Kartini’s birthday is celebrated annually, often with fashion show competition where women wear traditional dress. But not this time with the Women and Children Aware Civil Society Coalition in Surakarta (Komasipera). Komasipera is a community of civil society who care about women issue in the City of Surakarta.
A writer, a poet, a filmmaker, and a lecture at a publicUniversity in Solo, Fanny Chotimah says during a discussion and film presentation of "R.A. Kartini" by Komasipera and Yayasan YAPHI, on Wednesday (23/4) that the film director, Sjumandjajaportrayed Kartini as totally human,without exaggerating her importance.
Watching R.A. Kartini film which was made in 1982 reveals a number of scenes showing the deep love shown by R.M.A.A. Sosroningrat, to his daughter. Kartini’s father was a reformer of her time. Like her father, Kartini saw social gap around her, where poor peasants and fishing families were not able to pay exorbitant taxes.
In the meantime, Kartini was ancious about her life choices and the beginning of her life of seclusion, not only because her father, but also her mother and siblings said that her noble title “Raden Ayu” ( princess) was the highest of caste in Javanese culture.
Kartini said two words “knight” and “officer” that need serious emphasis. She also mentioned about adulthood which was scary as she knew she would have to experience life in seclusion. She said clearly that her biggest fear was to become an adult. Kartini was utterly concerned about the situation of her own country while she was in seclusion period. She knew people were poor, powerless...
A friend of Kartini and her family, Nancy tried hard to make it possible for Kartini to go to school in the Netherlands.
Kartono had Progressive Thought
Kartini’s brother, Kartono enthusiastically made a speech in front of students, and said that a Javanese who understood Duch language would understand what the Dutch people said about him and if there was misunderstanding he would have known. And there were only few Dutch people who understood Javanese people. “Of those few, how many would love Javanese people?” he asked. Kartono also said that he would be an enemy for people who were forced to become European or who acted like European. He also said "wake up from your deep sleep!"
Kartini’s awareness was born out of a deep concern about how indigenous people had low education, and that awareness led her to set up a school independent of the local authority (governor’s office), and free from government curriculum framework. She was well aware of the need for education and the social character of her own people. She believed that it was not just the system that needed reforming, but people had to be taught so that they were smart and be able to get out of the darkness that surrounded them. Kartini set up a school and her first student was Gayatri.
A Government System that Led to People being Oppressed and Poor
In discussion, participants express their interest when they hear one key word “system” which is mentioned a few times in the film. The meaning of the word “system” is expanded visually by showing the impacts of government system onto people – which leads to people becoming oppressed and poor.
A number of times, Kartini’s words gently hypnotise participants – words that relate to changes being made within oneself first. A poignant sentence emerge about how ambiguous a leader could be when dealing with a system. A leader with a sense of justice will definitely suffer because that leader would have to come face-to-face with the system.
A disability activist, Pamikatsih sees that Kartini’s ideas were extraordinary. They are closely relevant today where she realizes that there is a grand construction. When there is fault in the system or when the system is not overhauled, then it would be a long struggle for the Indonesian people. “I am a woman and people with disability experience injustices – that there is little appreciation from the system, culture, religion and structure, which have not changed. I am 59 and have fought for 30 years and now I just realised that the struggle of the Indonesian women has not become a collective awareness. The system has not changed. If this continues, RA Kartini will only be celebrated with women wearing traditional hair-bun and traditional dress,” says Pamikatsih.
Fanny Chotimah comments that after watching the film (R.A. Kartini), she gets to know her dangerous thoughts and ideas. Kartini argued when her husband said that it was the “destiny” of those who were not of the noble class, and Kartini interjected that in fact it was the “system.” Fanny believes this is strongly related to cases involving people with disability, in that it is the system, the State and how the State treats people with disability.
An education observer and a woman, Anik Mahanani says that the film is about women’s education, yet today education is in a sad situation, as exemplified in the Buleleng case, where junior high school students show inability to read. Then polygamy is reduced through a narrower interpretation and it is “endorsed” which begs the big question - "is this because women have vagina "?
Becoming a Forgetful Nation
An education observer, Bukik Setyawan agrees with most of the opinions expressed by participants. He then asks the question – after independence, why does the situation remain the same? He believes that Kartini and other film characters are parts of what Indonesia has fought for. Yet, something is missing in that fight – the Incident of 1965. He sees a number of references about the gap in knowledge, understanding, and the fight. “Kartini was way more advanced than today’s kids when it comes to reading books. It is prohibited to read Rumah Kaca (the Glass House), Jejak Langkah (Footsteps), and other Pramudya’s books. For me, what was terrible about the New Order was that it erased 32-years of this nation’s history,” says Bukik. He adds that as a nation, what was missing from schools and how to continue Kartini’s struggle, after the struggle for Freedom to Learn, is the National Exam which was removed in the past, but now sees a come back. “Then we are talking, fighting more in the next 50 years,” he says.
Fanny Chotimah answers by saying that the State lets the people become forgetful citizens, when it should have been doing the opposite – to encourage people to know. And when they know the real issue, they would not want the past problems to return and to cat off the trauma for the future generations.
An observer of women and children, Vera Kartika Giantari extends her appreciation for the people working in the film industry, principally Fanny, for sharing the three-hour film in segments without ruining the core spirit of the film. She also says about what people need to learn about patriarchy culture. This is what she wants to emphasise, that in the film, men were not portrayed as extremely cruel. Kartini was able to be a reformer, and break an elegant thought about noble men, without complicating our awareness.
Vera says that every word in the film is meaningful, for example, "If this is truly a disaster, then it is enjoyable. “I imagine Kartini in today’s age, what thoughts would she have and what strategy(ies) would she contemplate. The film shows how she saw the opportunities available to artisans and export ideas. Kartini was not present suddenly and was not the final line of a reformer blood, and she was taught by her parents to express herself,” says Vera.
Fanny acknowledges that the film looks gloomy, because the producer Sjumandjaja took side with humanity. The film also taught about daring. The words “knight” and “officers” appeared from start to end.
What It Means to Be a Knight?
The facilitator and resource person, Fanny asks participants to reflect once again on the word “knight.”
Vera says that knight is associated with being radical. This can only be found in someone who think differently than others, who are honest and who dare to say as is.
A participant says that in the film R.A. Kartini, her husband is not depicted as a knight, when he promised before marriage that he would not take any concubine, but he betrayed that promise.
Bukik Setyawan proposes his idea about the term “knight”, in the film about R.A. Kartini which exposed it from an opposite angle – a self-reflective father or husband ayah. It was also about the willingness to accept feedbacks, to self-reflect and to improve oneself. “In the film, this was the most difficult. It was difficult to find an official who were willing to self-reflect and said “Yes, this is wrong and I will correct this.”
Pamitkasih proposes a different opinion that a knight means dare to do different things than others, and that is difficult.
Yosi Krisharyawan says that Kartini has a privilege but she did not use that privilege for her own sake. He believes that Kartini reduced her comfort in order to provide other people the comfort they needed. (Ast)
