EDITORIAL : THE JAKARTA POST, INDONESIA

Pancasila redux

Pancasila means many things to many Indonesians. For some it is the totem that defines the virtues of this nation. For others it is a burden of insignificance. Arguably, the state ideology has received a bad rap, often tainted by a somewhat prejudiced persona as the New Order regime abused it as a raison d’etre, which ultimately led to political suppression of political freedoms.

Any child born in the late 1960s and early 1970s would have experienced firsthand the “dullness” of Pancasila as they attended courses and even ideological workshops that were educational requisites. In fact all civil servants through the 1980s were required to have certificates of passing the “indoctrination” workshops. It was no surprise that the five principles of Pancasila were neglected in the post-reform era.

Fortunately it has not been forgotten, and now in this age of political mayhem, religious conservatism and questions of identity, the tenets of Pancasila — belief in one God; just and civilized humanity; unity in diversity; democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations among representatives; and social justice for the all of the people of Indonesia — need to be rekindled.

June 1 marks the designated anniversary of Pancasila. The date coinciding with Sukarno’s speech during the opening of the BPUPK — the Investigation Committee for Independence Preparation Efforts — in 1945 in which he outlined, albeit in a slightly different manner, his vision for the philosophical foundation of the soon to be republic.

The genius of Sukarno’s vision was his ability to recognize and encompass the diversity of this soon to be nation. With illuminating foresight he understood that the very characters that could make the archipelago great were also weaknesses that could undermine it. Such was the nation’s unique diversity that it required five pillars that accommodate the inimitable beliefs, customs and creeds that flourish with the 17,000 islands of the archipelago.

The creative distillation of socialism, nationalism and monotheism was refined, honed further to become modern day Pancasila.

Putting aside the recent political abuse of Pancasila, we know that these tenets truly exemplify the soul of what Indonesians should be. Pancasila deserves a place not in our memory, but our hearts. The practice of Pancasila is beyond indoctrination, rather the application of a liberal, just and plural society.

Indonesians have an atrocious habit of turning mortal leaders into cults of personalities, faiths into dogma and ideological tenets into pious canons. Practices no longer coherent with the liberal, creative and thinking creatures that Indonesians have become.

There is no malevolence or obsolescence with Pancasila, instead people rejected how it was being imposed on them by force rather than free will for decades. Contrary to how it was used, the very essence of Pancasila encourages diversity and celebrates variance. These are the lessons the present and future generations of Indonesians need to nurture.

We are confident the essential values of Pancasila will survive in the hearts of Indonesians as long as they are treated as a moral rudder instead of a set of restrictive rules.

Let us celebrate the birth of Pancasila by observing new ways to infect our children with the spirit of diversity, democracy, humanity, justice and equality, the way Sukarno would have truly wanted.