Soekarno

Soekarno was the first president of Indonesia. He was born in Surabaya on June 6, 1901. His full name is Kusnososro Soekarno, but he’s known as Soekarno. His father’s name is Raden Sukemi, a teacher in Surabaya, and his mother’s name is Ida Nyoman Rai, a Balinese woman. When he was a child, he lived with his grandfather in Tulungagung, East Java, and in year 1915, a friend of his father named Tjokroaminoto invited him to live in Surabaya and studied in Hooger Burger School (HBS). In Surabaya, he met some Sarekat Islam’s leader, an organization who was built by Tjokroaminoto at that time. Then, Soekarno joined in Jong Java Organization. After he had graduated from HBS, he studied in Technische Hoge School (now it’s known as Bandung Technique Institute) in Bandung and graduated in 1925. When he was in Bandung, he met Cipto Mangunkusumo and Dr. Douwes Dekker, the leader of National Indische Partij Organization. A year later, he made an organization named Algemene Studie Club in Bandung. He often wrote in a politic magazine, Indonesia Muda, about what all the Indonesian people wanted, an independence.

2 years later, with other politicians who had well known in Indonesia; such as Mr. Iskak, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo, Mr. Budiarto, Mr. Sunaryo, and Mr. Sartono; he made Indonesian National Organization (Partai Nasional Indonesia = PNI). In 1929, he was arrested for 4 years in Sukamiskin because he was accused that he was going to make a revolt. After he was released from jail, he kept trying to reach for independence. He was arrested again and separated to Ende, Flores, for 4 years then removed to Bengkulu 4 years later. He was released again after the Japanese lived in Indonesia and he came back to Jakarta.

At the Japanese’s colonization, he led Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (Putera) with Mr. Hatta, Ki Hajar Dewantara, and KH Mas Mansur. This organization was built by Japan for their own profit, but Soekarno and the other politicians used it for Indonesia. And that’s why Putera was dismissed by the Japanese government. On September 1944, Japan promised that they would give Indonesia the independence. So, they built an organization named Dokuritsu Junbi Coosakai (Badan Penyelidik Usaha Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia = BPUPKI). At BPUPKI’s assembly on June 1, 1945, Soekarno had an idea about the Indonesia’s state principle, named Pancasila. On August 17, 1945 (after Japan had surrendered to Dutch) Soekarno and Mr. Mohammad Hatta proclaimed the independence of Indonesia, and on the next day they were chosen to be the president and the vice president of Indonesia by Dokuritsu Junbi Iinkai (Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia = PPKI).

In 1955, he could unite all of the non-block states in Asia-Africa Conference which was held in Bandung. This conference becomes Non-Block Movement. Because of the politics’ condition (it wasn’t stable), so he couldn’t do his political activities again. In the First Military Aggression, Soekarno led the battle in Java, and in the Second Aggression of Dutch he was arrested and separated to Bangka. On March 11, 1966 he gave the SUPERSEMAR (Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret) to Lieutenant General Soeharto. On February 22, 1967 he gave his position as a president of Indonesia to Soeharto. His physical condition was getting worse day by day since. And after all of his struggle to prevent from death, he closed forever on June 21, 1970 and he was buried in Blitar. His funeral was attended by a lot of Indonesian people. They were all crying. The Indonesia government bestowed him as the Hero of Proclamation.

The reason why I choose Soekarno as my hero is because he could bring Indonesia to an independence. He also teaches me to believe on my own ability and not to give up in every single thing that we have already started. His ability to reach the Indonesia’s independence inspires me to always see everything from all positive ways and to be an optimistic person.