The Rengasdengklok incident was the kidnapping of Soekarno and Hatta by a number of youths such as Soekarni, Wikana, Aidit, and Chaerul Saleh from an association called "Menteng 31". In this incident, it occurred on August 16, 1945 at around 03.00 WIB, where Soekarno and Hatta were taken to Rengasdengklok (a village in Karawang Regency, West Java Province), to be urged to accelerate the proclamation of independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
As for the meaning of Proclamation, Endar
Wismulyani said, that the word Proclamation has the meaning of notification or
it can also be called an announcement related to statehood (Witanti, E. 2017:
2). As for the word Independence, there are several different definitions.
Among others, according to Marzuki Alie, independence is freedom from
colonization, oppression, ignorance, backwardness, poverty, and injustice. And
according to Masinton Pasaribu, independence has a collective meaning or
together free from oppression, exploitation, and ignorance.
The background of the Rengasdengklok incident
is based on differences of opinion between the youth group and the old group,
related to the implementation of the proclamation of Indonesian independence.
Where from the youth group wanted the proclamation of independence to be
carried out unilaterally, which was sufficient by the Indonesian people
themselves without waiting for a decision from Japan or PPKI. In that sense,
they did not want any interference with other countries such as Japan.
Meanwhile, the old faction is more inclined and chooses to wait for the decision
of the PPKI.
On the other hand, the youth group argued that
the proclamation of independence should be done as soon as possible, because
the situation and conditions at that time were very favorable for the
Indonesian people themselves. Japan at that time had also surrendered to the
Allies, namely on August 15, 1945, so it was possible that there were no more
forces that could prevent the Indonesian people from freely proclaiming their
independence.
However, the older group argued that the
proclamation of independence should be done officially and legally. They feared
that if the proclamation was carried out unilaterally, it would cause divisions
within the Indonesian nation itself.
Another opinion says that the old group at
that time was still bound in an organization that collaborated with Japan. The
organization was called "Jawa Hokokai", which was formed by the
Japanese as a forum to accommodate the appreciation of the Indonesian people,
established on January 8, 1944 (Islami, M.F. 2022: 3).
Chronology Of The Rengasdengklok Incident
The Rengasdengklok incident began on 15 August
1945, when young people from various organizations gathered at a Baperki (Indonesian
Student Representative Body) dormitory on Jalan Kramat Raya, Jakarta. Other
sources say at Cikini 71. They held a meeting to discuss the proclamation of
independence. Then, during the meeting, Soekarni proposed and suggested that
the proclamation of independence be carried out unilaterally by the Indonesian
people themselves. From these suggestions and proposals, which in the end
received support from other youth leaders.
Until the next day, on August 16, 1945, the
youth came to Soekarno's house on Jalan Pegangsaan Timur 56, Jakarta. They
forced Soekarno and Hatta to come with them to Rengasdengklok. Soekarno and
Hatta initially refused the request and invitation. However, after the youth
leaders continued to urge him, Soekarno and Hatta finally agreed to come with
them to Rengasdengklok, using a car driven by Syodanco Singgih, a PETA member
from the youth leaders. And when they arrived at the place, Soekarno and Hatta
were first taken to one of the houses of Djiauw Kie Siong, a Chinese landlord. In
the pickup of the two old figures, another source said that Mrs. Fatmawati and
Guntur Sukarno Putra were also accompanied (Setiani Pebri Puspita, 2017: 31).
The coercion carried out by youth leaders
against Soekarno and Hatta was due to the assumption that the old group was
still under Japanese influence, so in such a way it was possible for the
welfare of the Indonesian people to arrive quickly (Poesponegoro &
Notosusanto, 1992: 81).
In Rengasdengklok, the youth urged Soekarno
and Hatta to proclaim Indonesia's independence by August 17 at the latest, and
Soekarno and Hatta agreed. However, the older group asked for time, to first
consult with other leaders.
The Consequences And Lessons Of The Rengasdengklok Incident
From the success of the youth leaders who
forced Soekarno and Hatta to proclaim Indonesia's independence, on August 17,
1945, Soekarno and Hatta finally proclaimed Indonesia's independence at
Soekarno's house on Jalan Pegangsaan Timur 56, Jakarta. Other information says
that before Soekarno read the proclamation text, it was preceded by a speech
(Kaelan, 2016: 39). And who pioneered that the implementation of the
proclamation should be in Jakarta, namely Ahmad Subardjo with Wikana, where
Laksamana Maeda was willing to guarantee safety while they were in his house.
And from this Rengasdengklok incident, it becomes one of the proofs that the
role of a young person is very important in the struggle for Indonesian
independence in 1945. The youth not only played a role as fighters on the
battlefield, but also played a role as a driving force for the independence of
their own country. In addition, the Rengasdengklok incident is one of the most
historic events that we should not forget. Because, after all, it was from this
event that until now has become the initial milestone in the independence of
the State of Indonesia.
Some of the significance for Indonesian
history of the Rengasdengklok Incident include:
- It shows that youth leaders played an
important role in the struggle for Indonesian independence. Both in
participating in the battlefield, as well as in the drive for independence to
be proclaimed.
- Successfully forced Soekarno and Hatta to
proclaim Indonesia's independence immediately.
- It became the most important milestone for
the beginning of Indonesia's independence in 1945.
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