Berikut saya postingkan beberapa email dari seorang rekan mengenai
Pramoedya Ananta Toer yang akan menerima Doctor HC dari Univ. of
Michigan dan pernah ditahan di P. Buru, serta pernah menerima hadiah
Ramon Magsaysay dari pemerintah Filipina/Ford Foundation itu.
Semoga bermanfaat bagi rekan-rekan dalam menilai tokoh yg satu ini.
Salam
Mohamad Rosadi
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Postingan I:
>From: "Anies Baswedan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: "Anies Baswedan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "Bincang Permias" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: [bincang] Artikel Arief Budiman (Masih soal Pram)
>Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 00:22:15 -0500
>
>Pengantar:
>
>Dibawah ini saya lampirkan naskah artikelnya Arief Budiman dan Taufiq
Ismail >yang berkaitan dengan Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Naskah asli kedua
artikel tsb >ditulis dalam bahasa Indonesia dan dimuat di harian
KOMPAS tgl 14 dan 21 Agustus 1995. Arief Budiman dan Taufiq Ismail
memiliki pandangan yang >berbeda mengenai sikap "kita" terhadap
Pramoedya, karena itu kedua artikel ini -mungkin- akan bisa membantu
kita dalam belajar membaca dan menilai sejarah secara jujur. Meskipun
mereka berbeda pandangan ttg sikap thd Pramoedya, tapi kedua penulis
ini sepaham dan menguatkan fakta sejarah, bahwa ketika "berkuasa",
Pramoedya berperan besar dalam menindas kebebasan berkarya, suatu
peran yang tidak pernah bisa dilakukan oleh seorang >sastrawan,
budayawan, ataupun demokrat yang sejati.
>
>Salam, AB
>
>Note: Nomor catatan kaki ditulis di dalam parenthesis ( )
>
>------------------------------------------
>
>PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER, THE MAGSAYSAY AWARD AND THE NEW CULTURE
>by Arief Budiman
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>This writer does not forget what Pram did in the early 1960�s....
But >Arief, one of Manifes Kebudayaan signatories, got the impression
that his >former fellow signatories were retaliating by signing the
Magsaysay >statement .... I promise to myself, he said, that whenever
I get power, I am >not going to suppress the freedom of others....
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>Lately, a number of well-known writers made a statement protesting
the Magsaysay Award extended to Pramoedya Ananta Toer. This statement,
among others, was signed by Taufiq Ismail (originator), Mochtar Lubis,
HB Jassin, >Rosihan Anwar, Asrul Sani, Wiratmo Soekito, WS Rendra, and
more.
Several of >them were signatories of the Manifes Kebudayaan, a
cultural manifesto >defending the rights of creative freedom, later on
banned by President Soekarno in 1964.
>
>It was asserted in the statement that Pramoedya directed campaigns
against >non-communist artists in the early 1960�s, by accusing them
being anti >Manipol-Usdek >and therefore counter-revolutionaries.
These campaigns in many ways >contributed to >the banning of the
Manifes Kebudayaan or Manikebu. Until today Pram has >never openly
regretted at what he did at that time.
>By presenting the award to Pram, the Magsaysay Award Foundation
implicitly >approved his actions in suppressing creative life then.
The statement also >asserted that it would be quite an irony that Pram
would be sitting on the >same bench with Mochtar Lubis, a fighter for
freedom of expression who is >also a Magsaysay awardee some years
ago.
>I was informed about the statement when I was visiting Pesantren
Raudhatut >Thalibien in Rembang. I had breakfast sitting on a mat on
the floor with KH >Cholil Bisri, KH Mustofa Bisri, and several other
kiai, santri and other >guests. Gus Mus (KH Mustofa Bisri) brought me
a fresh fax letter from Taufiq >Ismail addressed to me, asking whether
I agree with the statement written in >the fax..
>
>After reading it, people around me (especially the journalists)
immediately asked me on its content. Believing that it had a national
significance, I informed them. I stated my assessment. I disagreed
with the statement, and I >asked for their comments on my opinion. I
felt lucky the fax arrived at a >time when I was in the middle of
those enlightened people, so that I could >discuss it together with
them. Suddenly it became a lively discussion.
>Why did I refuse to sign the statement?
