National Awakening Day

In the Buleleng regency, the National Awakening Day, which actually is on May 20th, was celebrated on the next day, 21st May 2007 because of holidays. The civil servants, agency officers, the students and others were on holiday from Thursday to Sunday, 17 - 20 May 2007. The National Awakening Day was commemorated by conducting a flag ceremony in Ngurah Rai public square Singaraja. This ceremony was attended by the civil servants and students and led by Buleleng regent, Gede Wardana.

At that moment, Gede Wardana delivered an opening speech on behalf of the Indonesian Information and Communication Minister. Through the speech, the minister asked Indonesian people, especially young generation, to continue the struggle of former Indonesian heroes, to maintain and develop the unity in this country. The flag ceremony was then continued by scattering flower program in Curastana warrior mausoleum in Jalan Pahlawan Singaraja to remind and respect the warriors for their meritorious services so that Indonesia could be an independent country, free from colonizers.

Recently, Indonesia has experienced many difficult situations, such as natural disasters as tsunami, floods, mountain eruptions, draught and earthquakes, and also dangerous diseases, like dengue fever, and others. Those difficulties should not make the young generation feel down. They should be brave to fight against them, for example by having and conducting programs that support the national development, maintain the spirit of Budi Utomo and other Indonesian heroes, implement the five basic philosophy of Indonesia which are stated in Pancasila and so on.

In relation to the National Awakening Day, the senior lecturer of master degree program of Ganesha Education University, Doctor Made Yudana, admitted that recently a nationality erosion has happened in Indonesian people’s minds and behavior, especially in the young generation. In a seminar held by the Activator Body of ‘45 Struggle Spirit, Made Yudana presented a topic about the development of soul, spirit, and ‘45 struggle value and accurate strategy to prevent the nationality erosion symptom. He said that one of the ways to prevent the nationality erosion was to place the differences as the social reality. Indonesia has different cultures, languages, ethnics, religion and many others. These differences should not make the people fight each other and think that their culture, ethnic, language, etc, were better from others or even the best of all.

The seminar was attended by the teachers of state ideology and citizenship, junior and senior high school students, university students, members of organization in the community and Non Government Organization. The seminar was held in one day, with three presenters. Besides Made Yudana, the presenters were Nyoman Sugawa Kori and Made Westra, both of them were the regent candidates in the next general regent election.

Buleleng regent, Gede Wardana, who officially opened that seminar, stated that was a positive activity, giving the young generation further information and awareness to prevent the nationality erosion. Moreover, the theme of this seminar has close relationship to the political period that will happen in Buleleng, the general regent election, which will be conducted simultaneously next June 12, 2007. The election is an important event because it will determine the figure of Buleleng leader, who will reign in Buleleng for the period of next five years.  The problems that should be given attention by the new regent and the deputy regent are the poverty and the development that has not been finished yet in all over Buleleng. Whoever elected becomes the regent and deputy regent in the next election should be supported by all people in Buleleng.

The people should believe they can lead Buleleng people to the better life.