theIndonesian – In every era, student movements will always emerge. Usually, the student movement will take to the streets when they witness injustice in society over policies and arbitrary treatment made by the state.
Students are often referred to as agents of change. Currently, in the midst of the era of disruption and freedom of access to information, the student movement is faced with the challenge of being able to find new ways to express their political aspirations.
Most recently, student demonstrations have returned ahead of the presidential election (pilpres) or general election (pemilu) contestation. There are many pros and cons when students have to take to the streets again.
History records that the student movement in Indonesia has existed since before the republic’s independence. The student movement is often considered the forerunner of the struggle for the fate of this nation.
In 1908, there was a student movement called Boedi Oetomo, a forum for struggle that first had a modern organizing structure. The goal of Boedi Oetomo was to ensure the nation’s honorable life.
The movement was founded in Jakarta on May 20, 1908 by young men from the STOVIA, or medical school in Java. The main focus of Boedi Oetomo was the development of the younger generation in the fields of social, education, teaching and culture.
After that came the Indische Vereeniging in 1922 which was spearheaded by Indonesian students studying in the Netherlands, one of whom was Mohammad Hatta. Then, in 1925, this organization changed its name to the Perhimpunan Indonesia.
Perhimpunan Indonesia aimed to advance the interests of indigenous and non-indigenous people. Initially, the Perhimpunan Indonesia was only a social organization, but later turned into a political organization. The main mission of the Kelompok Studi Indonesia was to gain independence and encourage the spirit of the people through education.
Then in 1928 the Kelompok Studi Indonesia was established. Initially, in mid-1923, a group of students who joined the Perhimpunan Indonesia felt disappointed with the development of the Indonesian struggle force.
To overcome this disappointment, on October 29, 1924, the Indonesian Study Group was formed by Soetomo in Surabaya, East Java. This also triggered the emergence of a second group formed in Bandung by Sukarno on July 11, 1925. This group was realized by nationalists and students of the College of Engineering (Sekolah Tinggi Teknik) in Bandung.
The story goes that on October 28, 1928, the Youth Pledge (Sumpah Pemuda) was initiated through the Second Youth Congress (Kongres Pemuda II) which took place in Jakarta from October 26 to 28, 1928.
The birth of the Youth Pledge was driven by the Indonesian Student Association (Perhimpunan Pelajar Pelajar Indonesia/PPPI). The purpose of the Youth Pledge was to awaken the sense of nationalism of the Indonesian people.
PPPI was formed in September 1926 by students of the College of Law (Sekolah Tinggi Hukum) in Jakarta and the College of Engineering (Sekolah Tinggi Teknik) in Bandung, after the formation of the Surabaya and Bandung Study Groups.
The struggle of these students or educated people continues. On July 4, 1927, Sukarno formed the Indonesian National Association (Perserikatan Nasional Indonesia/PNI). This organization emerged due to the influence of the liberal attitude of the Dutch authorities.
The PNI also aimed to achieve an independent Indonesia by carrying out a policy of non-cooperation with the Dutch government. The PNI was formed based on the idea of not cooperating with the Dutch East Indies government.
After Indonesia’s independence, the Indonesian Student Association (Perserikatan Perhimpunan Mahasiswa Indonesia/PPMI) was formed through the First Student Congress (Kongres Mahasiswa I) in Malang in 1947.
Then, on October 25, 1966, the Indonesian Student Action Union (Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Indonesia/KAMI) emerged, which was the result of an agreement between a number of organizations that were successfully brought together by the Minister of Higher Education and Education Sciences Major General Dr Syarief Thayeb.
Massively, the student movement began to openly take to the streets in the 1966s. This movement became known as Angkatan ’66, which was the beginning of the revival of the national student movement.
The figures in the movement were Cosmas Batubara, Sofyan Wanandi, Yusuf Wanandi. The ’66 generation raised the issue of communism, which was considered a state danger at that time.
When the New Order began to take full power and show its sharpness, in the early 1970s the ‘Mahasiswa Menggugat’ movement led by Arif Budiman emerged. These students launched various criticisms and corrections. The student movement began with a reaction to the increase in fuel prices and a number of corruption cases.
Protests continued until 1972, when there was an increase in the price of rice. Furthermore, in 1973 demonstrations continued until the outbreak of demonstrations protesting the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka to Indonesia.
The arrival of the Japanese PM led to riots by students and social unrest on January 15, 1974. This demonstration event is called the Malari Incident with one of its figures being Hariman Siregar.
The peak of the student movement in the New Order era came in 1997-1998. The student movement demanded reform and the elimination of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).
To quell the student movement, the government took repressive measures that killed student activists. A number of events that became historical records were the Cimanggis Incident, the Gejayan Incident, the Trisakti Tragedy, and other events.
Then, through the occupation of the DPR/MPR building by thousands of students, the students demanded that President Soeharto immediately step down from office. After much bloodshed, President Soeharto finally resigned from the presidency on May 21, 1998.
The book Mahasiswa Menggugat Potret Gerakan Mahasiswa Indonesia 1998 published by Pustaka Hidayah writes that, unlike the previous generation movements, the 1998 student movement did not raise a central figure. For students, at that time, the prominence of figures would give birth to pseudo absolutism and reduce the commitment of the struggle.
The book notes that the 1998 reform movement cannot be separated from the pioneering of students and educated intellectuals. Their movement began with movements of concern that positioned it as a moral movement on campuses. The tradition of students protesting with a free pulpit on campuses was positively welcomed by all elements of the academic community in it.
The voice of students is getting louder until it succeeds in transforming its movement within the framework of the student movement to the social movement. The student movement succeeded in building a strategic opinion and became the property of the wider community who yearned for the creation of reform and also succession in Indonesia.
The 1998 student movement was actually the most dramatic and authentic ‘intellectual rebellion’ in Indonesian history. The student movement was able to break the political mythology that the student movement was an alliance or even military support as had happened in 1966.
It should be noted that students are often the martyrs of history. Because of the ‘political sincerity’ that always underlies the purity of the student movement, they almost do not get ‘power rations’ from what they have fought for.
The pioneering of students, followed by their sacrifices in creating historical martyrs, usually results in more use by ‘political clowns’ who hijack every student action for their interests.
These ‘political clowns’ utilize the student movement as an effective political shield to achieve their desired goals. At the same time, the image of the student movement can be biased, as if every movement that occurs always has an abundant supply of funds and very strong political backing behind it.
Although it often does not get any share of power, the student movement will always have significant meaning and value for the nation’s historical progress. The student movement remains a historical calling that has important meaning for the future of this republic in the future.
Indonesian Student Oath
We Indonesian students swear
One homeland
A homeland without oppression
We Indonesian students swear
One nation
A nation that is fond of justice
We Indonesian students vow
Speak one language
A language without lies
The Indonesian
