Starting the Arts and Cultural Week in the series of events of the 63rd anniversary of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Rector, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc., Sc, delivered Cultural Speech UGM for Jogja at the Koesnadi Hardjasumantri Cultural Center on Monday evening (22/10). The event was running lively with poetry reading, gamelan performance and painting exhibition.
In front of the artists and cultural experts as well as academics, the Rector said that the UGM for Jogja reaffirms UGM’s commitment, love, dedication and loyalty to Jogja. Jogja is not a spatial room in geographical map, but as an abstract concept that depicts cultural values, value of struggle, way of thinking and way of living. “The culture of Jogja in the Indonesian state has inspired the establishment and the sustainability of Indonesia. Even when the embryo of Indonesia was produced almost forcefully by the founding fathers, jogja was one of its loyal nannies and Jogja protected its leaders and the new Indonesia by being its capital,” the Rector said.
Jogja, said the Rector, played a role in building the character of new Indonesia because here all sons and daughters of Indonesia are united, learning together, living in the community. Here in this city, Javanese people, Sumatran people and the people from overseas are united and Indonesianised.
Jogja, however, does not Jogjanise the foreign and the Sumatran people, but Jogja Indonesianises its visitors. In the context of present days, Jogja happily blends itself, no longer recognising the Sumatra or overseas concept. “What remains is the Indonesianess,” he said.
The Rector felt the UGM that was born in the Indonesian spirit, was raised by Jogja and gave UGM to Indonesia. Up to 13 UGM chiefs have become a small illustration how Jogja ignored it, even supported it. The first Rector, Prof. Sardjito was born in Magetan, Prof. Herman Johannes in NTT, drg. Nazir Alwi in Central Sumatra, Prof. Soeroso in Semarang, Prof. Sukadji in Blitar, Prof. T. Jacob in Aceh, Prof. Koesnadi in Tasikmalaya, Prof. Moh. Adnan in Blora, Prof. Sukanto in Semarang, Prof. Ichlasul Amal in Jember, Prof. Sofian Effendi in Bangka and Prof. Sudjarwadi in Klaten.
"And I am from Bojonegoro. This is, of course, an important lesson for Indonesia. Jogja has never been hesitant to blend itself, becoming Indonesia. Jogja has never been hesitant tohold on to the Javanese value in Indonesian spirit, never hesitant in holding on to the tradition amidst global and knowledge development,” said the Rector.
As someone who has been living for a long time in Jogja, he admitted that Jogja is not only a common arena for the meeting of all from various ethnic groups, faiths and regions, but the meeting point for progress and care, tradition and progress as well as art and knowledge. “Therefore, out gathering tonight wants to reaffirm such hubs, meeting hub, continunity hub, and harmony hub. Things that rarely happen, artists meet at the campus which is known as education and knowledge institution. This is not because we want to be different, we really want to reaffirm the identity of Jogja and UGM,” he concluded.