NU congress takes up issues of independence

Jakarta, NU Online

The Organizing Committee Chief of the NU 34th Congress, Kiai M Imam Aziz, said that the independence of NU members (Nahdliyin) would be a special concern in the agenda of the much-awaited congress that will held on December 23-25, 2021, in Lampung Province.

 

He explained that the independence of NU members (Nahdliyin) in the economic field in general, had not yet reached the ideals having been expected so far.

 

According to him, being independent means sovereign. Currently, Indonesia is very rich in resources but is not yet capable of being sovereign, so that it could also be economically independent.

 

“In macro-economic theory, what is called independence (self-reliance) will be based on several things. First, knowledge and intellectual. This is more about human resource development. I think we must humbly admit that we have not yet reached the level of sufficient knowledge to serve as a basis," Kiai Imam Aziz, told NU Online, at a hotel in Central Jakarta, Thursday (4/11/2021).

 

Before Indonesia's independence, the Nahdliyin had preferred to dwell on very limited knowledge. They were indeed superior in terms of religious knowledge, but were left behind when discussing various issues from the perspective of general knowledge.

 

“We are more concerned with very limited knowledge, compared to our neighbors. I am for example the third generation of my illiterate grandparents. When I met a friend of my age in Jakarta, his grandfather had already become the rector. Regarding religious knowledge, we are okay. But in terms of general knowledge, we are still very lacking,” he explained.

 

Second, the basis that NU must develop to achieve independence is technology. Kiai Imam explained that technology was something that is more practical. That means it is related to the mastery of knowledge for various technical matters to help human life.

 

"We are still behind there too. It must be reflected, although now there are many, but when compared to neighbors, they are much bigger than us," Kiai Imam who is also the Chairman of PBNU explained.

 

Third, Kiai Imam Aziz emphasized that the majority of NU members whose lives are based on agriculture should be further explored. Cultivated land, good agricultural technology, and good import-export networks have yet to be handled properly by the Nahdliyin.

 

“We have to look back and forward. Sometimes we forget that our country is very rich in agrarian terms, but we are also very poor in terms of agrarian products. We are also rich in the sea, but we are also poor in marine products. That will be the NU's big agenda in the future," he explained.

 

Therefore, at the NU 34th Congress in Lampung ahead, the bahtsul masail (problems deliberation) forum will discuss the issue of agrarian reform, which has not yet been completed. Many government policies related to agrarian reform often sacrifice the citizens' rights to land.

 

"That's why it will be discussed in the bahtsul masail forum about agrarian reform. That is the basic theme. If someone asks why it's like that again. We haven't come to the point yet, so we have to do it again (with various problem-solving studies)," Kiai Imam Aziz concluded.

 

Reporter: Aru Lego Triono

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq