Otto Soemarwoto writings, thoughts & ideas
Indonesia Calls!
The blog (original) version of the article below has a different title and last paragraph from the op-ed version published today in The Jakarta Post on 28 October 2023. On a Friday night in the romantic city of Leiden, relieved from a hectic week, I was making a warm tea in the kitchen, when I heard the national anthem , Indonesia Raya , in the background. “It’s coming from TV, isn’t it?”, my wife wondered. "Let me check it for you, dear", I walked hastily to the living room. Indeed, on TV there wa s a row of youth standing singing, “... marilah kita berseru, Indonesia bersatu ...”, the same melody and lyrics that never fail to move my heart to sing along, on any occasion anywhere. The scene was taken in the Youth Pledge Museum in Jakarta , where the historical Soempah Pemoeda took place on the 28th of October 1928. It is remarkable to watch it broadcast on a Dutch public channel, as part of a new documentary series Indonesia roept! (Indonesia calls!). It remind
