Poem of the Morning

by Danial Indrakusuma

[Posted on FACEBOOK, October 29, 2013 in the lead-up to the October 31 – November 1 national strike in Indonesia organised by the Labour Movement National Consolidation (KNGB). Indrakusuma is active in labour movement politics. He has been active in the democratic struggle since the 1970s and was a founder of the Peoples Democratic Party – PRD]

Stopping production [via striking] can’t be achieved instantly. It needs preparation of consciousness and practicing militancy (preparedness to struggle). Yet we must call for the stopping of production from now and start practicing it from now, continuously until we succeed [more widely], and this needs patience, because this [striking] is one of the most powerful weapons of the workers – especially, if we look back at the history of our tactical experience: the most militant of our past tactics are no longer effective.

Poem of the Morning

I don’t need too beautiful words to say all this (yet I will still call it a poem):

This morning
The cops and army are everywhere, so many, sitting around in all of the estate
Actually, it’s not so hard to overcome this

I have said again and again:
That’s why consciousness (education) is so important
That’s why the Metal Brigade must be put to use,
Come on! comrade Rumput Teki (and don’t say that is too radical),
to help consolidate the factory units.
That’s why (internal) democracy is important to multiply inputs,
to extend and strengthen the participation of the members.
That’s why a humble unity is important,
not unity based on subjectivity.
That’s why a comrade able to speak on the national stage, RDP,
shouldn’t be side-lined or blocked.
That’s why it is important to practice militancy continuously, whenever possible,
no matter in how small a way.
This is called: making preparations now, from the start, early
(and it is not: advance without fear , crash into the wall)
This is called: prepare the tactics and the foundations early, from now.

Once again,
This is called: prepare the tactics and the foundations early, from now.

For Indonesian original read on: 

Sajak Pagi 

oleh Danial Indrakusuma.

Stop produksi memang tidak bisa instan, memerlukan penyiapan kesadaran dan latihan militansi (kesiapan berjuang). Namun stop produksi harus diserukan dan dilatih sejak sekarang, terus menerus sampai berhasil, dan memerlukan kesabaran, karena itulah salah satu senjata pamungkas buruh yang paling ampuh–apalagi, bila menilik sejarah siasat: siasat lama yang paling militan pun sudah tidak ampuh:

Sajak Pagi

Tak butuh kata-kata elok untuk mengatakan ini (walau tetap saja akan kusebut itu sajak):

Pagi ini
Sudah seabrek-abrek aparat nongkrongin kawasan
Enteng, sebenarnya, ngatasinnya.

Sudah kubilang berkali-kali:
Itulah pentingnya kesadaran (pendidikan)
Itulah pentingnya Garda Metal didaya-gunakan,
wahai rumput teki (jangan dibilang itu berlebihan)
untuk membantu konsolidasi puk-puk
Itulah pentingnya demokrasi (internal) untuk memperbanyak masukan,
meluaskan dan memperkuat dukungan anggota
Itulah pentingnya kerendahan hati persatuan,
bukan pilih kasih persatuan
Itulah pentingnya kawan yang sudah bisa jadi corong di atas, RDP,
jangan disingkirkan atau dijegal
Itulah pentingnya latihan militansi terus menerus, sedapat mungkin,
walau sekecil apapun
Itulah namanya: persiapan sejak dini
(dan itu bukan: maju tak gentar, nabrak tembok)
Itulah namanya: menyiapkan siasat dan landasannya sejak dini.

Sekali lagi,
Itulah namanya: menyiapkan siasat dan landasannya sejak dini.