Literature, as an artistic expression, has the potential to interrogate real-world issues, including those related to Ethnicity, Religion, Race, and Intergroup relations (SARA). However, contemporary Indonesian literature is often seen as reluctant to explore these sensitive themes or engage with the politics of identity.
“This condition likely stems from a long-standing fear and mimicry,” said Professor Aprinus Salam of the Department of Literature and Language, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), during his inauguration as Professor of Literary Sociology on Tuesday (Apr. 29, 2025).
Delivering his inaugural address titled “Literature, SARA, and the Politics of Misunderstanding” at the UGM Senate Hall, Professor Salam discussed how literary works such as Salah Asuhan (Wrong Upbringing) and Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind) had been viewed with suspicion for addressing racial and political issues.
He explained that early drafts of Salah Asuhan were seen as racially critical of the Dutch colonial system. At the same time, Bumi Manusia, written by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, was banned during the New Order regime.
“The state feared literature that exposed and challenged the ideological abuses of power,” said Professor Salam.
Bumi Manusia, for instance, successfully illuminated colonial racism, feudalism, gender inequality, and capitalism, encouraging readers to adopt a more humane and rational worldview. This, according to Professor Salam, was seen as subversive by the ruling elite, who feared it could erode their authority.
He argued that the public remains largely unaware of the deliberate “misunderstanding” of such works, a legacy still felt today. Literature, he emphasized, serves not only to seek and express truth but also to “incite” readers to embrace differing beliefs.
Reflecting on the New Order era, Professor Salam highlighted how the government deliberately misunderstood—or pretended to misunderstand—Bumi Manusia, labeling it dangerous to maintain control.
“This is why literature dealing with SARA was seen as a threat to the state. If it threatened the state, the work was banned,” he explained.
He contended that the banning of SARA-themed literature was no longer about national security but rather about protecting specific political interests.
“A just state would never allow its people to live in misunderstanding. But power will always preserve itself,” he added.
Professor Salam acknowledged that today’s literary landscape, shaped by unfiltered social media, has added complexity to the issue. He argued that the government is not becoming more democratic, but increasingly unaware of how literature functions as a space for truth-seeking and critical thought.
“In the future, I hope there will no longer be rules barring SARA-related themes in literary competitions. Literature must continue to provoke, to join in the pursuit and protection of truth,” he concluded.
Following his speech, Chair of the UGM Board of Professors, Professor Muhammad Baiquni, officially conferred the title of full professor on Professor Aprinus Salam, recognizing him as one of the 17 active professors at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences.
Author: Lazuardi Choiri
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Donnie