>I was one of Manifes Kebudayaan signatories, and therefore I was one
of the >victims of Pram�s vicious witch-hunting campaigns those
years. I was denied >the right to write in the mass media, as I was
accused being a >counter-revolutionary Manikebuist, lackey of
neo-colonialists cum >imperialists. I was badly hurt, and I was
hopeless. The �sins� that I >committed was writing down my opinion on
the freedom of man, and this right >of mine can not be embezzled from
me by the regime. I am against the idea >of using work of arts for
partisan or political interests, especially for >the political
advantage of those in power.
>Confronted by this unfair treatment, I can only promise myself that
whenever >I get power, I am not going to suppress the freedom of
others. At that time, >I remember Wiratmo Soekito saying that an
intellectual has no resentment >when he is suppressed, and does not
suppress others when he gets into power.
>I remember his words very clearly.
>The situation was getting worse every day. The signatories and
supporters of Manikebu were prevented from getting published and fired
from their jobs in the government. Wiratmo Soekito lost his position
in the Radio Republik Indonesia, HB Jassin in the Faculty of
Literature, University of Indonesia, and many colleagues of mine could
not write in the mass media.
Observing this, I became so depressed. I saw the tyrannical power
culture clenching everything around me. I promised myself again that I
shall try to establish >a new culture in which power is not used to
suppress opinion. I became sure >that pluralism is the best menu to
offer this nation.
>
>
>Pramoedya and the Magsaysay Award
>Changes occured. Now we enter 1995, the year of the 50th anniversary
of our independence. Colourful bulbs adore villages and cities, hills
and flatlands. And Pramoedya Ananta Toer received Magsaysay Award.
>I am one of the admirers of Pram�s works since my elementary school
years up to now. Therefore I appreciate Magsaysay�s award to him. For
me, the award is appropriate to be extended to one of the best
Indonesian writers.
>
>What about what he did in the early 1960�s? Have I forgotten that?
Not at all. I just can not forget that, although I already tried. But
I want to be positive about the past experience.
>
>For me, the problem we are facing today is not simply to take
revenge. I do not wish to stick to the past culture in which those in
power always want to use their might to �beat up� their weaker
adversaries, especially when (we think) they did us wrong in the past.
Therefore, our problem today is, are we willing to create a new
culture in which power is not abused without limit? Can we put aside
our personal animosity from the new culture that we want to establish?
>I remember my personal promises. I do not want to take the stand that
Pram took, to prevent one from getting an award that he deserves, just
because he is our adversary. If we do this, we revive the culture that
we once fought against. We do not create a better culture. So, who
wins?
>
>On the other hand, if we respond to the Magsaysay Foundation decision
>gratefully, we have proven that we get rid of the tyrannical power
culture >clenching that we fought against. We are establishing a new
culture in which >we respect each other�s dignity, although the other
has different points of view. I certainly hope that by stating this,
Pram would agree more with me, that for an intellectual, human freedom
is more precious than power.
>Therefore I affirm here that I disagree with the statement initiated
by Taufiq Ismail, which clearly asked the Foundation to cancel the
award. (Over the telephone Taufiq explained that he just wanted to
inform on what Pram did to the Foundation. However, the tone of the
statement did not support Taufiq�s words. Especially, Mochtar Lubis
stated in Kompas, August 5, 1995 �even warned to return his Magsaysay
award... if the foundation keeps its decision.�) This viewpoint of
mine was discussed with the kiai, santri and >journalists who happened
to be present there. Gus Mus (KH Mustofa Bisri) >explicitly stated
that he agreed with my point of view, as he thinks that >forgiveness
and respect toward human freedom are foundations of Islam. The
>same argument was also expressed by others.
>
>Furthermore I would like to mention that this viewpoint should be
>cultivated within the young. The problem involved in forming this
viewpoint >is not only in supporting or refusing Pramoedya Ananta
Toer�s Magsaysay >Award, but goes a lot deeper. With this attitude we
are forming a new democratic culture in which pluralism of ideas may
grow, in which we are not >trapped in a cycle of endless retaliations.
We want to build a new breed of >people for this nation who do not use
their power absolutely, �who has no >resentment when he is suppressed,
and does not suppress others when he gets >into power.�
>I believe this nation needs such people. I believe all of us will
contribute >greatly to this nation�s future if we bring into existence
this kind of >culture.***
>
>(Kompas daily, Monday, August 14, 1995, translated by A. Salman)
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
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>--------------------------
>Arief Budiman, art critic, initiator of Manifes Kebudayaan (1963),
>co-founder of the literary magazine Horison (1966). Degree in
psychology (University of Indonesia) and Ph.D. in sociology (Harvard).
He teaches in Australia.
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