After returning from the Netherlands, these thoughts and turmoil turned into the energy of nationalism which negated the power of the colonial government in the Dutch East Indies. On the other hand, newspapers such as Bromartini (1855), Surat Chabar Betawie (1858), Bintang Timoer (1862), Djoeroe Martini, and Bianglala (1867) helped stimulate the collective imagination of grassroots communities, especially those from the second class (ethnic Chinese and Arab) and third grade (native) (Abidin, 1980).
The intellectual elite and the grassroots community are united by a patriotic experience in the battle saga against the Dutch and Japanese colonies in various parts of the Dutch East Indies. The epic battle, the spirit of patriotism and the passion for the revolution are some of the primary tokens of early Indonesian nationalism. However, the central discourse of nationalism came from ‘foreign threats’ and ‘national resilience’ due to the dynamics of the ethnoscape of that period.
The affirmation of the passion for nationalism was also given and debated by three groups: nationalists, Muslims, and communists. Youth movements such as Boedi Oetomo and the like fueled the consolidation of grassroots youth during the deliberation of the intellectual elites. Second, Islamic organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah provided ethical and religious justifications for communal resistance to the colonies. Finally, the communist group also underlined the issue of solidarity, wealth distribution, and evaluation of the economic system.
These donations are shared experiences which then become collective memory. In the early days of independence, the passion for nationalism stemmed from ethnoscape and ideoscape factors: social identity got communal bonding from feelings of threat to shared sovereignty. This then changed during the New Order.
Note: translated by editor from https://www.duniasantri.co/membaca-ulang-nasionalisme-indonesia-di-awal-kemerdekaan