Mohammad Tabrani | |
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| Born | (1904-10-10)10 October 1904 |
| Died | 12 January 1984(1984-01-12) (aged 79) |
Mohammad Tabrani Soerjowitjitro (10 October 1904 – 12 January 1984) was an Indonesian journalist and politician. He originated from the island ofMadura and received journalistic education in Europe. In his early journalistic career, Tabrani was a major proponent of theIndonesian language as a national language. Later on, he became the editor of thePemandangan newspaper and promoted the independence of Indonesia through parliamentary means.
Tabrani was born inPamekasan,Madura, on 10 October 1904 and he began his education at aMULO inSurabaya, before continuing to anAMS inBandung. He then enrolled at the civil servant school for native Indonesians (Opleiding School Voor Inlandsche Ambtenaren), still in Bandung.[1] During this period, he was active in youth nationalist organizations such as theJong Java.[1]
Tabrani had begun to work as a journalist inAgus Salim's newspaperHindia Baroe, where he was a senior journalist by 1926.[1] AtHindia Baroe, Tabrani wrote an editorial on 10 January 1926, where he first proposed the term "Bahasa Indonesia" (Indonesian language) to refer to the common language used by people in the Indies.[2] In another editorial titled "Bahasa Indonesia" published a month later on 11 February, he was more openly nationalistic:[2]
The Indonesian nation does not yet exist, then create it! The Indonesian language does not yet exist, then create it![a]
He later prepared and organized the First "Youth Congress" in 1926, which brought together several Indonesian youth organizations. Tabrani chaired the preparatory committee for the congress itself. During the congress in 30 April – 2 May 1926, the attendees agreed on the use of theMalay language as the national language following a proposal byMohammad Yamin, but Tabrani opposed, calling for the language to referred to as the "Indonesian language and not the Malay language, despite containing Malay elements".[1][3]
During the Second Youth Congress of 1928, which resulted in theYouth Pledge, Tabrani was absent, as he was travelling and studying in Europe.[1] For some time, he also studied journalism inBerlin andCologne, in addition to studyingGerman stenography which he completed in 1929 atThe Hague.[1][4] To gain journalistic experience, he also worked at Dutch newspapersHet Volk andDe Telegraaf. He remained in Europe until 1931.[1] In 1929, while at The Hague, he published a book titledOns Wapen: den national Indonesische pers and hare organisatie, which outlined plans to develop nationalist newspapers in Indonesia.[5]
Tabrani organized a political party in September 1930, thePartai Rakjat Indonesia (Indonesian People's Party) which advocated collaboration with Dutch authorities and called for parliamentary pursuits of Indonesian independence, though it did not gain much traction.[6] He also started a political magazine titledRevue Politik, before later on joining the newspaperPemandangan as its editor.[1] After theSoetardjo Petition of 1936 was submitted to theVolksraad, Tabrani (asPemandangan's editor at the time) was an enthusiastic supporter, and he successfully campaigned for the creation of a committee to implement the petition.[7]
Tabrani then participated in the first congress of the Indonesian Journalists' Union (Persatoean Djoernalis Indonesia/Perdi) in 1934, when he spoke on "Journalism and the movement and the public interest."[8] Tabrani was later elected as chairman of that organization in 1938,[5] and reelected in 1939.[1] During his presidency and time atPemandangan, theSecond World War erupted in Europe, and immediately after theDutch capitulation theDutch police bannedPemandangan for an article published on it.[9] There was also a public affair with Volksraad memberMohammad Husni Thamrin, who questionedPemandangan's coverage of the war. Eventually, Tabrani resigned his Perdi presidency in 1940.[10] In June 1940, Tabrani attacked Thamrin through an editorial, accusing Thamrin of not securing the release ofAmir Sjarifuddin.[9] Tabrani later entered service of the colonial government, heading the data section of the war propaganda department.[11]
Following the Japaneseinvasion and the ensuingoccupation, Tabrani for some time worked as an editor of theTjahaja newspaper based inBandung.[12] He was at some point during the occupation imprisoned and was tortured, crippling his leg. After his release, he became chief editor of the Japanese-sponsored newspaperIndonesia Merdeka.[1]
During theIndonesian National Revolution, Tabrani acted as secretary of thewar and political prisoners committee.[13] After Indonesia's independence, he for some time managed thePNI-ownedSuluh Indonesia newspaper.[1] In 1973, after some convincing from former Jakarta mayorSudiro, he published his memoir of the First Youth Congress.[1] He died on 12 January 1984.[2]
Tabrani is often credited with the creation of theIndonesian language,[1][2] and the Language Development Agency of theMinistry of Education of Culture proposed in 2019 that Tabrani be made aNational Hero of Indonesia.[14] His grave in the Tanah Kusir Cemetery in Jakarta is a memorial site dedicated to his work.[2] On 10 November 2023,Joko Widodo awarded the title ofNational Hero to Tabrani.[15]
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