ABDULSALAM  AND OTHER INDONESIAN 

INDEPENDENCE WAR PERIOD ARTISTS.

According to Yetti Iskandar Hidayat, Abdulsalam’s 3^rd daughter, he was born at Sumpiuh, a small town in Central Java in April 9, 1912. In some publications his name were written as “Abdul Salam” but in his paintings he wrote his name as “Abdulsalam” with the “m” as a three parallel lines

Abdulsalam’s father was an official of De Javaasche Bank in Purwokerto, a small town in C. Java during the colonial period.

In 1941, four years before the Indonesian independence, Abdulsalam was a member and then became the secretary of PERSAGI, Persatuan Ahli Gambar Indonesia (Indonesian Drawing Society). In the photograph when this organization was founded Abdulsalam stood at the back row, at the left, moustached and wearing white coat. In one of the newspaper it was mentioned that PERSAGI resisted against the Dutch government officials who stated that Indonesians was only proper of becoming laborers, coolies and porters.    

After completed MULO secondary school in Bandung, Abdulsalam worked in the Statistical Bureau near Pasar Baru, Jakarta. 

I was acquainted with Abdulsalam on July 1947 when my father, a staff of Ministry of Public Work of Republic of Indonesia, was appointed by the office to continue studying at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.  My father moved from a small town of Temanggung and stayed with Abdulsalam’s and Soerono’s  families, in a tenement at Bugisan no. 5 street Yogya. Those painters worked under the  Ministry of Youth and Development, under Minister Supeno.

Indonesia was still in the war with the Dutch who did not recognized the Proclamation of Independence of August 17, 1945. After the proclamation, the Dutch made First Military Agression on July 1947 and later the Second one on December 1948 after breaching Renville and Linggarjati agreements.

           In the tenement lived Abdulsalam’s family, Soerono’s, my father’s and my grandfather’s and two of my aunts, age 16 and 14 year old respectively,  who had fled Tegal by walking 250 km to Temanggung thru villages, rivers and forests to escape fightings between the Dutch and the Indonesian fighters. Then they together with us moved to Yogya. My grandfather, then 54 was still sad because he just lost his son, Adi. According to witnesses my uncle was found by Dutch aslept in  the morning and was shot dead without many questions because the Dutch considered he was an Indonesan Army member. He was a teacher and unarmed.

 About the house where my family lived, in the middle of the house there was a large space where the painters worked. They came in the morning and went home at the evening. I often saw Soedibjo, Ramli, Oesman Effendi and Tino Sidin working. They made paintings and banners to raise the struggle enthusiasm against Dutch colonialism. Probably the artists were the persons who painted struggle grafittis in many wall buildings in towns during the war.

In the Yogya Occupation Story (Kisah Pendudukan Yogya) illustrated story published after the Second Dutch Military Agression, Abdulsalam drew Minister Supeno going to a river to take a bath and encountered by the Dutch soldiers and was shot dead. In the story were also drawn the arrest of President Soekarno, Vice President Hatta and Sjahrir. 
The Indonesian Army Commander in Chief, the one-lunged ailing General Sudirman, who  arranged a guerilla warfare outside Yogya was also illustrated.

In Bugisan no. 5, I saw Soerono designed the National Sport Competition I (Pekan Olahraga Nasional-PON I) flags which would be conducted in Solo.   

In Independence War Album (Album Perang Kemerdekaan 1945-1950) published by Almanak R.I./BP Alda, mentioned that PON I flags was brought from Yogya to Solo. In the same book there was a beautiful lettering-norm   grafitti with English words in the State Building (Gedung Negara) at Ygyakarta stated We Don’t Want to be Ruled by Any Other Nations. This grafitti must be made by an unknown trained hands and dictated by a secretive intellectual nationalists.

In the Arswendo Atmowiloto’s blog  Invaluable Three (1)  (Tiga yang Berharga (1)) 07/19/2007 Arswendo named Abdulsalam, a Patriot Without Pension.  

During the war with the Dutch, in Taman-Siswa houses at Bintaran street Yogya there was a hand-operated printer where the artists published newspapers made of easily-ripped straw paper and other printed posters to boost the struggling spirit of Indonesian people. Abdulsalam’s caricatures were often given to   Kedaulatan Rakjat, Nasional and Patriot  newspapers in Yogya at no charges.

One day after the Dutch aggression at December 19, 1948, Soerono’s family, Abdulsalam’s, my father’s, my granfather’s, Oesman Effendi, Soedibjo fled to Cebongan village at Sleman regency, near to a sugar factory where the Dutch arrested    Abdulsalam, Soedibjo, Oesman Effendi and my father.  Soerono and my grandfather were at the river to wash themselves and were saved from arrest.

