Posts Tagged ‘Merapi’
chaotic night
Unpredictably, Friday night becomes a chaotic night for Merapi’s evacuees. The story started when the volcano was rumbling in the distance. It was in the midnight when the loudest rumble could be heard even from more than 30 miles far from the Merapi’s hot pit.
In my current place, that is 30 miles from the hot pit, villages come out from their home. The rumble even could wake them from their soundly sleep. Villages come out and directed their eyes to the volcano. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy night so the hot pit of Merapi was invisible. The 30 miles away panic is only last for minutes. But, right in the slope and evacuation camp that only 10 miles from the active crater’s of Merapi, the fear last for hours.
Right after the rumble, Jalan Kaliurang was rushed by evacuation since the street is the main evacuation lane in the Sleman regency. While the evacuees were going down, I tried to go up, tried to draw near the hot pit. Police closed Kentungan junction, the main access to the higher Jalan Kaliurang. Finally, I found another way to pass the barricade.
It was the real chaotic night. While thousands of evacuees tried to abandon their last evacuation camp, there also sand fall. Sand, pebbles’, and ashes fall from sky that narrowing the evacuees’ vision. Approximately, evacuees had to go more than 5 miles from their last evacuation camp.
spiritual keeper
I just finally found the English replacement for “juru kunci” as BBC released a news on the burial of Mbah Maridjan, a well known and respected spiritual keeper of Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta. but, what makes Mbah Maridjan respected ? the only answer is his loyalty.
since the last eruption, Mbah Maridjan surged his reputation as spiritual keeper when he refused to be evacuated by the authority. in 2006, his prediction that Merapi’s eruption will not big enough to reach him was accurate.
essentially, this is not a matter of accuracy of spiritual prediction. this is not also a matter of rational or irrational options. but, spiritual keeper as merely human could also release inaccurate prediction. many people give respect for Mbah Maridjan regarding his loyalty to the King. this kind of loyalty that is absent in our political elite in Indonesia. as Merapi began its biggest eruption since the last decade, Mbah Maridjan finally fulfill his promise to be spiritual keeper of Merapi till his heroic death.
disaster free-rider
unpredictably, Indonesia was shocked by three natural disaster. more than 300 people died in mentawai,merapi and wasior. as usual, many free rider will come out for participation.
actually, what is free rider ? economically, free riders are those who consume more than their fair share of public resource. or politically, free riders are those who manipulate such situation for the sake of their own benefit. to make it simple, free rider always ask for free nourishing lunch. in economic and political sphere, free riding is a common problem.
according to such definition, not only individual, but also various non-government organization and even political party could play their role as free rider. essentially, positive image is the only background for such contribution. certainly, not all of the actors are free rider. just be careful, when they hoisted their flag and ask for media coverage, they are free-riding the situation.
for political reason, free rider could manipulate such calamity situation to surge the positive political image. many actors could generate good image by their assistance on such disaster. they only need to hoist a flag and ask for media coverage. as we can see in the case or merapi and mentawai, there are many organization and political party that hoisted their flags in the middle of evacuation barrack. how many flag that hoisted in such occasion could describe how many actors are trying to be a free-rider. but, for the sake of ethical reason, free riding at the tragedy is always immoral. what do you think ?
Berita Demokrasi
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