Story Of Indonesian Hero

Sir Imam Bonjol (TIB) (1722-1864), who was appointed as a national hero based Presidential Decree No. 087/TK/Tahun 1973, 6 November 1973, was the main leader of Padri War in West Sumatra (1803-1837) who persevere against the Dutch .

During 62 years of Indonesian independence, The name of  Sir Imam Bonjol present in the public space: as street names, stadium names, University names, even at Rp 5,000 Sheets Output Of Bank Indonesia 6 November 2001.

However, Recently appeared petition, sued his heroism. TIB accused of violating human rights because Padri forces invaded the country Batak (1816-1833) which killed "millions" of people in the area

Padri cruelty highlighted by the publication of books MO Protection, Pongkinangolngolan Sinamabela degree Tuanku Rao: Hambali schools of Islamic Terror in the Land of Batak, 1816-1833 (2006) (first edition published 1964, which has been criticized Hamka, 1974), then following the work of Basyral Hamidy Harahap , lost interest Tuanku Rao (2007).

Both authors, incidentally from Land Of Batak, recounts the suffering of his ancestors and the Batak people generally during the assault troops in the region 1816-1833 Padri Mandailing, Bakkara, and surrounding areas (Tempo, October 2007).

The myth of heroism

The emergence of the correction of historical discourse Indonesia recently raised criticism against the concept of a national hero. Intellectuals and academics, particularly historians, is the party most responsible if the evaluation of historical discourse that only resulted in the emergence of friction at the basic level that could potentially divide this nation.

The academic end of the pen must be sharp, but the texts of torehannya should not contain "heat". That is why in the academic tradition, subjective nuances of words in a scientific text should be ruled out of the writer.

Every generation has the right to interpret history (nation) of his own. However, the new generation of this nation, who lived in the imagination-global should be aware of, any nation-state in the world requires myths inauguration. Myth inauguration was not bad. He is an important ingredient in-there-as a "glue" of the nation. The figure of national heroes, such as Prince Diponegoro, Sultan Hasanuddin, Sisingamangaraja XII, also TIB, and others are part of the myth of the nation's inaugural Indonesia.

Jeffrey Hadler in "An History of Violence and Secular State in Indonesia: Tuanku Imam Bondjol and Uses of History" (forthcoming in the Journal of Asian Studies, 2008) suggests, heroism TIB has been established since the early days of independence until the New Order era, related at least three interests.

First, it creates a persistent myth of the hero figure against the Netherlands as part of unifying the nation's historical discourse.

Second, eliminating the discourse of Islamic radicalism in a bid to create nation-state tolerant of religious and cultural diversity.

Third, the "embrace" ethnic Minang return to the presence of Indonesia has received a negative stigma in the view of the center due to the PRRI.

We're not sure, is there a seed particle at the time of struggle keindonesiaan TIB and other local figures who lived contemporaries, Now known as a national hero.

We also know that era of slavery is part of the social system and some of the traditional royal Nusantara territorial expansion by attacking a neighboring kingdom. Local leaders fought against the Dutch, Driven spirit of regionalism, Perhaps even motivated the desire to maintain hegemony as a ruler who gets rival nations due to the arrival of the West. However, They eventually became a national hero because the nation needs a unifying myth.

Not a perfect man

It can not be denied, leaving the Padri War traumatic memories in memory at once heroic nation. For about the first 20 years war (1803-1821) practically the killing was a fellow of the Minangkabau and Batak Mandailing or general.

Dutch intervention in the war marked by attack Simawang and Hard Water by army Captain Captain Dienema Goffinet and early April 1821 on the orders of the Resident James du Puy in Padang. Company involved in the war because it "invited" the Peoples.

On February 21, 1821 they were officially handed over the territory Darek (Minangkabau interior) to the Company in the agreement that was signed in Padang, as compensation to the Dutch who are willing to help fight the Padri. Join the "invite" the rest of the family dynasty under the leadership of Sultan Pagaruyung Muningsyah who survived the killings by army-led Padri Pasaman in Koto hands of my lord, near Stone Cage, in 1815 (not 1803 as mentioned Parlindungan, 2007:136-41).

However, since the beginning of 1833 the war turned into a war between the indigenous and the religious against the Dutch. Memorie Tuanku Imam Bonjol (MTIB) - transliterasinya by Sjafnir Aboe Nain (Padang: PPIM, 2004), an important indigenous source of the Padri War historians who tend to be ignored during this-note, how the two sides shoulder to shoulder against the Dutch.

The parties initially opposed finally united against the Dutch. At the end of the emerging consciousness of remorse, the Netherlands in conflict invites precisely the Minangkabau themselves miserable.

In MTIB, reflected a sense of remorse for the actions of the Padri TIB over fellow Minang and Mandailing. TIB aware, the struggle has deviated from the teachings of religion. "The law that too many are Qur'aan by our deck. How our minds? "(The Qur'aan many laws that have been terlangkahi by us. How your mind?), Write in MTIB TIB (p. 39).

TIB remorse and heroic struggle against the Dutch with their followers who surrounded Bonjol from all directions for about six months (16 March-17 August 1837)-such as a detailed report in Het einde De Salis Padri Oorlog: Het beleg en van de vermeestering Bondjol 1834-1837: Een bronnenpublicatie [End Padri War: Siege and Deprivation Bonjol 1834-1837; A Publication Source] (2004): 59-183, may be taken into consideration for forgiveness for the mistake and an oversight that has been done TIB.

Now this nation that must determine whether TIB will still be placed, or derived from the "litter of national heroism" that have been "paraded" by previous generations of this nation in their collective memory. (Reuters 10/11/2007 By Suryadi, Lecturer and Researcher at the Opleiding Talen en Culturen van Zuidoost-Azie en Oceanië, Universiteit Leiden, The Netherlands).