Reflecting on the Meaning of Heroes' Day

Understanding the Meaning of Heroes' Day

By: Eka Ramadhani

Chemistry Education Student

Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training

UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta

Every 10 November the Indonesian nation commemorates Heroes' Day. Looking back at history, it was at this moment that an important and highly historic event took place, in which a great many fighters fell in the battle that occurred in Surabaya, which came to be known as Heroes' Day. If in the past we fought by taking up arms, today we fight against various national problems such as natural disaster mitigation, poverty, the Covid-19 pandemic, and even the tide of globalisation that threatens the existence of Indonesian culture, which was fought for by Indonesia's heroes.

Whatever Indonesia's heroes fought for is a gift to the present generation. As the generation that continues the struggle, we need to remember the services of our heroes who fell defending the nation and the country. To honour the heroes' services, the Indonesian people usually commemorate the day with ceremonies and a moment of silence observed simultaneously for 1 minute.

In the end, President Soekarno designated 10 November as Heroes' Day on 16 December 1959, as stated in Presidential Decree No. 316 of 1959 on National Days That Are Not Public Holidays. Bung Tomo was also an important and influential figure. He succeeded in arousing the spirit of the Indonesian people and the youth of Surabaya to unite against the colonisers. Through his rebellion radio broadcasts, Bung Tomo called on all the youth of Surabaya, wherever they were, to return at once to fight the British troops who attacked Indonesia after independence. Although Indonesia lost the battle at that time, the people of Surabaya eventually succeeded in driving the colonisers out of Indonesia, and Indonesia was able to stand on its own, free from the interference of the colonisers.

The battle began with the anger of the people of Surabaya. They considered that the Dutch had insulted Indonesia's independence and disrespected the red-and-white flag, so they protested in front of the Yamato Hotel and demanded that the Dutch flag be lowered and the Indonesian flag be raised. Then, on 29 October, the Indonesian and British sides agreed to sign a ceasefire. But the next day, the two sides clashed, and Brigadier General Mallaby, the British commander, was shot dead and the car he was riding in was blown up by militias.

Things continued when Major General Eric Carden Robert Mansergh followed up on the killing of General Mallaby. Mansergh issued an ultimatum demanding that the Indonesian people hand over their weapons and stop resisting the Allied Forces Netherlands East Indies (AFNEI) and the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) troops. Mansergh also threatened to bombard the city of Surabaya from land, sea, and air. The ultimatum angered the people of Surabaya, leading to the battle of 10 November, and the war lasted about three weeks. Among the figures who drove the struggle of the people of Surabaya were Sutomo, K.H. Hasyim Asyari, and Wahab Hasbullah.

The meaning of this story does not only present the history of the nation. It also teaches Indonesian children, by example, about perseverance, honesty, never giving up, and having high spirits. These values can then be applied in daily life by studying diligently, achieving, helping one another, and getting children used to saying sorry and thank you to others.

Another meaning is that we, as a free Indonesian nation, have the right to manage our own lives. We must not depend on foreign nations. If any foreign nation wants to control us, we, as a good nation, must fight against it and defend our independence. Let us make our heroes' struggle a meaningful guide in life.

https://m.harianmomentum.com/read/44573/harian-momentum-edisi-16-november-2022