Sarinah, a love lesson re-echoed

Sarinah building has ‘witnessed’ explosions and gunfight that took place around Jl. MH Thamrin. The incident—ended with all five attackers died—signifies the value of the building that the first Indonesia President Soekarno underlined: love.

The department store, the first shopping mall in Indonesia and also the highest sky scrapper building in 1960s, took his name from a loving nanny that took care of Soekarno when he was a child.

During colonial era, the economy was so bad that Soekarno’s family was not afford to pay the salary of the nanny. However, Sarinah didn’t mind and kept assisting the family, especially feeding the little Soekarno with meal, and lesson about loving and caring people.

Soekarno, as quoted in Soekarno: Penyambung Lidah Rakyat, a biography written by Cindy Adams said that Sarinah, the nanny, taught him to love the people for years during his childhood, before she left the family when Soekarno grew to a teenager.

“While she’s cooking in a small hut next to our house, I sat beside her and she gave me an advice, ‘Karno, you must love your mother. Then, you must love people. And you must love all mankind’,” he said.

When Soekarno became the most influential figure during the revolution, and the leader of the young republic with the most populated country in South-East Asia, he did not forget Sarinah’s lesson and sincere service.

Thus, ignoring the unstable economy during his leadership in 1959, Soekarno announced his plan to build the department store, aimed to strengthen socialism economy in the country by obliging the mall to sell Indonesian products with good quality and affordable price.

To deal with the funding problem, the project—as written by Sarinah.co.id—was funded from reparation during war against Japan.

Soekarno then put Sarinah’s name for the department store as another tribute to the respected nanny. It was his second tribute to her, after he put her name on a book on woman participation in the battle for freedom in 1947.

The book is entitle Sarinah: Women’s Duty in The Struggle of Indonesia, and has been reprinted for dozens of editions.

Lesson re-echoed
And now, half century after the building completed as the tribute of a woman who gave love lesson to all mankind. Terror attack struck and took seven lives, including the perpetrators, and wounded 24 others.

Only a day after the attack, hundreds of people gathered around the attack scene, once again spreading what Sarinah has taught to Soekarno: a love to all mankind. There were two peaceful rally to reject bowing over terrorism.

John Lenon fans spread the picture of the legendary artist under the traffic light, right in front of Sarinah, at which the second terror attack happened against a police officer. They sang John’s famous song, Imagine.

Johannes, the initiator of the rally echoed his effort to create peace in the country, and promised to keep spreading the love, despite terror attack which aiming to rip of the love and humanity.

"I am here to spread the love and affection. We should not let the Indonesian society fall and become the victim of terrorists’ vicious action," he said during his oration, as quoted by tribunnews.com on Friday.

Besides Johannes, there was another rally conducted by student #PelajarTIDAKTAKUT (#StudentsNOTAFRAID). Another big rally coordinated by Jakarta citizens, under the working group named “Jakartan solidarity against any kind of terror.”

Some famous national figures took part in the action, such as Arswendo Atmowiloto, Goenawan Mohamad, Fadjroel Rahman, and Franz Magnis-Suseno. Two daughters of pluralist figure Gus Dur, Alissa Wahid and Yenny Wahid, also joined the rally.

"Today, Jakarta citizen gathers to follow their conscience. We are a nation full of tolerance and mutual cooperation spirit. Together, we will be strong," said Jakarta Deputy Mayor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, during his oration in the rally.

As a building, Sarinah has ‘witnessed’ the cruelty of terror on Thursday, yet the terror has been conquered. A day after, the people united to show their solidarity to defend humanity and spread love to all mankind.

The love that Sarinah—the sincere nanny—taught to Soekarno is once again lighted…