Pribadi Wicaksono, Jakarta – Hundreds of people gathered in zero-kilometer point of Yogyakarta holding a ceremony or locally known as tirakatan to commemorate the birth of state ideology Pancasila on Thursday afternoon, May 31. Several communities, including Gadjah Mada University's student community, attended the event.
The participants sitting on the floor in front of Gedung Agung Palace were listening to the songs about Pancasila in the Javanese language. "This tirakat is a form of residents' gratitude that now Pancasila could be celebrated on every June 1. There was no celebration ever took place years ago," said the coordinator Sigit Sugito on the sideline of the ceremony.
According to Sigit, the spirit brought up during the ceremony asserted that Pancasila is a state principle and ideology. "We declined Pancasila Day polluted with political actions bringing political interest by a certain group such as an act to defend this or that which was planned to be held in Yogya," he underlined.
Sigit said Pancasila should be a tool to unite the nation. He also demanded Pancasila not being used as a tool to attack each other during these political years of 2018 and 2019. "We're here praying to remember and remind the true value of Pancasila as a unifying tool; not dividing tool," he added.
Earlier, two rallies dubbed Aksi Bela Bangsa (act to defend the nation) and Yogyakarta Benteng Pancasila (Yogyakarta the fortress of Pancasila) that planned to be held to celebrate Pancasila Day on June 1 were halted by the police considering both were susceptible to spark dispute as it would be held at the same time in public area of Yogyakarta's zero-kilometer point.