MULTICULTURALISM AND THE SAMENESS OF RIGHT TO BUILD A BETTER NATION

MULTICULTURALISM AND THE SAMENESS OF RIGHT TO BUILD A BETTER NATION

By

M. Iqbal Maulana

2010120050

Section D 2010

Sampoerna School of Education

Indonesia is well-renown as the biggest multicultural country in the world. Indonesia is consisting by various ethnics, languages, and cultures. However, the power of Pancasila as the foundation of Indonesia can manage and unite this multiculturalism. By having this multiculturalism, Indonesia is pointed out by the world as the incredible country and so many researches carried out there. On the other hands, having more than one culture is not as that a piece of cake. It needs more effort to keep them alive with their originalities. Besides multiculturalism becomes Indonesia’s own pride, there is some cases occurred toward this issue. There is some movements which do not support the journey of Indonesia governance, in short they do against the policy of the country.

Saminism or most renown as sedulur sikep is one of the minority ethnic groups in Indonesia which contributes a lot in multiculturalism in Indonesia. Saminism is a movement which is well-renown and established against the policy of communism implemented by Netherlands when they come to Indonesia to colonize all Indonesian societies. They do not involve in supporting the policy made by this colonial country. They are against towards all the policies given to them. They do not pay for the taxes, go to study in schools, and conduct trading. In their mind, if they do those things it will make them support this colonialism in Indonesia. And if it is done, it means that they will let Indonesian societies to be colonized ever after. But the problem is that, they still do those kinds of the thing when Indonesia is already independent and not being colonized by the colonial country. This becomes a problem because they do not support their own country where they live and spend their life.

Before judging and placing this Samin people in to particular corner, there are some cases that I would like to analyze here. After reading some resources and articles, there are some other characteristics they have so that they are called and included to minority ethnic group and multiculturalism. What I have explained in previous paragraph is considered by most of people in many discussions and debates as the bad understandings and concepts of Saminism. However, there are some other good and fascinating understandings and concepts which most of other common societies do not have. Here, the detail of these concepts which Samin people still have in the status quo right now is explained:

Good understanding	Bad understanding
1.       They are against colonialism	1.       They are not going to school
2.       They  really like PEACE	3.       They are not paying taxes
4.       They never lie in their life	5.       They are not reporting their marriage to KUA
6.       They never fight each other	7.       They are not supporting Government
8.       They hate violence	9.       They are covering themselves from the modernization
10.   There are no stealing and robbing among them	11.   They are not having trading to other people outside
12.   They keep their nature, and no exploitation
13.   They are really open-handed to every one who needs help

The main aim and thinking analyses of this paper is on how to still keep this minority group alive, but they can still involve and support the governance of Indonesia. The thing which can be proposed to carry out in this paper is that to minimize or even erase the bad understandings and concepts they have. However, the good understanding and concepts of saminism will still exist. By this way, samin people will not lose their identity and on the other hand they can also support and get involved to the Indonesia policies. There is no any disadvantage for them if they conduct this. They can throw away their bad concepts and still can show their Saminism as their identity by their good thing. So, the aim of this paper will happen which is about how to make multiculturalism has the same right to build and support Indonesia as a nation.

The bad concept and understanding which is raised and come out here is on how to erase their paradigm about studying in schools and direct them to the knowledge improvement.  By erasing this concept, it again does not mean to erase their identity because we still let and do not erase their good identity. They will still be called by Samin people though they are going to school since they still have their good concepts like what are listed in the previous table.  I still believe that though they join study in the school they will not lose their identity because their good concepts and understanding do not belong to other common people in Indonesia. For the example, Samin people never tell lies. However, it is very difficult to look for people surrounding us who do not lie. For the evidence, there are so many corruptors in Indonesia alive. With this little example, I do believe that Samin people have no problem if they join to school and erase their bad concepts and understandings.

The system which I would propose in this paper for their education is that by letting them go to home schooling. The home schooling here means that the government should provide special school just for Samin people. They will be educated there. So, their parents will not worry that their children are contaminated by other students outside Samin. By this mechanism I do believe that Samin people will just agree to this system easily. They will become more educated people with the special good concepts and understanding which not all people have it. They will have the same right like other societies in Indonesia to have education. By this education also, they will involve to fill Indonesia independence ever after.

Lastly, I do believe that government will be very easy to handle and implement the mechanism I propose above, because the government has the authority to manage their societies. So, the multiculturalism in Indonesia will still exist and they will have the same right to build this nation.

Reference

 

Nurkhoiron, M. (2002, Agustus 12). pajak, samin, dan kita. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from interseksi: http://www.interseksi.org/publications/essays/articles/pajak_samin_kita.html

Sastroatmodjo, S. (2011, Mei 07). masyarakat samin, siapakah mereka? Retrieved November 10, 2011, from google books: http://books.google.co.id/books?id=5cq3Jr8QoEcC&pg=PA241&lpg=PA241&dq=masyarakat+samin+harus+sekolah&source=bl&ots=ZDegdPSkhE&sig=sbF579OjkE_ER3zJKwbtndg7398&hl=id&ei=qEW7TveQJqShiAeDg7TIBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&