TheYouth Pledge (Indonesian:Sumpah Pemuda,lit. 'Youth Oath'), officially titled asDecision of the Congress of Indonesian Youth (van Ophuijsen spellingIndonesian:Poetoesan Congres Pemoeda-pemoeda Indonesia) is the pledge made by young Indonesians since 28 October 1928, which defined the identity ofIndonesians. The decision proclaimed three ideas: one motherland, one nation, and a unifying language.[1]
The first Indonesian youth congress was held inBatavia (now calledJakarta), the capital of the then-DutchEast Indies in 1926. It produced no formal decisions but did promote the idea of a united Indonesia. The dream of Indonesian independence inspired all Indonesian youth to unite their efforts in mobilizing youthorganizations into one forum.[2] At the time, the situation was tense since the Dutch colonial authority had just crushed the joint rebellion between communists and religious groups in Cilegon, Banten, and West Sumatra.Wage Rudolf Supratman, in preparation, composed and recorded the song "Indonesia" (prototype of "Indonesia Raya") with the help of Yo Kim Tjan, owner of Toko Populaire, a music store in Pasar Baru. This was after being rejected by Dutch-owned Firma Odeon and Tio Tek Hong, owner of a vinyl store in Pasar Baru, in fear of the Dutch authority. The music was recorded secretly in Yo Kim Tjan's house near Bilangan Gunung Sahari in 1927.[3]
In October 1928, the second Indonesian youth congress was held in three locations. The first session was held on 27 October 1928 in the Katholieke Jongelingenbond building, where hope was expressed for the congress to inspire the feeling of unity. The second session saw discussions about educational issues held in the Oost Java Bioscoop building. The third and final session on 28 October was held at Jalan Kramat Raya No, 106, which was a house owned by Sie Kong Lian.[3] This event was closed by the hearing of the future Indonesian national anthemIndonesia Raya byWage Rudolf Supratman played with violin, and sang by HajiAgus Salim's daughter, Theodora Atia "Dolly" Salim, but was modified slightly to not provoke Dutch authority.[4]
The congress was closed with a reading of the youth pledge.[5][6]
InIndonesian, with theoriginal spelling, the pledge reads:[5]
Pertama
Kami poetra dan poetri Indonesia, mengakoe bertoempah darah jang satoe, tanah air Indonesia.
Kedoea
Kami poetra dan poetri Indonesia, mengakoe berbangsa jang satoe, bangsa Indonesia.
Ketiga
Kami poetra dan poetri Indonesia, mendjoendjoeng bahasa persatoean, bahasa Indonesia.
InIndonesian with current spelling:
Pertama
Kami putra dan putri Indonesia, mengaku bertumpah darah yang satu, tanah air Indonesia.
Kedua
Kami putra dan putri Indonesia, mengaku berbangsa yang satu, bangsa Indonesia.
Ketiga
Kami putra dan putri Indonesia, menjunjung bahasa persatuan, bahasa Indonesia.
InEnglish:
Firstly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one motherland, Indonesia.
Secondly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge to be of one nation, the nation of Indonesia.
Thirdly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, uphold the language of unity,Indonesian.
The Youth Pledge is a commitment by Indonesian youth from various ethnic groups to unite inIndonesia. However, it turns out that the original script of the Youth Pledge did not mention theIndonesian language but instead usedMalay.[7]
In the First Indonesian Youth Congress, the proposal for the original Youth Pledge was formulated byMohammad Yamin.[7]
InIndonesian, with theoriginal spelling, the draft pledge reads:
Pertama
Kami poetra dan poetri Indonesia, mengakoe bertoempah darah jang satoe, tanah air Indonesia.
Kedoea
Kami poetra dan poetri Indonesia, mengakoe berbangsa jang satoe, bangsa Indonesia.
Ketiga
Kami poetra dan poetri Indonesia, mendjoendjoeng bahasa persatoean,bahasa Melajoe.
InEnglish:
Firstly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one motherland, Indonesia.
Secondly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge to be of one nation, the nation of Indonesia.
Thirdly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, uphold the language of unity,Malay.
However, the original Youth Pledge sparked a debate.Mohammad Tabrani objected to the third paragraph of the original Youth Pledge, which usedMalay. According to him,Malay should be replaced withIndonesian so that the entire formulation includes the nameIndonesia at the end.[7]
This debate inevitably led to changes in the wording of the original Youth Pledge. However, initially, there was no agreement on the change of formulation.
Therefore, the proposal forMohammad Yamin's proposal for the original Youth Pledge was submitted again at the Second Indonesian Youth Congress. The congress took place from 27 to 28 October 1928, inJakarta. The Second Youth Congress resulted in the Youth Pledge that we still hear today and marked the birth ofIndonesian language.[7]
As of Presidential Decree No. 316 of 1959 dated December 16, 1959, 28 October became non-holiday national day.[8]
