Rethinking Unfinished Independence Struggle

As part of each nation’s rights, struggle for independence is a must because it has not taken for granted from heaven. It has been always threatened by others willing to colonize. Considering the fact, our constitution has definitively suggested that Indonesia should actively fight against any form of colonization putting aside justice and humanity. 

Respecting the fact that Indonesian independence has been reached through long encounter and struggle, ideally the independence has not been only relied on its symbols but also its substance. Though it was proclaimed on 17 August 1945, Bung Karno had likely called for more perfect independence. That’s why a revolution has to be continued to reach totally economic and cultural sovereignty.

Amid the useless independence, we are now still witnessing humanitarian tragedy in the name of democracy in which thousands of Lebanese have been killed by Israeli raid supported by the US. In the humanitarian drama, there have been no what called as law, morality, and humanity. While in the world war II there had been such international law on war. Ironically, in our modern era, there is no what so-called as international law on war.

The violation to the international law has given opportunity to Israel and the US to kill civilians, humanitarian volunteers, peacekeeper teams, and even numbers of international red cross. Ironically, the United Nations (UN) have not given such sanction to both countries.

Dealing with the fact, each country must strengthen its defense not only based on military aspects, but also based on ideology, politics, and nation’s understanding, teaching us about anti-violence, anti-war. Those who support democracy have likely ignore matters related to nation’s defense. Whereas, the absence of military strength to defend state’s integrity, a country is meaningless and will be a slave state of other countries. 

In line with the commemoration of independence, we should rethink our nation’s struggle duties that are far from ideal expectations. When all people are established in life, matters on struggle are neglected. While, a struggle needs what we call as sacrifices such as wealth, mind, energy, and even soul.

Struggle is now regarded as a strange thing. In commemorating the 1945 proclamation, the spirit of struggle should be raised and turbocharged. Indonesia should be a sovereign and independent state to settle its own future.

As we have seen, our government has always asked foreign countries to overcome our internal issues. To be able to reach the expected independence, the country has to think and behave independently. Formerly, when there had been a few numbers of educated persons, our country had reached the independence without relying on other people because of courage and high self confidence. (Mun’im DZ)