Indonesia Participating Youth of 41st SSEAYP

ABHINAYA JAYATE

Saturday, 6 September 2014
Abhinaya literally refers to an action with excitement. Jayate refers to glory.

Fiery Spirit for Glory, a rhetorical message that we are excitedly to deliver in the 41st Ship for South East Asian and Japanese Youth Exchange Program (SSEAYP). SSEAYP as it was conceived more than 41 years ago has a noble objective: to promote friendship and mutual understanding among the youths of Japan and the ten Southeast Asian countries, to broaden their perspective on the world, and furthermore, to strengthen their spirit of international cooperation and practical skills for international collaboration, and as a result, cultivate youth who are capable to exercise their leadership skills in various fields in the globalizing society and to contribute to the society in the areas such as youth development.

Abhinaya Jayate thus has become a phrase of our in-depth willingness and message that we try to turn it into action for the sake of South East Asian age of glory in line with near-reaching ASEAN Community 2015 implementation, and in the meantime to promote more lucrative and friendlier multilateral partnership with Japan.

History recorded, there were some notable reigning powerful kingdoms existing in Southeast Asia in the past namely (Mataram, Indonesia), Angkor (Angkor, Thailand), Funan (Angkor), Ayutthaya (Thailand), Bagan (Myanmar), Champa (Vietnam), Khmer (Angkor), Lan Xang (Laos), and others, having shown that Southeast Asian countries have a strong cultural root and background. Of some instances, Kingdom of Majapahit and Kingdom of Sriwijaya were once spreading the wing of mighty empire that reigning most of Southeast Asia region ranging from present Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They were known mighty so because they were able to unite various ethnic groups and diverse background turning it into one yet plural reign, and be able to tighten various conquests under one flagship and one king. Different customs and beliefs were fairly accommodated in a unified form of governance.

Along the way, countries in Southeast Asia, except Thailand, rise from hard struggle against the any kinds of colonialism. Some of them also become a pioneer in spreading the spirit of freedom even reaching beyond African continent to inspire achieving their independence. It has shown a persistent struggle of the region in order to achieve the glory of their homeland. Today, in line with ASEAN Community 2015, these eagerly young people are expected to be agent of change who hand-in-hand conduct mutual works to usher ASEAN region at the ascending point of its quantum leap. These works cover specific area such as politic and security, economy, and socio-culture in response to ASEAN Community 2015 mission.

Sanskrit language was chosen to colloquially denoting our motto with careful consideration as this language was in the past once used vastly in ASEAN region before colonial age, not limited only in Indonesia. Sanskrit, furthermore, represents past glory of affiliated Hindu/Buddha kingdom in the archipelagic region that extent as long as Ceylon/Sri Lanka to southern part of present China.

In Indonesia, Sanskrit language is fairly familiar and is mostly used for governmental/institutional motto. In Malay speaking countries (Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei) Sanskrit was vastly used in the past as it was in Indonesia (Hint: Even the word of “Singapore” is adopted from Sanskrit meaning the Lion State). Based on linguistic studies, some words in modern Malay (Bahasa Indonesia) and Malay language are borrowed from Sanskrit. Meanwhile in Thailand, Sanskrit words can easily be found in some uses such as person’s name. Hint: The naming of “Suvarnabhumi” airport is actually adopted from Sanskrit which means “Golden Land”. Thai language under influence of Sanskrit, however, is closed to Khmer or Lao language. Thus, in these two countries, Cambodia and Laos, some Sanskrit words are no longer a stranger yet it is present. Similar case is also applicable when we relate Sanskrit with Burmese (national language of Myanmar) as word “Bhasa/Bahasa” is something common for Burmese. In general, this language is very present in ASEAN region even until now.

Although, Vietnamese language is kind of exception as Vietnamese is strongly affiliated to eastern Asian language (mostly northern Vietnam) under strong influence of Chinese language. Meanwhile Filipino has a strong bond with Bahasa Indonesia/Malay under Austronesia language family. Nonetheless, modern Filipino is more likely affiliated to English or Spanish after the country annexation by western world.

In short, Sanskrit language, under historical consideration, is chosen in the matter of fact that this language was once uniting ASEAN region in the past. The call of past glory is indeed still calling. These young people just can’t help themselves to hold out any longer but strongly will to win the glory in nowadays borderless globalization in order to unite the region under mutual sovereignty, the ASEAN Age. Thus, the bond is expected to still present and last. The spirit of Abhinaya just comes in the right place, the right time.


So welcome aboard Abhinaya Jayate, the fiery spirit for glory of South East Asian and Japanese Countries.


-Hijjaz Sutriadi
(Press)           
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