.jpg)
Indonesian nationalism is the collective sentiment of national identity, pride, and unity that binds together the diverse population of Indonesia, which asserted that the Indonesian people are a nation. The inception of Indonesian nationalism can be traced back to the mid-early 20th century, marked by a significant period known as the Indonesian National Awakening, during this formative period, the people of Indonesia underwent a profound process of self-discovery and began to cultivate a shared national conciusness.
In the early 20th century, the Dutch colonial government introduced an ethical policy in an attempt to create a benevolent and welfare colonial territory as part of the civilising mission propaganda espoused by European colonialists, the policy includes a better treatment for the development of the colony which would establish formal education for the elite native populations, these educated native elites would then establish various types of organizations, and began their activism in an effort to achieve basic human rights and socio-economic equality. Later on, the educated elites that once demanded for a better living condition in the Indies would then start a movement that advocated for independence of Indonesia, this political movement was driven by anti-colonial rhetoric, a sense of unity in struggle, and the fervent desire for a greater autonomy within the colony.
The identity of Indonesians was first discussed in a confrence led by various youth organizations called the Youth Congress, it was held from 1926 to 1928. The confrence resulted in the definition of the Indonesian identity that was proclaimed on 28 October 1928 in a pledge called the Youth Pledge, which proclaimed three unifying basic principles that formed the Indonesian nation, these principles consisted of the ideas that defined Indonesian language, nation, and its archipelago are the unifying identity. At the event of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies during World War II, a number of Indonesian nationalist figures including those who were once imprisoned or exiled during the Dutch colonial rule were employed by Japanese authorities to drove and spread the pan-asianist and pro-Japan propaganda ideas in Indonesia, the Japanese occupation and its propaganda re-amplified the Indonesian nationalist ideas, and by 1945, a central figure of Indonesian nationalism, Sukarno and the Committee of Nine promoted the idea of Pancasila, which would became Indonesia's national philosphy.
Indonesia formally declared its independence on 17 August 1945, the idea of Indonesian nationalism is still visible today in the 21st century, the usage of nationalism had been going through generations of leadership, during the national revolution, the liberal and guided democracy, the new order dictatorship under Suharto, and reform era in the present. Indonesian nationalism had faced many challenges in modern times, as it had to adapt to globalization, threats of regionalism, separatism and identity politics, as well as keeping in line by implementing democratic values and the protection of human rights. Key aspects of Indonesian nationalism has been characterized by a complex interplay of political, socio-economical, and cultural dynamics. Indonesian governments has been applying nationalist values to various aspects of life in order to kept the Indonesian nation and its independence spirit alive.
