HERO'S DAY
Heroes' Day is very synonymous with the Battle of Surabaya which is a historical event of war between the Indonesian army and British forces. The event of this great war occurred on November 10, 1945 in the city of Surabaya, East Java. November 10 Indonesian people celebrate Heroes' Day. The momentum of this celebration is certainly not just a gift, but to commemorate the services of heroes who have been willing to sacrifice their lives, bodies and assets to fight for and maintain independence.
If we look at past history, the struggle of the heroes in expelling invaders on this earth cannot be paid in any form. They are willing to fight fiercely on the battlefield, and have never flinched even though life is at stake. Therefore, we must bow our heads to commemorate their services on the day of the hero.
BUNG TOMO
One of the heroes who was very famous for his role in arousing the spirit of the people of Surabaya through his radio broadcasts was to fight the return of the Dutch colonizers through the NICA army, which ended with the November 10 1945 battle which was celebrated as Heroes' Day SUTOMO (born in Surabaya, East Java October 3, 1920 - died in Padang Arafah, Saudi Arabia, October 7, 1981 at the age of 61 years, better known as the familiar nickname of the people as Bung Tomo. Sutomo was born in Kampung Blauran, in the center of Surabaya. His father was named Kartawan Tjiptowidjojo, a middle class family head. He had worked as a government employee, as a personal staff in a private company, as an assistant at the government tax office, and a small employee in a Dutch import-export company. He claimed to have blood ties with several companions near Prince Diponegoro who were buried in Malang. His mother is a mixed blood of Central Java, Sundanese, and Madura. His father was an all-rounder. He had worked as a police officer in the township, and had also been a member of the Sarekat Islam, before he moved to Surabaya and became a local distributor for the Singer sewing machine company. Youth Sutomo grew up in a house that highly valued education. He spoke frankly and enthusiastically. He likes to work hard to improve things. At the age of 12, when he was forced to leave his education at MULO, Sutomo undertook various small jobs to overcome the effects of the depression that had plagued the world at that time. Later he completed his HBS education through correspondence, but never officially graduated. Sutomo then joined KBI (Indonesian Nation Scouting). Later Sutomo asserted that the philosophy of scouting, coupled with the nationalist awareness gained from this group and from his grandfather, was a good substitute for his formal education. At the age of 17, he became famous when he managed to become the second person in the Dutch East Indies to reach the Garuda Guidance rank. Before the Japanese occupation in 1942, this ranking was only achieved by three Indonesians. Perjuangan Sutomo was once a successful journalist. Then he joined a number of political and social groups. When he was elected in 1944 to become a member of the Japanese-sponsored New People's Movement, almost no one knew him. But all this prepared Sutomo for his very important role, when in October and November 1945, he tried to arouse the enthusiasm of the people while Surabaya was all-out attacked by NICA soldiers. Sutomo was especially remembered for his opening calls in his radio broadcasts which were full of emotions. Even though Indonesia lost the November 10 battle, this incident was still recorded as one of the most important events in Indonesian history. After Indonesian independence, Sutomo was involved in politics in the 1950s, but he did not feel happy and then disappeared from the political scene. At the end of Soekarno's reign and the beginning of the Suharto government which was initially supported, Sutomo re-emerged as a national figure. In fact, Bung Tomo held various important state positions. He was once the Minister of State for Former Armed Forces / Veterans and at the same time the Minister of Social Affairs of the Interim in 1955-1956 in the era of Prime Minister Burhanuddin Harahap's Cabinet. Bung Tomo was also listed as a member of the DPR in 1956-1959 representing the Indonesian People's Party. But in the early 1970s, he again disagreed with the New Order government. He spoke loudly of Suharto's programs so that on 11 April 1978 he was detained by the Indonesian government who seemed to be worried about his harsh criticisms. Only a year later he was released by Suharto. Even though his enthusiasm was not destroyed in prison, Sutomo seemed no longer interested in being vocal. He is still interested in problems politics, but he never raised his role in the history of the Indonesian struggle. He was very close to his family and children, and he tried hard so that his five children succeeded in their education. Sutomo was very serious in his life of faith, but did not consider himself to be a pious Muslim, or a prospective reformer in religion. On October 7, 1981 he died in Padang Arafat, while performing the Hajj. Unlike the tradition of burying the pilgrims who died in the pilgrimage to the holy land, the body of Bung Tomo was brought back to his homeland and buried not in a Heroes Cemetery, but in the Ngagel Public Cemetery in Surabaya. Title of National Hero After the government was urged by the Ansor Youth Movement and the Golkar Party (FPG) faction to give the title of hero to Bung Tomo on November 9, 2007. Eventually the title of national hero was given to Bung Tomo at the commemoration of Heroes Day on November 10, 2008. This decision was made by the Minister of Communication and Information of the United Indonesia Cabinet, Muhammad Nuh, on November 2, 2008 in Jakarta.
"Do not multiply opponents, but multiply friends".
(Bung Tomo's speech via Radio Rebellion)
"As long as the Indonesian bulls still have red blood
can make a piece of red and white white cloth so long as it's not
we will surrender to anyone. "
(Bung Tomo's speech on the radio during the battle against England in Surabaya in November 1945).
Indeed, we did not participate in sacrificing lives like the fighters in Surabaya at that time. Our current task is to give new meaning to heroism and fill independence according to the times. When fighting for and maintaining independence, the people sacrificed their lives. Let us imitate the fighting spirit of the fallen heroes by contributing to the development of the Indonesian nation.
Source : http://www.merdekafm.com/news/read/1760/Sejarah_Makna_Hari_Pahlawan_10_November_1945
