Indonesia: Santri to put efforts for 2045 Golden Indonesia vision, says VP Ma’ruf Amin

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin on Monday called on students of Islamic boarding schools or Santri to participate in efforts to realize the 2045 Golden Indonesia vision and preserve the ideal of the nation’s founders.

He made the appeal while attending the 2022 National Santri Day commemoration event at the Muhammadiyah Boarding School (MBS) in Sleman, Yogyakarta province, on Monday.

“We must inherit the spirit of struggle to realize the idea of the founding fathers to build a prosperous and developed country. We aspire that by 2045, Indonesia will become a Golden Indonesia,” Amin remarked in a press statement received here the same day.

The Vice President cited the example of the work of K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari and K.H. Ahmad Dahlan, two Santri figures who, during their lifetime, did not only persistently fight against invaders but also succeeded in establishing large Islamic organizations, namely the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah.

“These two organizations are a very good legacy from both of them, as a place where we devote ourselves, such as the one we attend, Muhammadiyah Boarding School, which is a legacy of the influence of K.H. Ahmad Dahlan,” he said.

Therefore, the current generation of Santri must continue to imitate the previous scholars and Santri by striving to realize a Golden Indonesia, he added.

“If they were called mujahideen, fighters who brought independence to Indonesia, we must also become mujahideen in another form,” Amin remarked.

As part of efforts to realize Golden Indonesia 2045, the Santri must continue to develop the country by activating the economy, such as through agriculture, plantations, mining, and marine affairs, the Vice President said.

Besides mastering religious knowledge, it is hoped that the Santri will also master science and technology in order to manage the various natural resources in the country, he added.

“We must know how to explore and manage the natural resources that God has given us. The key is superior human resources, who master science and technology,” he said.

He further emphasized that the Santri must continue to maintain the national agreement forged by the nation’s founders, namely regarding the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity).

Moreover, he advised Santri to continue to strengthen the unity and integrity of the nation’s citizens, especially ahead of the 2024 General Elections.