Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian emphasized to all stakeholders and the people of Aceh to continue to maintain their customs and culture so as not to be eroded by external influences, at least like the Province of Bali.
“In my opinion, Aceh is in a position like Bali. In a sense, it is not like the traditional Bali, because religion is different. But the customary defense scenario is that it remains dominant in the local Aceh color, but still adapts partially to external influences,” said Tito Karnavian in Aceh Besar, Wednesday, November 12.
This statement was made by Tito Karnavian when giving a speech after receiving the traditional honorary title “Head of Panglima Hukom Nanggroe” from Wali Nanggroe Aceh, Tgk Malik Mahmud Al Haythar in Meuligoe (Pendopo) Wali Nanggroe Aceh, in Aceh Besar.
Tito said, there are four scenarios that will occur in traditional and cultural developments. First, the customs and culture of a community will be maintained and not changed, for example isolated / self-isolated communities, such as the Anak Dalam Tribe in Jambi and the Bedouin Tribe.
Then, indigenous customs and culture still dominate, minor changes occur, examples of people who are open, but the indigenous cultural protection system is still strong, for example Bali.
Third, significant changes occur, dominated by external influences and customs of surviving native culture, generally occur in urban areas. Lastly, customs and culture are fully co-opted by more dominant external culture.
Aceh, according to Tito, Aceh’s customs and culture cannot move like the first scenario. Because Aceh is not an area that is self-isolating like an inner child tribe. But the province is open.
“This is a large province that is very open, aircraft entering, internet entering, land roads entering, sea roads entering. So automatically this social interaction will bring culture from outside. Not to mention the Acehnese who leave, and become many figures,” he said.
Not to mention, he continued, many smart people from Aceh live in various provinces in Indonesia. Including abroad such as Malaysia, Singapore and so on.
“They will bring their own culture affected by the culture they live in, including abroad, Malaysia, Singapore. So that it will not be possible that the indigenous Aceh cultural scenario will survive purely,” he said.
Tito does not want Aceh to be fully dominated by external influences or lost its identity because it is co-opted by foreign cultural customs. So, Aceh can be like Bali, which still maintains its own customs.
Therefore, in an effort to maintain it, support from all people is needed and there is an instrument that becomes the leader (the institution of Wali Nanggroe Aceh), to initiate and provide an understanding of maintaining customs so that they are not eroded and lost.
He emphasized that the institution Wali Nanggroe Aceh was given the task of fostering, caring for, maintaining customs, culture, history, and the tadun of Acehnese civilization.
Thus, strengthening the institution of Wali Nanggroe is very important. The Ministry of Home Affairs must provide full support as an effort to maintain Aceh’s customs and culture.
“We are committed to keeping the institution strong, both in terms of structure, organization, existence to budget problems. We must support it, because this is the bulwark of defense,” he said.
“We strengthen Aceh’s customs and culture through the existing Wali Nanggroe institution, which already exists, is recognized, and can move,” said Tito Karnavian.
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