How Far Was the Formation of Boedi Oetomo Mark the Beginning of Nationalism in Indonesia?

Mirza Adrian

Every 20th May the people of Indonesia celebrate the National Awakening Day to commemorate the formation of an organisation called Boedi Oetomo in 1908. They commemorate this event because they feel that Boedi Oetomo is the first nationalist organisation in Indonesia and its formation will eventually lead to Indonesian independence in 1945. But is this notion correct? Some people argue that this is correct because Boedi Oetomo was the one of the first organisation that was formed by Indonesian during Dutch colonial rule and its formation will inspire others to form organisations that demand the independence of Indonesia. However, others argue that this was not a nationalist organisation because of its elitist nature and its small span in term of memberships. Although its nationalistic nature is questionable, Boedi Oetomo was the first Indonesian organisation that demands for ending of the suffering of Indonesians that was caused by the colonial government.

Nationalism is a hard term to define. Its elusive nature makes it difficult to analyze when nationalism emerge within a nation. Generally, nationalism can be defined as a feeling of common identity of people within a nation regardless of tribes, religions, or any other local identity. This common identity may be caused by a shared history, culture or language. Indonesia as a nation is united by a common history: Dutch colonialism. The region of Indonesia today is the region that was colonized by the Dutch. The main aim of nationalists is the welfare of their nation; they demand for independence, self-determination, and sovereignty to develop their nation and rid alien rule over their nation. A nationalistic movement, therefore, is a movement that covers the whole of a nation and fight for the welfare of that nation by demanding for independence and self-determination.

Boedi Oetomo was created in the morning of 20 May 1908 in the classroom of STOVIA (School tot Opleiding voor Inlandsche Artsen or Inlanders School of Medicine) by Soetomo. Within a week, its membership rose to 1200 people with members coming from all over Java and Madura (Lubis, 2008). Although awareness of a nation is written in the aim of this society, it was not the main aim of this society. The main aim of this society was a better education for natives and the preservation of their culture; independence and self-determination was not its main aim. The society’s consciousness of a nation shows that this was a nationalist organisation but still an accomodationist organisation because it does not want to upset the colonial establishment by demanding independence. In the third-world nationalism, accomodationist organisations usually formed at the start of nationalism and will be replaced by a more radical organisations as nationalism develop. However, it can be argue that Boedi Oetomo was not a nationalist society because of its members comes exclusively from Javanese aristocrats. The scope of the society’s movement was confined to Javanese aristocrats and intellectuals while excluding other regions. Although Boedi Oetomo had an awareness of Indonesia as a nation, it was not a nationalist organisation because the organisation only consist of a few elites not the people as a whole. Boedi Oetomo was a proto-nationalist organisation; it had the character of a nationalist organisation but not yet fully develop into nationalism.

Indonesian nationalism became more developed in the early 1920s. At that time many parties and native organisations started to demand independence and the ending of the Dutch colonialist regime. By 1920, the most intriguing of words appeared in the parties’ vocabulary: ‘Indonesia’. Originally coined by a nineteenth-century English naturalist to classify the distinctive ethnic and geographical identity of the archipelago, this was a word that could be adapted to new ends. Previously the Youth Alliances had talked about a separate Balinese nation, Javanese nation, Sumatran nation and so on, now ‘Indonesia’ spoke of a single people (Vickers, 2005). The first party to use this new term is PKI (The Communist Party of Indonesia) who was led by Semaun at that time. However, political leaders of the 1920s did not have a strong enough organizational vehicle to spread their actions. Parties and organizations demanded their members to give exclusive loyalty to the party thus splintering the nationalist movement (Vickers, 2005). This was seen in the split between Islamic and communists parties. Although people were more conscious of nationalism in the early 1920s, they were still divided into factions that hindered the movement against colonization. Nationalism had started to exist in the early 1920s but was hindered by factionist nature various parties and organizations.

