Cabral and Sukarno
Sukarno and Cabral are separated geographically by the ocean, belonging to different continents. They are also separated by their different national, social, cultural, religious, and even ideological backgrounds. However, their are some important points that tie them strongly together: their fight for liberty stemming from a shared experience of oppression. The oppression caused by colonization.
Sukarno’s speech at the Badung Conference was one which can be rightly described as brilliant, charismatic, intelligent, and dreamy. Sukarno’s goal as much as it can be ascertained from this speech, is for his country to develop and prosper. Interestingly, his conception of development is not like Nkrumah’s featuring big economical projects, but aligned more towards ethics and the prosperity of the people. Sukarno is very attuned to the need of sound principles in governing something, saying “the necessity of giving content and meaning to our independence. Not material content and meaning only, but also ethical and moral content…” (Sukarno 3). The second key word for him is ‘freedom’. He emphasizes again and again the exhilarating truth that colonized people who lived in “humiliation” are now free to make their own decisions. There is an obvious dream-like element to his speech throughout, which a very striking similarity with the other leaders talking about decolonizing such as Cabral, but what is impressive is that Sukarno makes very intelligent analysis of colonization and decolonization. He says that colonialism is not dead but has a “modern dress, in the form of economic control, intellectual control, actual physical control by a small but alien community within a nation” (Sukarno 4). His emphasis is on moving forward and progressing. And to achieve that goal, he calls on the peoples from Africa and Asia to unite, making his catchphrase “Unity in diversity”. These people are from the countries which have been colonized making this shared experience, their point of coming together. His goal is to invite people from different religions, cultures, ideologies etc. on to a common point, to develop together being united by three things: common detestation of colonialism, hatred for racialism, and determination to pursue peace in the world.
“National liberation is naturally an act of culture”.
Cabral and Sukarno are united in their goals of decolonization and progress for their previously colonized countries, however their views differ a lot. The focal point for Cabral is culture, which for him is the tool of decolonization and resistance to imperialism. He champions a return to the past and glorifies the culture of his ancestors much like his other liberation struggle leader contemporaries in Africa. However, the distinguishing feature of Cabral is that his ideas are not abstract and fictional. His ideas are more developed and intellectual and whereas he constantly emphasizes the importance if culture, he warns against the dangers of cultural nativism or cultural chauvinism. He does define culture and gives solid points about its significance, even identifying the inferiority complex that colonized peoples have which leads them to take on the culture of their colonizers: “As a result of this process of division, or widening of the divisions in society, it happens that a considerable section of the population, notably the petite bourgeoisie, urban or peasant assimilates the mentality of the coloniser, considering themselves culturally superior to the people they belong to, and whose cultural values they either despise, or do not know.” However, what is unclear is what exactly is that culture that Cabral is telling the people to return to; it is perhaps a mixture of both history and an imagined past. Cabral’s acumen though cannot be denied as he has identified a great problem of colonized peoples not many leaders pay much importance to, their identity crisis.
To conclude, I will say that the broad goal of both Cabral and Sukarno is the same, that of liberty, progress and decolonization however, Sukarno looks ahead while Cabral looks to the past. Their ideas are vastly different. Sukarno seems to suggest making a new identity while Cabral aims to reclaim the past identity.
Sukarno’s speech at the Badung Conference was one which can be rightly described as brilliant, charismatic, intelligent, and dreamy. Sukarno’s goal as much as it can be ascertained from this speech, is for his country to develop and prosper. Interestingly, his conception of development is not like Nkrumah’s featuring big economical projects, but aligned more towards ethics and the prosperity of the people. Sukarno is very attuned to the need of sound principles in governing something, saying “the necessity of giving content and meaning to our independence. Not material content and meaning only, but also ethical and moral content…” (Sukarno 3). The second key word for him is ‘freedom’. He emphasizes again and again the exhilarating truth that colonized people who lived in “humiliation” are now free to make their own decisions. There is an obvious dream-like element to his speech throughout, which a very striking similarity with the other leaders talking about decolonizing such as Cabral, but what is impressive is that Sukarno makes very intelligent analysis of colonization and decolonization. He says that colonialism is not dead but has a “modern dress, in the form of economic control, intellectual control, actual physical control by a small but alien community within a nation” (Sukarno 4). His emphasis is on moving forward and progressing. And to achieve that goal, he calls on the peoples from Africa and Asia to unite, making his catchphrase “Unity in diversity”. These people are from the countries which have been colonized making this shared experience, their point of coming together. His goal is to invite people from different religions, cultures, ideologies etc. on to a common point, to develop together being united by three things: common detestation of colonialism, hatred for racialism, and determination to pursue peace in the world.
“National liberation is naturally an act of culture”.
Cabral and Sukarno are united in their goals of decolonization and progress for their previously colonized countries, however their views differ a lot. The focal point for Cabral is culture, which for him is the tool of decolonization and resistance to imperialism. He champions a return to the past and glorifies the culture of his ancestors much like his other liberation struggle leader contemporaries in Africa. However, the distinguishing feature of Cabral is that his ideas are not abstract and fictional. His ideas are more developed and intellectual and whereas he constantly emphasizes the importance if culture, he warns against the dangers of cultural nativism or cultural chauvinism. He does define culture and gives solid points about its significance, even identifying the inferiority complex that colonized peoples have which leads them to take on the culture of their colonizers: “As a result of this process of division, or widening of the divisions in society, it happens that a considerable section of the population, notably the petite bourgeoisie, urban or peasant assimilates the mentality of the coloniser, considering themselves culturally superior to the people they belong to, and whose cultural values they either despise, or do not know.” However, what is unclear is what exactly is that culture that Cabral is telling the people to return to; it is perhaps a mixture of both history and an imagined past. Cabral’s acumen though cannot be denied as he has identified a great problem of colonized peoples not many leaders pay much importance to, their identity crisis.
To conclude, I will say that the broad goal of both Cabral and Sukarno is the same, that of liberty, progress and decolonization however, Sukarno looks ahead while Cabral looks to the past. Their ideas are vastly different. Sukarno seems to suggest making a new identity while Cabral aims to reclaim the past identity.
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