In the past few weeks of May 2023, Indonesian netizens were stirred by the "ticket war" for the concert of the famous band from London, England, Coldplay. This band, established in 1997, received an overwhelming response from the Indonesian youth. The concert tickets provided by ...
Have you ever heard of the term "Sophists"? The word "Sophists" comes from the Greek word "sophia," which means "wisdom." In the history of philosophy, this term was given by the famous Greek philosopher, Plato. However, the term "Sophists" does not always have a positive connotation. ...
The pillars of Islam are fundamental aspects of the religion. However, Syrian philosopher and scholar, Muhammad Syahrur, has called into question the concept of these pillars. In this article, we will discuss Syahrur's views on the pillars of Islam and their implications.The author ...
Leila was awarded the SEA Write Award 2020 for her novel "Laut Bercerita" ("The Sea Speaks His Name"), which also won the Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa Award 2013 for its historical novel "Pulang" ("Homecoming"). "Laut Bercerita" is a historical fiction novel that tells the true story of a missing student activist during Indonesia's New Order Era.
The novel's strengths lie in its wealth of data and accuracy in describing the ideas, experiences, and feelings of its two main characters, Laut and Mara. The novel uses a realistic style to describe events at a specific time and place, with a table of contents consisting entirely of places and years, from "Sayegan, 1991" to "In Front of the Presidential Palace, 2007". This novel raises questions about whether the history depicted in the novel is indeed true.
The genre of historical fiction is not new to Indonesian literature. Leila may have followed in Pram's footsteps to adhere to socialist realism and demonstrate the reality that erasing the traces of radical figures from history is tantamount to continuing the colonial political policy of building a false national narrative.
Activists fought for rights that had been taken away by the government. The military of the New Order held the representation of how to govern the country at that time, with discussions being considered dangerous, and their counter will always be monitored by intelligence. Activists were locked up in barracks, interrogated, and tortured as if it has become a routine for months before they were finally vanished from their lives. The activists who challenged the government were considered traitors and were often threatened not to fight against the government. The government's hegemony has rooted in the ideology and culture of society, making people blind to follow the established rules.
The conflict between farmers and soldiers in the Tanam Jagung Blangguan Action at the beginning of 1998 became the trigger for activist struggles. Covering the story of Biru Laut and 12 other missing activists has become a symbol of the tragedy for the activist movement. Nine other activists who survived the violence continue to suffer trauma until now.
People who joined the Indonesian Student Solidarity for Democracy (SMID) group, including Mugiyanto and Nezar Patria, were arrested and tortured by the New Order. On May 23, 2016, CNN Indonesia featured Mugi's story of being kidnapped on March 13, 1998. At that time, Mugi had just finished attending a meeting with a solidarity organization for Timor Leste from Australia in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta, representing SMID to manage international relations. On February 4, 2008, Tempo featured a story written by Nezar Patria about his experiences as an activist who was kidnapped, interrogated, and tortured for days in March 1998.
"Laut Bercerita" novel was made based on research, but the storyline that was taken is the author's choice. There are historical embellishments to strengthen the narrative, but still showing Leila's literary attitude as entertainment medium. Leila used WS Rendra's poetry, which is inseparable from social-political criticism, as part of the novel to offer readers an approach to the storyline. The poem "Seonggok Jagung" ("A Pile of Corn") became a basis for activists to resist.
The term "missing activists" refers to activists who were abducted or disappeared and were never found again. In the post-New Order era, literary works often exploited elements of sexual and moral freedom and opposed government dictatorship. Leila Chudori explored the theme of sexuality in her novel "Laut Bercerita" in a way that is not lewd or disgusting. The simplification of the theme of sexuality in literary works can trigger readers to question the moral values they hold and acknowledge the inadequacy of these values. Although sex outside of marriage is still considered taboo, Leila explores the idea that sex can be something fair and enjoyable for both parties.
Alex uses food as the subject of his portrait and displays photos of a gudeg and jamu seller in his room. Food also becomes Mara's tool of communication to Laut through imaginative letters. Leila's desire to depict the other dimensions of Indonesia with a blend of tumult within can satisfy her yearning to narrate. Memories are awakened, and the unconscious is made conscious. "Laut Bercerita" is expected to grow in the world beyond and move histories through readers' comments.
Media sosial has been rapidly developing and becoming a part of people's daily lives. Instagram, one of the largest social media platforms in the world, has become a favorite among people worldwide. According to Data We Are Social, the monthly active users of Instagram worldwide ...
Hey guys, have you ever heard of Afdillah Chudiel? He is a writer and sociologist who wrote a book that can make you reflect on our education system. The title of his book is provocative, but the intention is to make us aware that our education institution isn't always perfect and achieving.
In his book, Chudiel shares his experience of providing trauma healing for children affected by the earthquake in West Sumatra in 2007. He found that the children there were not too concerned with school or dropping out because it didn't affect their lives significantly.
They actually felt that schools had strange rules and often created unhealthy competition among students. The complicated curriculum also made them confused and ineffective. There were also cases of children being mistreated by schools, which should have been a place of protection for them.
Education, which should have helped them achieve their dreams, became a problem in itself. The National Exam made them fearful and pressured. Moreover, our schools seem to be factories that produce high-quality individuals who can compete with other humans. In reality, there are still many children in remote areas who cannot attend school due to poverty and limitations.
This book makes us reflect on the bitter reality faced by our children in various remote areas. Hopefully, this book can become a breakthrough to generate solutions for improving our education system. We all have a responsibility to open our minds and awareness of the importance of quality education.
A village called Sumberdadi, located in the heart of Sumbergempol District in Indonesia, has an interesting history that is not widely known. The village is geographically divided into two hamlets, Gempol and Selojeneng. Gempol is separated from Selojeneng by a railway line ...
In the past few weeks of May 2023, Indonesian netizens were stirred by the "ticket war" for the concert of the famous band from Lo...
