Tuesday (10/11) local time, the Ministry of Communication and Information informed all Indonesian citizens to conduct a communal prayer for 45 seconds. This commemoration was held to recognize the deeds of heroes who had fallen in the defense of the motherland.
Nowadays, youths may have mainly forgotten the momentum of the heroes’ struggle due to neglect or the loss of essence of the commemoration that ended up as meaningless routines. Fortunately there are Indonesian youths who still remember, care about, and honor the heroes’ deeds.
The 10th of November that is also commemorated as the National Heroes Day was reflected by students of Parahyangan Catholic University. The International Relations Study Program’s Student Association (HMPSIHI) through its arts and sports division (SOR) called for students to wear Batik to campus.
“….Actually, the call for wearing Batik to campus is made monthly, but always coincides with National days” according to Regina Rima, the second vice chair person of HMPSIHI.
Rima-as she is familiarly called- and Nabila Kasyalia as the Chairman of HMPSIHI 2015/2016 period stated “the National Heroes Day is an embodiment of our respect for the deeds of heroes who have fallen in the defense of the Indonesian people. Their deeds are so great. Accordingly, The National Heroes Day has to be the day when we commemorate and respect their deeds.”
A similar statement was also made by Naifa Rizani (HI UNPAR 2015). She stated that the way we commemorate the National Heroes Day does not have to be by way of big celebration; what important is that the commemoration should be able to increase people’s awareness of the existence of heroes who once defended Indonesia.
Inigo Abigail (HI UNPAR 2013), Calvin Budianto (HI UNPAR 2013), Aryo Bagas (HI UNPAR 2014), Mohammad Ali Tanthowi (HI UNPAR 2014) and Nindyo Setiawan (HI UNPAR 2015) collectively commemorate the National Heroes Day by wearing Batik to campus. To them, wearing Batik is just a small token of appreciation for the National Heroes Day; although it would be better if there were a formal commemoration held for the purpose of strengthening the spirit of nationalism among students.
Through this moment, we have to look back and realize our duties and obligations to keep on respecting, following in the footsteps, and continuing the heroes’ struggle. Nowadays we no longer fight with pointed bamboo sticks but through applicable actions starting from our closest surroundings.
In practice, commemorating the heroes struggle does not have to be done in a big, fancy way; wearing Batik as a form of love and respect to the fallen heroes is good but not the only option.
In addition to wearing Batik, young intellectuals are expected to keep on working and contributing to their Alma mater through academic and non-academic achievements at the national or international level; such as students who won the Perbanas Institute Accounting Competition XV in Perbanas Institute Jakarta, and the Parahyangan International Law Society that won the second runner up and best memorial award in the Asia Cup 2015, Tokyo, Japan’ followed by arts and sports achievement from UKM LISTRA that came first at the PIASTRO 2015 at the University of Indonesia, Depok, and the gold medal won by Satrio Bagaskara and Aflah Fadlan Prawira in the Asian Age Group Championships in Thailand.
The numerous achievements of UNPAR’s Students are forms of contribution and the result of the youths’ spirit of struggle to keep on developing and dedicating themselves to our country and nation. Whatever the means of commemorating October 10, 1945, we need to remember and follow the footsteps of our heroes as President Soekarno used to say “A great nation is the one that respects its heroes”
Happy National Heroes Day.
