Jakarta – Nine organizations will commemorate a century of Pramoedya Ananta Toer at the Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) arts and cultural centre in Jakarta on Saturday February 8.

Indonesian People's Union of Struggle (SPRI) National Secretary Dika Mohammad said that Pramoedya is a writer who actively introduced Indonesia to the world. At least a dozen literary books and hundreds of his short stories and essays have been translated into all the main languages in the world, as well as several other languages in Asia and Europe.

Aside from commemorating the birth of Pramoedya, this even also aims to actualise Pramoedya's idea that the ultimate philosophy of human life is to break away from all shackles. Like rejecting the old-fashioned cultural heritage, resistance to the injustice of colonial power, or the spirit of building freedom and prosperity.

"The spirit of Pramoedya's work also reminds us that the work of building freedom and prosperity is the duty of all people as an independent nation, not just working as an individual", Dika explained in a statement on Tuesday January 22.

Pramoedya was born on February 6, 1925 in Blora, a small town in the northern part of Central Java. He was the eldest of nine children of the couple M. Toer and Saidah.

For several years his name was mentioned as a Nobel Prize for literature candidate and several universities in America awarded him honorary doctorates.

Plate awards and certificates adorns the walls and tables of his spacious guest room. But only one or two are from Indonesia, from the publishing company Balai Pustaka in 1951 and the leftist People's Democratic Party (PRD) in 1994.

With the myriad of Pramoedya's achievements, Dika hopes that this activity can encourage the government to include national literary works in the junior high school and high school national education curriculum.

The Commemoration of a century of Pramoedya Ananta Toer was attended by historian and cultural observer Hilmar Farid and the translator Pramoedya's Buru Quartet and other workers, Max Lane. In addition to this, a number of artists such as sculpturer and artist Dolorosa Sinaga, musician and activist Ananda Badudu and Ubaidilah Muchtar, the head of the Multatuli Museum, will participate in the activity.

The nine organisations involved in the event are the SPRI, the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI), the Indonesian People's Movement Confederation (KPRI), the United People's Struggle (KPR), the National Trade Union Confederation (KSN), the Campus Employees Union (SPK), the Progressive Students School (SEMPRO), Solidaritas.net and Koreksi.org.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "9 Organisasi Akan Peringati Satu Abad Pramoedya Ananta Toer".]

Source: https://titastory.id/9-organisasi-akan-peringati-satu-abad-pramoedya-ananta-toer/