Later just after the war Soerono painted the arrest based on the interviews with the witnesses. The painting was printed in the President Soekarno’s Painting Collection, (Buku Koleksi Lukisan Presiden Soekarno), a book published by the government of People Republic of China.

The arrestees were brought to the Dutch post in Cebongan sugar factory and then to Ngupasan Jail in Yogya for detentions.

With the absent of fathers, aunt Mrs Abdulsalam, my mother, my grandfather with all members of the families left Cebongan to an unknown later villages. They didn’t know how to make a living in that situation and they didn’t know what would happen to them and their children after they left Cebongan. They had nothing except what attached in their bodies but they still had some jewelries sewn in the cloth waist bands. Javanese women always wear these bands (stagen, Jv).

After a week of uncertenties my father was released and Abdulsalam were released three weeks later. Each of them walked to Cebongan to trace their families’ hideout. As educated persons Abdulsalam and my father spoke Dutch, maybe that was the reason why they didn’t maltreat Abdulsalam and my father during the detention at Ngupasan Jail, besides they didn’t find any suspicious proofs which could bring Abdulsalam and my father to more unlucky fates.

Walking from Ngupasan to Jumeneng Alit, where three families were staying, were full of danger. Walking alone not far from Yogya my father was encountered by  Dutch patrolling soldiers. The Dutch soldiers interrogated my father. My father explained them that he was just released from Ngupasan jail. The Dutch asked my father to name one of the commander in Ngupasan and contacted Ngupasan by radio. After having clearance from Ngupasan, the Dutch soldiers released my father.

In the borders between Dutch and geurilla territories, Indonesian fighters were distrustful to persons who were coming from town and thought that they were Dutch spies who were instructed to infiltrate Indonesian territory.

When my father and Abdulsalam were asked by the guerillas when they were released from Ngupasan jail, both of them explained who they were and what had happened to them. The Indonesian fighters believed and released them to find their families. Abdulsalam and my father were released at separate dates.

On February 1949 my grandfather and two of my aunts joined with Siliwangi Division army and their families who moved to West Java to go back to their territory. My grandfather had a plan to turn to the north when the division were nearing to Tegal.

On December 1948 Indonesian Commander in Chief, General Sudirman had ordered Siliwangi Division to go back to their home to defend West Java. But because the members of the division were spread among people’s houses in Yoga and surrounding where they lived, it was difficult to contact them at a short time. Moreover the order must be carried out from mouth to mouth. On February 1949 and sometime later, the members of the division was still on the slow move leaving Yogya to West Java groups by groups.  

Main road, towns and other infrastructures were occupied by the Dutch and so the moving were done at night thru villages, forests, rivers and ricefields to avoid surveillances.

On July 1949 the Dutch could not maintain their occupation in Yogya anymore and Indonesian forces entered Yogya. At that time Yogya was the capital of the Republic. The 1 March Assault by Indonesian guerillas under the initiation of Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX and Kol. Soeharto proved the United Nation’s Security Council that Republic of Indonesia was still existed.

Knowing that Dutch was leaving Yogya, Abdulsalam family and my father’s walked back to Bugisan no.5 street by walking as far as 35 km from Bligo village near the border of Yogya and Kedu, the last village where we stayed as refugees.

In the comic drawn by Abdulsalam, Kol. Soeharto (later became the 2^nd President of Republic of Indonesia) was wearing a traditional Yogya custom entering Yogya town to communicate with his subordinates. In the comic it was illustrated that on March 1 1949  when Indonesian Armed Forces assault Yogya, hundred of guerillas were swarmed out from the Sultanate Palace where the Indonesian fighters were staying for a while in preparation to attack the Dutch.

Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX were ever being a student at the Breda Military Academy in the Netherlands. Most likely the Sultan and Kol. Soeharto were the persons who planned the attacks. March 1 Assault by Indonesian fighters gave proofs to the United Nation’s Security Council that Republic of Indonesia was still existed.

Probably Yogya Occupation Story is the first history comic made in Indonesia.

Later Abdulsalam drew Joko Tingkir, Pangeran Diponegoro and in 1954  illustrated money design Rp. 2,50 for De Javaasche Bank in the Netherlands.  

It was ance again proved that the Dutch modern armament that outmatched Indonesian guerilla’s could not bore down Indonesian people determination to free themselves.

Lord has given Indonesian people freedom because Indonesian people has shown their strong willingness.

Abdulsalam’s graphic illustrations are not available. Abdulsalam is my uncle

Regards to all readers.

Type Sardjono Angudi on the Google to read some more stories.

Picture 1:  Bedog River, a gift  from  Abdulsalam when I married in September 1970. 

Picture 2:  A gift from Abdulsalam when  my father  moved to Bandung, Juli 1959.  

 Picure 3: A river, possibly in Jogjakarta where Abdulsalam often went fishing. A gift for my younger sister who married in Bandung in 1968.