Rajāpatnī.com: Surabaya (27/10/24) – Shared collective awareness between countries in the fields of culture, history and past civilizations as a basis for joint work in the present for stronger friendship between countries in the future has begun. Cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands regarding the repatriation of cultural heritage objects is already underway. Currently, efforts to repatriate heirlooms from India to Indonesia are being explored.
Relations between India and Indonesia have actually existed since time immemorial, no less than 3 thousand years.
This relationship began during the Ramayana era. “Yawadvipa” (island of Java) is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic, Ramayana. It is stated that Sugriwa, one of General Rama’s subordinates, was sent to Yawadvipa, Java Island, to look for Shinta.
In addition, Indians have visited Indonesia since ancient times, and conversely ancient Indonesians (Austronesians) have started maritime trade in the seas of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Ancient Indians spread Hinduism and many other aspects of Indian culture including Sanskrit, Pallawa and the Brahmi script. India has played a large role in Indonesian culture, which is a blend of Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and indigenous Indonesian culture.
The most obvious traces of Indian influence in large numbers are loan words from Sanskrit into Indonesian vocabulary.
In modern diplomatic terms, bilateral relations between the two countries were seen in the 1950s when the first President of Indonesia – Soekarno called on the people of Indonesia and India to “improve the good relations” that had existed between the two countries “for more than 1000 years” before, for a while ” cut off” by European colonial powers. India was colonized by the British. Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch.
Now in the modern and global era, as stated in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution, Indonesia plays a role in realizing world peace based on independence, eternal peace and social justice.
The implementation is good and harmonious communication between Indonesia and India. An example that can be taken is through Government to Government (G to G) and People to People (P to P) and People to Government (P to G) relationships.
In Surabaya, a People to Government (P to G) relationship has been established, namely the Surabaya Javanese Script Community Puri Aksara Rajapatni (P) with the Honorary Consulate of India in Surabaya (G). Regarding the cultural sector, Puri Aksara Rajapatni, conveyed to the Honorary Consul of India for East Java and Central Java in Surabaya about the importance of the Pucangan or Calcutta Stone Inscription which now exists in India for the purposes of education, science, research and culture for the young generation of the Indonesian nation.
This matter, namely regarding the Pucangan inscription, was conveyed by Manoj Bhat, the Honorary Consul of India in Surabaya, to the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty. In response to the richness of shared cultural civilization from the archipelago’s past, the Indian Ambassador visited several sites at the heritage of King Purnawarnan and the Trowulan Site, a legacy of Majapahit some time ago.
Therefore, Puri Aksara Rajapatni, in coordination with the Honorary Consul of India in Surabaya, sent a letter to Indian Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty in Jakarta with a copy to the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Fadli Zon, Governor of East Java Adhi Karyono, Head of the Cultural Conservation Center (BPK) Region XI East Java, and Trustee of the Puri Aksara Rajapatni Foundation.
In line with the spirit of preserving heirloom objects together and with the presence of the Indonesian Ministry of Culture, it is hoped that these heirloom objects will become a tool for cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and India in building friendship as an implementation of maintaining bilateral relations between Indonesia and India based on shared history and civilization.
Hopefully, with collective awareness between the two countries, India and Indonesia, an agreement will be reached for the good of both parties. (PAR/nng).