In the late 1920s, Indonesian nationalism gained a new momentum with the declaration of Sumpah Pemuda (the Youth Oath) in 1928. Various political groups came together in a Youth Congress in 28^th October 1928 and pledge that they had one homeland, one language, and one nation: Indonesia. Previously, Tan Malaka, a member of PKI, had also published a clearly nationalistic article titled ‘Towards the Republic of Indonesia’ in 1924. In his writing Malaka wrote that the political aim of PKI is immediate and unlimited freedom of Indonesia (Tan Malaka, 1924). This marked a new era in Indonesian nationalism; it marked the beginning of political nationalism with clear aim to gain independence and self-determination for Indonesia (Lubis, 2008). Nationalism has certainly existed and developed in this phase, this developed phase was marked by the Youth Oath in 1928. The Youth Oath reified Indonesian nationalism into a more concrete form by declaring that various parties, organization, ideologies, and beliefs were united as one nation called Indonesia. This point can arguably be the start of Indonesian nationalism because by now the movement had already covered the whole of a nation and demanded for independence and self-determination. The early 1920s could also be seen as an epoch of uneasy unity and concordance between various parties and organizations. Although there was some kind of unity between Moslems and communists, the fundamental differences still prevailed and this rift will explode in later year.

The late 1920s also marked the emergence of Soekarno. In 1927, Soekarno formed his own party, PNI (The Indonesian National Party) the first all-Indonesian secular party devoted primarily to independence (Kahin, 1970). He also tried to reconcile various factions that were split because of different ideologies and beliefs. He reconciled Marxism, Islam, and the nation by making a common enemy: Dutch capitalists. Marxism, which was previously so violently anti-nationalist and antireligious, has now altered its tactics, especially in Asia, so that its previous bitter opposition has turned into comradeship and support (Vickers, 2005).  The rise of Soekarno marked a new development in Indonesian nationalism; he made our nationalism became a unique mixture of Islam and Marxism. He unified the two opposing blocs and helped to develop Indonesian nationalism further. The formation of PNI could arguably be the first conception of a nationalist party. Unlike Sarekat Islam who limits its member to Muslims, PNI accept all Indonesian who wanted to be free from the Dutch colonial rule. PNI also held the idea of noncooperation with the Dutch colonial government; unlike SI, PNI refused to accept the People's Council membership. The formation of PNI, therefore, could be a potential event that marks the conception of Indonesian nationalism.

The era of 1930s marked a new phase in Indonesian nationalism. During this phase, nationalism is being spread to the people of Indonesia through schools that were set up by the natives. The Dutch called these ‘Wild Schools’. The teachers in the ‘wild schools’ were the ones remembered by those who grew up in the quarters of the cities and in small towns as the inspiring, uncompromising voices for this new idea of nationalism. They changed the Dutch curriculum and change it to a more nationalist one. They no longer were history lessons straight out of The History of the Netherlands or The History of the Netherlands East Indies. Now they focused on the history of the people of Indonesia (Vickers, 2005). This was the most effective way to spread the idea of an independent Indonesia. The nationalist movement in 1930s was the truly developed nationalism because it had all the element of nationalism: a movement that covers the whole of a nation and fight for the welfare of that nation by demanding for independence and self-determination. However, to say this phase marked the beginning of nationalism would not be correct because during this phase nationalism had developed into the most developed form. This phase in Indonesian nationalism had past the beginning of Indonesian nationalism.

After analysing various events that could potentially marked the beginning of nationalism in Indonesia it can be concluded that Indonesian nationalism was conceived during 1920s. To pinpoint the exact time or event that marked this conception is impossible because every event have its strength and weakness to be called the beginning of Indonesian nationalism. The event that has the strongest argument to mark the conception of Indonesian Nationalism is the Youth Oath in 1928. This event marked the beginning of Indonesian unity that was concrete and solid. This event explicitly united all the people under one nation called Indonesia. Boedi Oetomo was the first native organisation but it did not mark the conception of Indonesian nationalism. Boedi Oetomo was a proto-nationalist organisation that was more cultural than nationalist. The notion of celebrating National Awakening Day on the day that Boedi Oetomo was conceived is therefore false. National Awakening Day should be celebrated on the day the Youth Oath was declared because it was on that day Indonesia as a nation was awakened.

Bibliography

• Kahin, G. M. (1970). Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia. Cornell University Press.
• Lubis, N. H. (2008). Potret Nasionalisme Bangsa Indonesia Masa Lalu dan Masa Kini. Jurnal Negarawan (08).
• Tan Malaka, I. D. (1924). Naar de Republiek Indonesia (Towards the Republic of Indonesia). (A. Mediarta, Ed.) Jakarta: Komunitas Bambu.
• Vickers, A. (2005). The History of Modern Indonesia. UK: Cambridge University Press.