It was Kartini Day 2 days ago, April 21, in Indonesia. I passed the day with excruciating stomach due to menstrual pain. There can’t be no other time more suited for these 2 events to collide. Let me reflect to you some of my thoughts about Kartini and being a woman.
Kartini’s legacy was a collection of her letters to her friends
in the Netherlands published in a book called “Door Duisternis Tot Licht” (Through Darkness to Light) or translated to Indonesian as “Habis
Gelap Terbitlah Terang”. She also has a school for women whom she established
in Rembang. Because of these and several other considerations, she was named
the one of Indonesian hero on women emancipation.
For some times, I was a bit unsure whether she is a hero.
Like several of my other friends, Kartini does not fight as gallantly as Martha
Christina Tiahahu or Cut Nyak Dien and other female Indonesian hero who fought
the colonialism. She has quite a privilege to be a daughter of a higher class
family which entitled her to education where she became fluent in Dutch and I
imagine several other subjects as well. Although her education was caught short
in her early teen years, she was allowed to have skills course.
However, as I was lying with stomach cramps, excruciating
headache and nausea, I came to think that even though she did not gallantly fought
with weapons or sacrifice herself in war fields or even put up a real fight
against her parents, her actions, ideas and thoughts were ‘loud’ for her era.
Here is my thought why, I think the Hero title is rightfully hers.
She was born in an era or darkness where women were boxed
in. Had she not gone to school, getting educated, meet people and learn foreign
language, she might not be open to the fact that there is a glimmer of hope for
her, for women for her kind.
Reading a bit of a review about her life helped me to see
that she is no weak and submissive person. Her will power and intelligence is
what set her apart. I think she excelled in school especially in language (Dutch).
I imagine, the language helped her to find ways to ‘rare ideas’ books – perhaps
philosophy, biography of women leader, religion and many others- Perhaps books
in Melayu language were censored or biased on the ideas of women position. But
being able to skillfully use Dutch language enabled her to read more books with
advanced thought on women emancipation. I believe she dared to dream! Dream
that perhaps… just perhaps… I too can be emancipated or I can emancipate other
women. Martin Luther King was known with his dream. Yes, he was killed shouting
it out loud so others can hear. But so does Kartini! She shouted it out loud
most importantly for HERSELF! She was liberating herself. For those who was
once felt confided, imprisoned, being brainwash that you are just a stool in
the room, being blindfolded and being told that you are blind, gagged your
mouth and being told that you have no voice and who really live in the dark… whispering your OWN ideas
IS liberating and BRAVE!
Who would support Kartini at that era? She was bound to so
many restricted rules of her class, rules of being women, obligation as child
to parents, love to ailing parents. If you are a woman, you will be able to identify
these obligations. The difference with us women nowadays is we know that we can
do something and we can stand by ourselves. Back in Kartini Era, she doesn’t
know. She wanted to believe that she can but all her support system says NO YOU
CAN’T. What can she do? Blessed her little heart, she found a Dutch friend whom
she could correspond and poured out her thoughts.
The problem with Kartini day, in my opinion, is not exactly
about Kartini herself. It is in how it is celebrated. I do think Kartini will
not agree that the emancipating and liberating day is celebrated with silly symbolic
costume party of Kebaya and sanggul! As someone who tried so hard to liberate
her own thoughts, I assume Kartini would not have wanted such diverse cultured
women of Indonesia to succumb to an elaborate get-up to javanisized women of
Indonesia.
As for her lack of fighting in comparison to Cut Nyak Dien, Martha
Christina Tiahahu and other respective heroines, I simply would like all of us
to not generalized fighting. Kartini’s thoughts and actions are not to be
compared to other heroes. She belongs in her own fighting and own category. Considering
her era, her circumstances and her short span of life, her thoughts are
inspirational and ahead of her time. Should she has a long life, I believe she might
be able to do a lot more. She might be able to breakthrough.
There I was, in extreme menstrual pain, contemplating the
complicated life of women. And Kartini… hats off to you! You are an inspiration
to me for your liberating thoughts. – As for Kartini day, we are not
celebrating Kartini’s life! We are celebrating the liberation of women’s
thoughts and actions.
