UNAIR NEWS – Once a year, Indonesians commemorate Pancasila holidays twice, Pancasila Day and Pancasila Sanctity Day. These two commemorative holidays are often forgotten; even many people do not yet know the difference between the two commemorations.
In this regard, a lecturer of History in Faculty of Humanities (FIB) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Arya Wanda Wirayuda, S. Hum., M. A has an explanation on two days of Pancasila commemoration. Pancasila was born on June 1 while Pancasila Sanctity Day is commemorated every October 1.
Pancasila Sanctity Day is commemorated because the ideology of Pancasila was re-strengthened by the government after the G30S event. During Soeharto era, the holiday was the legitimacy of government returning to Pancasila as the state ideology and to reject other ideology than Pancasila.
While Pancasila Day is the origin of state ideology formation by BPUPKI in 1945, historically, the two commemorative days are quite different and have different meanings.
“Pancasila Sanctity Day can be said to be the government’s mythologization to strengthen Pancasila,” he said.
The emergence of Pancasila Sanctity Day also strengthens the state ideology as a foundation. It also warns people to always uphold the values contained in Pancasila.
Indonesians are also expected to practice and implement the values of Pancasila in everyday life. The public needs to know the diversity of historical narratives about the emergence of Pancasila Sanctity Day to add insight based on historical facts. The mythologization used by the government is an example of hegemony by the government without looking at historical facts.
The role of historians is needed in providing various perspectives on historical writing. Mainly in the commemoration of Pancasila Sanctity Day, it was previously strengthened due to G30S incident. The public will know the perspective of the Pancasila sanctity commemoration from the government or historian. It does not mean to confuse the community, but the public needs to know the facts and perspective to interpret historical event.
Ease of access to getting information in the current era is freedom in providing insight people have not had. The government, in this case, is at least able to facilitate the diversity of historical narratives about the Pancasila Sanctity Day. (*)
Author: Aditya Novrian
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
