10 November 2016
Anonymous Writer
On Tuesday, November 10, 2016, Vice Rector II of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Dr. Muhammad Fidel Ganis Siregar, led a ceremony commemorating November 10, 1945's heroic events in the courtyard of the BPA Rectorate Building. The ceremony was attended by lecturers, students, staff, and academic community members.
During the ceremony, Vice Rector II of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) also delivered a speech commemorating Heroes' Day, taken from the speech of the Indonesian Minister of Social Affairs, Khofifah Indar Parawansa. The speech emphasized that Heroes' Day is a reflective moment that gives meaning to the sacrifices of the nation's heroes, reviving the spirit of heroism in the struggle to realize independence.
The event provides a moral lesson that the nation's best legacy from its heroes is not "politics of fear" but "politics of hope." This message underscores that, regardless of the challenges and limitations faced, the spirit of struggle will not waver.
Heroes' Day commemoration should be able to ignite its fire, not its ashes. Borrowing the words of Bung Karno (Indonesia's first president), the spirit of heroism is the spirit of willingly fighting, fighting relentlessly with full idealism, prioritizing the common interest over personal interests. Because to achieve a national life that is independent, united, sovereign, just, and prosperous, progressive patriotism must develop national resilience for economic self-reliance, political sovereignty, and cultural identity.
In line with the Trisakti orientation, the government of President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla offers a transformative vision: "Terwujudnya Indonesia yang berdaulat, mandiri dan berkepribadian berlandaskan gotong royong" (Realizing Indonesia that is sovereign, independent, and has its own identity based on cooperation).
Within the framework of realizing this vision, nine priority agendas for future governance, known as NAWA CITA, have been formulated. These nine priority agendas can be categorized into three realms: mental-cultural, material (economic), and political. In these three realms, the current government strives to make changes acceleratively based on the principles of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
Bung Karno reminded us, "Our weakness lies in the lack of confidence in ourselves, making us a nation that imitates foreigners. We lack trust in each other, even though we are originally cooperative. We lack a strong spirit and are too quick to seek comfort and take the easy way out. All of this is caused by the diminishing 'sense of national dignity,' the decreasing 'national dignity,' and the diminishing pride and respect for the abilities and personality of our nation and people."
Through the commemoration of Heroes' Day on November 10, 2016, carried out through various activities, we can extract the meanings contained within it by emulating the noble values inherited by us all, such as purity to the Almighty, perseverance, honesty, and fairness, belief in one's abilities, and hard work to build a prosperous Indonesia, as envisioned by the heroes of the nation.
With determination and sincerity to work together shoulder to shoulder, guided by the meaning and values of integrity, work ethic, and cooperation, I believe the Indonesian nation can overcome various challenges and become a "Winner" nation capable of competing with other countries. This aligns with the theme of Heroes' Day 2016: "Unite Steps for the Nation."
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