Taken from ‘Bungklang Bungkling’, ‘Warna’, a column by I Wayan Juniartha, as published in Bali Post, Sunday, 27th September 2009. Translated by Putu Semiada
COLOUR
Does colour have a meaning?
“Yes of course. It is very important,” says I Made Putus Harapan (I Made Desperate).
Made had a very traumatic experience in relation to colour. He is good-looking, and has good body. He wanted to be a pilot since he was young. He would like to dedicate himself for this country. By becoming a pilot he would be able to oversee this country’s territory. The problem is that he is colour blind. He didn’t pass the test. Eventually he turned to be a bemo driver. Although he is colour blind, but he still managed for a driving licence. It is much easier to ‘buy’ a bemo driving license than a licence to be a pilot, he realized.
He finds that being a bemo driver, it is not a really a risky job. He sometimes gets road accidents that makes his skin scratch. But it can be understood as he can not distinguish red and green light. It happens that he just keep driving and doesn’t stop when the red light is already on. That’s how accidents happen.
“Colour is very important. If there were no red-black-white colours, how would you describe about Tri Murti (The three main Hindu gods)?”, comments Acarya Das Awatara.
Acarya doesn’t like tuak (palm toddy), let alone arak (palm wine). But he often hangs around with the krama (association friends) in the warung. He wanted himself act as if he were an ustad (Moslem leader) who occasionally preaches about ‘deviated’ people. It usually takes 2 hours for his sermons. In his sermons, he doesn’t only talks about Indian Hindu, Veda teaching or the glory Sri Kresna, but he also talks something bad about palm toddy, palm wine, ceki (gambling using Chinese cards), dominos, as well as about the ‘weakness’ of Balinese Hindu. The krama will only pretend to listen to him.
“If we don’t have the Benang Tri Datu (three colour cotton thread symbolizing the three main gods), how we can recognize ourselves as Balinese?” Sang Acarya comments further.
This Acarya seems to be overconfident. He might not know that Balinese have known how important the colour it is.
That is why when the men are going to temple they are wearing white and yellow traditional temple dresses. Formerly, they can use any colour they like.
“White and yellow symbolize holiness,” I Wayan Bali Kui Gati-Gati (I Wayan Very Balinese Mind) comments.
From their opinions it is noted that colours play important role. ‘Colour’ is the first, and ‘conducts’ is the second consideration, let alone moral.
Consequently, no matter how bad your conducts are, how slander you are, how dirty your mind is, as long as you are wearing white and yellow dress, you will ‘feel’ holy, as if you were close to the God, and have the right to ‘cheat’ others who are not wearing white and yellow.
“If we are wearing white and yellow dress, we are considered to be following the tattwa (religion beliefs),” Wayan complains.
As colour has very important meaning, it often turns the Balinese to disputes. Look at what happened during the local election as well as general election. They are divided into factions based on the political parties’ banner colours. The red one will against the yellow one, and the blue one will have to look for people supports everywhere. You are considered as competitors, if you support different ‘colour’, and deserve for any kind of attacks.
And there are always certain parties who take advantage from these circumstances, such as paint vendors, T-Shirt vendors and screen printing people.
That’s why there has been no Balinese has become president of this country.
“Let alone to be a president, just when a Balinese to be a governor, many of their Balinese fellows will strongly criticize him, like what happens currently. The Balinese fellows from the bright ‘colour’ (higher caste) comment that the current governor doesn’t reserve to rule Bali, as he is from ‘lower caste,” Made comments.
They might forget about what these high caste fellows’ ancestors did in the past. Don’t they know who were the drug dealers in Bali in the old time. And who traded Balinese to be slaves, and who collaborated with the Dutch as well. They might also forget that it is them who are trying to cheat their people so that they can take back the lands from the people and sell them or build hotels, supermarket or luxury real estates on the lands?
They might even forget that ‘colours’ can be ‘changed’. You can personally change your ‘colour’ (caste) to the brighter one.
However, no matter how high your caste (colour) is, as long as your conduct is bad, ‘caste’ doesn’t mean anything.
