there was little or no interest in wearing a stereo
on top of one's head. Their research concluded that most
people found the idea unappealing if not silly. So the
company set out to create an interest through advertising.
Today, the Sony Walkman has become ubiquitous around the
world. No stylish young person would consider his outfit
complete without a stereo perched on the top of his head.
We can sell cultural pride. If we are as clever as Sony,
knowing Jawanese will be essential to contemporary life.
The advantage is on our side, because knowing ourselves
truly is essential to contemporary life. Our only job is
to make that truth known to a wider audience.
One aspect of the Yayasan Pawartos Jawi must be the
publication of Jawanese books. As you know, books written
in Jawanese are increasingly hard to find in bookstores
and libraries. To find them, I often have to ask people if
they or their grandma have any books written in Jawanese
on any subject. If I am lucky, sometimes I will find them
at a traditional market that sells used books and
magazines. This problem must be addressed with the
greatest of urgency. We must publish contemporary novels,
essays and poems by Jawanese authors, especially young
Jawanese authors. For Jawanese to find a younger audience,
it must say something to young people. We must also
publish readable, contemporary editions, as well as
translations of ancient Jawanese texts.
An American poet
friend of mine recently emailed to me the most astounding
fact. The most widely read poet in America today is Rumi.
It is through contemporary translations of Rumi that the
wisdom of this ancient Persian Sufi Master has found its
way into the cultural life of America. Translations are an
important step in the spreading of Jawanese culture to a
wider audience.
Equally important is the strengthening of the current
system of education. Today, even the Padepokans are
beginning to argue that they find it 'easier' to use
Indonesian instead of Jawanese. If this continues, I am
concerned that someday people will no longer have a place
to go to study and practice their Jawanese.
Our public
education system, at the direction of the Indonesian
government, has allowed Jawanese literacy to decay to such
an extent that it has becoming difficult to find teachers
of Jawanese. What many schools have done is to employ any
person who seems to have a basic command of Jawanese, even
if that person has no education or background in teaching.
I used to be a school teacher, so I know this problem from
the inside. The Department of Education is not applying
itself to alleviating this lack of Jawanese language
instructors, neither is it encourage pupils to study the
subject.
There are models that can instruct us as we embark on the
road back to ourselves. For example, the native language
of Ireland was once nearly dead. For many years it was
only spoken in small rural villages. But since the early
1900’s, when Ireland gained its independence from the
English, their Gaelic language, known today as "Irish",
has once again emerged into prominence. Today, Irish is
taught in schools throughout Ireland. There are many
parallels between Ireland and Indonesia that are germane
to this discussion. Like Indonesia, Ireland is a former
colony. Like Indonesia, the reclaiming of their language
and culture was essential to their future. It was an
important element of the casting off of colonial
oppression.
Today in Ireland there are two official
languages, English and Irish. I am proposing that we have
something quite similar to that in Indonesia. The teaching
of both Indonesian and one’s regional language should be
standard in our educational system. I have only dared to
dream this. But Ireland has shown us that this is
possible.
We must lobby the Indonesian Parliament and apply pressure
to the Department of Education to provide proper
instruction in regional languages. Madurese, Balinese,
Sundanese and all regional languages must be encouraged
throughout Indonesia, not as a replacement for the study
of Indonesian and English, but rather as an elective
study. But we must not rely on the government to make this
a reality. Whether or not our efforts to pressure the
government are successful, we must proceed with an
ambitious educational agenda of our own. The Yayasan
Pawartos Jawi must work co-operatively with Padepokans,
the Kraton families, the National Library, and Gramedia
bookstores to make good quality Jawanese instruction
available throughout Jawa.
CONCLUSION
This can work, hopefully! If enough of us are committed in
terms of time, effort and resources, I have no doubt that
this is possible. This is not the first time that a
languages has become nearly extinct, only to find that a
younger generation thirsts for the continuity and
enlightenment that it brings into daily life. Jawanese is
still spoken and understood by millions of Jawanese
people. For this reason, we have a significant head start
on this project, and we must not fail. I hope to work
closely on this project with many of you in the coming
years. There are many ideas, perhaps better ideas that I
have not considered. I need your input and your help. The
Kraton families, celebrities and scholars from all over
the world can join in these efforts, and we need each and
every one of you. Even though Jawanese culture and
language is a local matter, our need for your help and
support can build coalitions that reach around the world.
The greatest poetry that should engage our interest is not
found in the works of Ranggawarsita. The greatest mode of
expression that informs our search for survival is, ‘the
poetry of need’. It is the ‘poetry of need’ that has
produced all human invention. And language is the ultimate
human invention. Language is the ultimate tool through
which we explore all human need. Language is the invention
that has enabled every other human invention. Language is
not an ornament on our culture. No. It is at the very
heart of who and what we are. And Jawanese is the language
with which we have tackled each problem on this blessed
island.
With Jawanese, we have discussed the planting of
crops, and the deepest yearnings of our hearts. To reject
Jawanese now is to reject the wisdom and insight of
thousands of years. To reject Jawanese is to force
ourselves into the position of having to reinvent the
wheel. The decision not to teach and promote Jawanese on
the island of Jawa is a declaration that we see ourselves
as less important, less valuable than our colonial
masters. After years of reflection on this subject, I have
rejected this helpless image of ourselves. The question we
are required to answer as we contemplate our future
survival or demise is as follows: Will the Jawanese people
reject the subordination of ourselves to the desires of
our colonial masters, past and present? If we reject it,
Jawanese will be saved. Thank you.
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