Hasn’t it been proven, if young people now are not apolitical, who only like gadgets and do leisure with do nothing?
It has also been proven that young women are also not the ones who like to be sarcastic, such as SJWs who like to protest patriarchy cases with unclear criticism?
What is happening now is that young people are organically taking to the streets, organizing offline actions at the House of Representatives (DPR) and online actions, protesting the price of the 26USD buns eaten by president’s children, Kaesang and Erina Gudono, amidst the nepotism of the palace family. The acts make students have to bleed and get police violence, in order to fight against their greedy behavior, against the DPR elite and parties that prefer to protect the palace family rather than the people.
They are not young people who can go everywhere on a private jet, just ask their father for a job, and are proud to eat bread that costs 26USD when there are people queuing for food or when there are girls who do abortion because sexually assaulted, and the state is incompetent to take care of them. They are also not people who can study aboard, take multiples photo, when others are on the streets defending the oppressed.
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Look at the situation in front of the House of Representative in Jakarta on August 22, 2024. Students and women without command took to street because they were fed up with the elites tampering with constitution for their interests, especially ahead of the Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) in November 2024.
The most encouraging moment about the action was that so many people had an awareness. The realization that anesthetized many people, when people considered in the past, the action of Jokowi did at Constitutional Court (MK) to get position for Gibran in the palace through family member (uncle) who has position in MK, was normal.
The action in front of the House of Representatives has awaken many people who have been drugged, who have been fans of this royal family, to realize that what has been done so far is only for the sake of perpetuating their family throne.
This mass movement is a form of collective anger from the people over Indonesia’s democracy, which has been disrupted over the past few years. Not only about the Pilkada Bill, but also various issues related to misuse of the authorities have triggered the people to join mass actions. Various cross-organizational joined: labor groups, students, school students, women, the urban poor, activists, young people, and many others.
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Many young artists who we usually see on screen were present in the action, such as Abedel Achrian, Bintang Emon, Gina S. Noer, Arie Kriting, and Reza Rahardian. Not only did they stop by, they also gave speeches on the command car. They voiced the unrest oof the Indonesian people over the current state of the country.
There is Ernest Prakasa who also criticizes influencers online.
Who are these influencers? Konde.co noted that they are celebrities who were invited to IKN (purposed new capital), who were invited to take a walk to see ‘development and sundries of progress’.
The presence of young artists in the midst of this action is a sign that the current condition in Indonesia are troubling many parties, across all levels of society.
Not only direct action, many other young celebrities voiced their concerns through social media, accompanied by the hashtags ‘Emergency Alert’ and ‘#KawalPutusanMK’, it was starting from musicians, actors, comics, directors, to social media influencers.
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Some artists, such as Eva Celia, Isyana Sarasvati, Ananda Badudu, Nadin Amizah, Baskara Putra (Hindia), and Fathia Izzati from Reality Club voiced their anger and concern over Indonesia’s fate in various ways.
From August 22 onwards, for example, musicians performing at concerts and music festivals put up digital blue Garuda posters with the hashtag ‘Emergency Warning’ on stage. The unrest and disgust over this regime are a shared experience and it felt by all levels of society, especially marginalized people.
On the other hand, there are also many popular young influencers and artists who support oppressive regimes.
The term ‘influences’ is used as a sign that someone has a great influence on others, in this case their followers or fans. It is mystery what is promised to them to take side with the ruler instead using their influence to defend the interest of the people.
Just look at Raffi Ahmad, whose followers on social media are equivalent to more than half of the total of the population of Java Island. He builds narrative that are far from siding with the people, who are in fact oppressed by the greed of the elite. Raffi Ahmad is not the only young influence to follow the regime amidst the chaos of the Indonesian democracy.
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Recently, there have also been calls to boycott a number of celebrities who have been identified as regime buzzers and do not care about inequality and oppression of the people. in fact, it seems that these celebrities are highly educated and live in prosperity – they should not solely use their influence for popularity and money.
In addition, influencers with a large number following can utilize social media to spread awareness among the community. Yet, that’s only happen in ideal picture, right?
Politics also belong to young people, there are many ways to get involved
Everything is political – everything in life is political. The things we do after waking up, the transportation we choose to travel, the food we eat during the day, the friends we chat during our free time – all of it is political.
So, it is not right to think that politics only belongs to certain circles, let alone to say that political issues do not concern young people.
From the beginning, feminists criticized conventional ideas about politics. Traditional thinking about politics that only emphasizes structure, function and activity is seen as too narrow and ignores the reality of women’s experiences.
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For feminist, politics is a manifestation of power relations. Therefore, everyday politics is also politics. Things that are referred to as public and private affairs are not seen as a dichotomy. It’s seen connection between formal and informal politics and criticize unequal power relations.
Referring to Vicky Randall, the idea offered by feminists is an alternative view. Politics is process of articulation, an effort to build relationships within the existing power structure.
In this way, politics is not only the business of government-political parties, elections, voters, and government policies – that is political, but also the politics of people’s lives – family, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexuality, education, class, and so on.
In short, feminist thought criticizes traditional definitions of politics and shifts the focus from politics relating to external events to a consideration of power relations in our everyday lives.
