"This task was entrusted to me (due to) my position as the House speaker. However, I am one of those people, who does not believe in mere coincidence, that my grandfather was the one who was asked to read the Proclamation Text, and 76 years later, his granddaughter was asked to read the same text," the house speaker noted in her statement in Jakarta.
Maharani believes that the task of reading the Proclamation text, which Soekarno had done 76 years ago, held its own meaning for her as the granddaughter of the Proclaimer.
She claimed to have sensed the air of uncertainty due to World War II when Soekarno and Hatta had proclaimed Indonesian Independence on August 17, 1945.
"Today, the world is feeling the same sense of uncertainty due to the 'war' against COVID-19 and the Delta variant," she affirmed.
Maharani tried to reflect on the message behind being entrusted to read the Proclamation Text at the Commemoration Ceremony of the Seconds of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in the context of the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.
"What is the meaning of this task? That is what I keep trying to contemplate. What message and mission do I carry? One thing that I have understood since the day I was sworn in as House speaker is that I must continue to maintain and fight for the ideals of independence that were envisioned by our founding fathers and former fighters," she affirmed.
An independent Indonesia must be politically sovereign, economically independent, and have its own personality and culture, she emphasized.
Maharani stressed that the Proclamation was proof that independence could be achieved if Indonesians stood united and shared common goals.
“If our nation works together, we can achieve anything. The proclamation is the start of the process of building this republic into an advanced and great Indonesia," she stated.
Related news: Photos of Indonesia independence proclamation to be displayed on National Press Day
Related news: Original proclamation text written by Soekarno to be displayed
Translator: Imam B, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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