Pancasila- The Foundation of the Indonesian Republic (An Old and Rare Book)

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The present work is a study of the struggle for a Pancasila state in Indonesia, since the close of its occupation by Japan till Pancasila became the law of the land.

This study attempts to explain Sukarmo's enunciation of Pancasila as a viable value foundation of the state, which was instrumental for securing a secular polity. This effort in turn led to the controversy between the secular parties supporting the Pancasila and the Islamic parties' ideal of an Islamic state in Indonesia.

An effort has been made to bring out the essential difference in the political attitude of the Santri, the devout muslims, on the one hand, and the Abangans or nominal muslim on the other. The Abangas, who are although muslims have combined Islam with Hindu-Buddhistic ideas. Consequently, they have a syncretistic form of religion, Agama-Djawa and their secular outlook. Therefore, the difference between them has led to a social and religious cleavage, which has found expression in political parties as well. The Masjumi representing the Santri while the PNI aspiring for a Pancasila state typify the Abangans.

The emergence of these differences had led to the cluster of political orientation with varied patterns of perceptions, on the philosophical basis of the state.

It also attempts to examines the role of secular parties in their attempt to establish a Pancasila state. Their bid to overcome Islam as a decisive factor led them to direct conflict with the efforts of muslim organisations. The endeavour of the Islamic parties is also discussed in order to highlight the obstacles which the secular parties had to encounter.

Rarely is Indonesia's national ideology, Pancasila considered worthy of in-depth study. This is unfortunate because Pancasila affects almost every aspect of political discourse. It legitimises political behaviour of not only the government, but of regime critics as well. The relevance Indonesians attach to Pancasila in contemporary discourse clearly illustrates the central value of national ideology in a culturally diverse society.

Since the enunciation of Pancasila as the formal ideological basis of the Republic in 1945, before the Investigating Committee for the Preparation of Indonesian independence, it has become an edible part of political and ideological debate. The Committee's most contentious task was related to ideology was to establish a dasar negara (Philosophical basis of the State) for inclusion in the new Constitution.

There were more than one irreconcilable ideological positions advocated by the members of the investigating Committee. In order to bridge these contending positions Sukarno set out to establish a Weltanschauung, or philosophical basis which would provide for Indonesia to survive as a unified national state. This objective was in continuation of the explicit goals of the nationalist struggle since 1928 which declared that a future independent republic would form "satu bangsa, satu bahasa, dan satu tanah air", [One people, One language, and one nation]. Pancasila was designed as a statement of universal values, which sought to find a political compromise to allow vastly differing conceptions of state ideology to coexist.