Feminists highlighted women’s participation in public politics and the impact of policy-making on women. However, this was not enough, so feminists expanded the arena of focus to include sexual politics. This includes issues of resistance to male violence against women and the politics of reproductive health and sexuality.
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The expansion of the feminist interpretations to include sexual politics and emphasis on the ‘the personal as political’, we see a different assessment of women’s political participation.
The problem does not stop at the way artists participate in a torn democracy. In general, we can also see the way young people react to the country’s situation.
Many young people are fed up with the regime’s tricks and are speaking out on social media. They voice their protests on social media, and post artworks such as drawings and poems about the death of democracy in Indonesia.
These young people also joined the protesters – from university students to agency workers – chanting in command cars, carrying critical and ‘current’ posters, to experiencing the constant brutality of the authorities in demonstrations because the government likes to perpetuate violence.
Demonstrations are not the only way to express oneself, especially in the midst of the chaotic national politics. There are various ways for communities and young individuals in Indonesia to speak out. Social media campaigns are one of them. In 2019, we know the hashtag ‘#ReformasiDikorupsi’.
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In 2024, the hashtag was ‘#KawalPutusanMK’, related to the Constitutional Court’s decision on the revised Pilkada Law. The hashtag was also accompanied by a visualization of an eagle on a blue background with the words ‘Emergency Alert’. The social media campaign had an unexpected effect. When it hits the trending topics list, at least it helps raise awareness among internet users that the country is not doing well.
Long before social media was widely used to voice aspirations, Indonesia art activists used music, poetry, and novel to criticize and express anger towards the authorities. One of them is Wiji Thukul, a poet and activist whose became a threat to the New Order elites. Wiji Thukul’s critical and vocal poems made him hunted down and forcibly disappeared by the regime until today.
From the world of music, young musicians at the time such as Bimbo, Koes Plus, to Iwan Fals who actively criticized the government through their songs. In 1984, Iwan Fals was even banned and briefly detained by the police. The reason was his song titled Demokrasi Nasi and Mbak Tini contained of satire against the New Order government at that time.
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Now, we have young musicians like Efek Rumah Kaca (ERK), Feast, Oscar Lolang, Rara Sekar, Isyana, and Barasuara who through their songs often reflect and criticize the situation in Indonesia. at LaLaLa Festival 2024 which coincided with the #KawalPutusanMK action series, many musicians called out ‘Emergency Warning’ throughout their performance. This symbolizes resistance to a regime that is oppressive to its people. this resistance is present in the arts that are loved by young people.
What should young people do?
‘I’m lazy, the country is fine, why do demonstrations? I’m busy, I don’t have time for politics’
Perhaps we have also seen such sentiments from young people on social media in recent times, especially when there are demonstrations in many cities in Indonesia. When it comes to being busy – it can’t be always be an excuse. Reza Rahardian is not unemployed, that’s is not a reason for him to join participate in demonstration and Kamisan actions all day long.
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We as young people must also realize our privileges. Most young people today have easier access to information, through school facilities, campuses, or independently through social media and other media channels. Also, the involvement of young people in socio-political issues is now so commonplace.
Many campaign and demonstration initiatives come from young people – students and communities. Kamisan actions outside Jakarta are mostly initiated by students. Art performance that are critical of the government are initiated by young people’s communities.
Perhaps some young people who are still reluctant to take part in upholding democracy are still in the process of exploring reality. But in the end, in the midst of an uncertainty country, young people need to choose. Do you want to care about democracy that’s at the same time also determines our fate, or be apathetic and even support the government that has more often take our rights as a people?
The #KawalPutusanMK movement can be a starting point for those of us who are new to participating, whether in the form of street actions or on social media. The recent demonstrations are just one form of reactions to the problem. It is important for us to start organizing ourselves and fostering solidarity among each other.
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We can learn from feminists who, through women’s political ideas and activities, generate new perspectives on politics. By combining feminist critiques of politics with examples of practical engagement in groups, movements and communities, feminists actively intervene to create change.
Just as Karl Marx once said that, ‘Philosophers have so far only interpreted the world, the point is to change it,’ for feminists, praxis, the belief in bringing theory and practice together through action, has significance.
In short, feminism involves thinking about the oppression and subordination of women and ways to create change – individually, collectively, and specifically. Looking at the politics of domination and resistance through the lens of feminist analysis helps us broaden our examination of political analysis and activism. By thinking about different relation, we can recognize binary oppositions and contextualize them within systems of power that oppress individuals and groups.
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The binary ranges from male/ female sexism, white/ colored racism, heterosexual/ homosexual to non-disability/ disability and beyond. Such dichotomies and hierarchies and the power politics within then are criticized by feminists. Therefore, feminist political struggles also transcend these binary ideas.
The ‘new’ politics of feminists also emphasizes grassroots engagement against elitist, hierarchical and bureaucratic ways of working. The regime, ridden by power-hungry oligarchs, likes to oppress the people. We as a cross-section of society, including young people, need to understand that government arbitrariness affects the whole of society.
Whoever you are – school students, university students, office workers, factory workers, agency workers, city dwellers, villagers – we can all be affected. So, do we choose to stay silent or fight for the rights of the people?
This article is a part of #BukanCumaSimbol (#MoreThanSymbol) series, urging substantive women representation in politics.
