Translated by Putu Semiada
C O W A R D
There has been a question why Balinese like having quarrel among them?
It might be because of having quarrel with your own brothers or relatives is much easier than with other people.
“For instance, if you are having quarrel with a Javanese, it’s useless if you curse him as he might not understand Balinese language. Whatever you call him, cicing (dog), bojog pelung (‘blue’ monkey), bangké maong (dead body), he will not care” says I Pekak Gunung Dusun (Uneducated Granpa).
I Pekak is the last person from 45 generation who still alive. He can speak Dutch and Balinese (of any level: high, middle, and low). But he can not speak Indonesian or English, let alone Javanese.
“I always get nervous when I have to speak to a tourist. I can’t even say a word…..as they remind me what I went through during the Dutch era.”
Most Balinese are like I Pekak at the moment. They get nervous when they have to face
outsiders (westerners and Javanese). For instance, when they see Javanese dry his clothes in high place (which is forbidden in Balinese culture), or has food stall which break the street setback line, or makes noise during the Day of Silence (Nyepi), the Balinese will pretend as if they didn’t see. Also, when a westerner builds a villa by river delta, or builds a hotel very close to a temple, the Balinese don’t dare to protest. They might be upset but they will prefer to be silence.
It will be different when a Balinese found drying his or her clothes in high place, builds food stall which breaks the street setback line, or has pig breeding which smell very bad, their Balinese fellows will immediately protest. Some even will do vandalism. Being a Balinese, you should never even think of building a villa by a temple, nor establish your own new traditional village (desa pekraman), or make your own villa by a river delta, otherwise you will socially be punished. You know, when a crematorium was built some months ago which was aimed at helping the poor Balinese to be able to hold cremation ceremony for their late family member, a big protest came from their own Balinese fellows.
Now we can see, that’s why Balinese never protest against Javanese or westerners when they don’t participate in traditional activities with the Balinese, or when they are not registered at banjar (local village council), or when they do not pay any donation.
It will be different when a Balinese does not join the local village organisation (banjar), or forget to pay monthly contribution to the banjar, (or can not afford as he is too poor), strong reaction will come from their Balinese fellows. The person will be fined with big money or even worse…isolated form social life (kasepekang).
“When his boss is a westerner or Javanese, a Balinese will do whatever he is told to do. He will say yes to every order given. He will never argue with his boss, not even ask why he should do it. He will be a coward,” says I Made Kuli di Gumi Pedidi (I Madé-Servant-in-Your-Own-House).
The thing is when his boss a Balinese. Everything his boss does will never considered right. He will criticize him all the time. He thinks that he can do better than his boss does. Worse, if the boss is his own relative, he will always blame him.
Look at what happen to the governor of Bali. When the governor is Balinese, the situation never seems right. Whatever policy he makes, protests will come from every different party. These kinds of people might think that they deserve the position. Therefore this kind of situation has made the governor does not have time to do more important things because he has to deal with these kind of people.
So the question is why the Balinese prefer having dispute with their own Balinese fellows?
It is because the Balinese are ‘afraid’ of people from other island or overseas. Most of them are now coward.
