The announcement that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono will be the chief guest for this year’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi would have been heartily welcomed by all sections of Indian population. Indonesia has always evoked fond memories in Indian minds. Geographic contiguity, shared cultural heritage, being comrades in struggle against long spell of imperialism, commitment to democracy and secular values, the challenges of nation building and the desire to steer clear of superpower rivalry and play a role in international affairs commensurate to their size, population and economic potential have led to the forging of close bonds during recent years.
Yodhoyono is the not the first Indonesian head of state to be the Republic Day celebrations chief guest. On January 26, 1950, the chief guest was President Sukarno. When Rajendra Prasad and Sukarno drove down from Vijay Chowk to the saluting base in the Rajpath, there was wild cheering and unprecedented display of popular enthusiasm.
A day earlier, Delhi University had conferred an honorary doctorate on Sukarno. In the packed convocation hall Jawaharlal Nehru introduced ‘Bung Karno’ (Brother Sukarno) to the audience as the architect of Indonesian independence. Nehru used to end his speech with Jai Hind thrice, asking the audience to repeat it. But in the convocation hall, instead of Jai Hind, Nehru shouted Merdeka (Indonesian for freedom) thrice. And when Sukarno concluded his speech, he shouted Jai Hind thrice. For the student community, to witness the coming together of two of greatest representatives of resurgent Asia, was a moment of ecstasy. P B Venkatasubramanyam, former law secretary, who was a student at that time, echoed the sentiments of those who were present on the occasion: “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to have been young was very heaven”.
Sukarno was extremely effusive in acknowledging his indebtedness to India for mobilising international opinion. This largest Muslim country in the world shunned the separatist political ideology of M A Jinnah, but was inspired by the ideas and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and the non-violent struggle for freedom. In the meeting of the Constituent Assembly in 1945, Indonesia rejected Islam as the basis of nationhood and decided to become a secular republic. The strong cultural links between the two countries provided a solid foundation for forging close political links.
Even a casual visitor to Indonesia will be struck by India’s abiding cultural influences in all walks of life. Despite increasing ‘Arabisation’ of the political and social system these influences continue to persist. Indianised kingdoms like Sri Vijaya, Sailendra, Kediri, Singhosari and Majapahit; the familiar Indian words in Bahasa Indonesia; architectural monuments like Borobudur and Lara Jonggrang; the literary masterpieces like Arjuna Vivaha, Bharata Yuddha and Amaramala; the Wajant Kulit (shadow play) based on Ramayana and Mahabharata themes; the living Hindu traditions in the Island of Bali — all bear testimony to the pioneering zeal of Indians and the assimilable qualities of Indonesians. In a special article in The Hindu on January 4, 1946, Sukarno wrote, “In the veins of every one of my people flows the blood of the Indian ancestors and the culture that we possess is steeped through and through with Indian traditions”.
The internationalist outlook of the Indian nationalist leaders brought the two nationalist movements closer. In the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities in Brussels in 1927 Nehru met Mohammad Hatta and forged closed links with him. Nehru and Gandhiji frequently proclaimed that India’s attainment of freedom would not be complete until other Asian countries also attained freedom. Taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi Sukarno used the slogan of nationalism to bring about unity among secular nationalists, Islamic followers and Marxian intellectuals. When Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed the independence of Indonesia on August 17, 1945, the Indian nationalists were jubilant and extended support to the Indonesian Republic. India was the ‘window’ for the Indonesian nationalist leaders to the outside world. The republican government had its first embassy in New Delhi and the expenditure in this connection was met by India. The first external broadcast of the All Indian Radio was in Bahasa Indonesia. India entered into a rice agreement with Indonesia by which rice was exported to India and in return India supplied medicines and textiles.
Indonesia sent a large contingent to participate in the Asian Relations Conference in March-April 1947. The Muslim League was carrying on a vicious propaganda that the conference was a Hindu conspiracy against Islam, but the Indonesian delegates saw through the League’s machinations. On the last day of the conference Prime Minister Sjahrir came to New Delhi and was given a tumultuous welcome by all the delegates. Sjahrir was brought to India by Biju Patnaik in his plane defying Dutch blockade. And when the Dutch resorted to military action to put down the Indonesian Republic, New Delhi convened the Conference on Indonesia in January 1949 to mobilise international opinion in furtherance of Indonesian freedom.
From New Delhi, Sukarno and his wife Padmavathy went to Karachi, the then capital of Pakistan. The leaders could not reconcile themselves to the fact that a Muslim woman can have a Hindu name. A leading newspaper in Pakistan had the headline: “Sukarno with his wife Fatima is coming to Pakistan today”.
Yodhoyono’s visit should lead to the building of more bridges of understanding between the two largest democracies of Asia, who are struggling to maintain their secular traditions against heavy odds. If Indonesia is to develop as a modern secular nation it has to successfully meet the challenges of — the politics of Islam, the political role of the military, the ethnic Chinese domination of the economy and the tensions between the centre and the periphery. Since India faces similar problems, we can learn from each other’s experience. If India and Indonesia succeed through democratic methods, we will be the beacon of hope for mankind in the 21st century.
(The writer is senior research fellow in the Center for Asia Studies, Chennai)