It has been 30 years the Indonesians commemorates the Pancasila Sanctity Day that is now renamed as the Commemoration of the National Tragedy due to the Betrayal of Pancasila. This is an annual event on which every 1 October all people of Indonesia will recall an unpleasant memory in Indonesian history, the kidnapping and the murdering of top Army generals to topple Sukarno and pave the Indonesia Communist Party’s (PKI) way to power. At least that is the official version of the story. The truth, however, is still mystery.
Some says that such event as well as Pancasila itself were extremely exploited during the new order era. Pancasila has been used by the regime to sustain the power, creating some kinds of resistance for the ideology. Was having Pancasila as an ideology then a mistake? Of course not.
An idea is never wrong. How people use the idea that could be harmful. So is Pancasila. Many studies have suggested that Pancasila is the best ideology existing in the world. It is also the most suitable ideology for Indonesia as a multicultural country. The Five Principles: 1) Belief in the one and only God (Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa); 2) Just and civilised humanity (Kemanusiaan Yang Adil dan Beradab); 3) The unity of Indonesia (Persatuan Indonesia); 4) Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives (Kerakyatan Yang Dipimpin oleh Hikmat Kebijaksanaan, Dalam Permusyawaratan dan Perwakilan); And 5) Social justice for all of the people of Indonesia (Keadilan Sosial bagi seluruh Rakyat Indonesia), are indeed all Indonesians need to run this great country.
If, these principles are well-internalized in every Indonesian, being a great and powerful nation is very likely to happen. Yet, the power of Pancasila as an ideology to guide our way of life is us to decide. Ideology will stay as mere ideology, if people in that country don’t understand the meaning behind the ideology. An ideology should be reflected into actions. Thus, an important question to ponder is whether or not Pancasila is still our ideology; given the current situation in which many are decided by voting, income gap keeps widening, corruption is ubiquitous, and the people is no more caring each other.
Are we having Pancasila as an ideology or are we dreaming Pancasila as an ideology?