Laskar Pelangi: the (yet) Unsuccessful Mission of Andrea Hirata

Warning: don’t read this if you haven’t read and don’t want to know the ending of Laskar Pelangi.

Have you read the facts about Laskar Pelangi?

It became a turning point in my mind that made me stop believing that Andrea wrote LP just for fun and maybe a little hope of teasing the government about the bad education system. He did create it in a mission to criticize the government, to fight for a better education system through novel.

Although the LP facts may come from unreliable sources, it stops a debate between me and my boyfriend (and maybe all LP readers after watching Kick Andy); whether Lintang is real or not.* He concludes that because he was annoyed by the fact that Lintang is suddenly marginalized for the sake of Ikal’s existence. He thinks someone as smart as Lintang isn’t likely to end up being a mere truck driver. With that brain, he could find the way to go to school or study anywhere besides being a breadwinner for the family, or he would be able to establish his own business as he grows up, or he could be at least a supervisor at PN. Timah. Aren’t Bill Gates and Steve Jobs dropouts too?

At first I disagree with the idea. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are college dropouts. Thus, they already got secondary education to survive in the society. I mean, will a junior high school dropout such as Lintang be able to make or read a company’s financial report? Does someone who doesn’t go to high school know basic statistics or math? Again, with that brain, he can learn that fast if given appropriate books. But this post is not created to argue about LP’s illogical issues or Lintang’s real existence, because the LP facts may be unreliable, it’s about the aforementioned Andrea’s mission behind the Lintang irony.

I believe one reason for Andrea didn’t make Lintang a successful and wealthy person in the end – the same reason if he really created Lintang – is to show how bad our education system is. If he had made Lintang successful, or he hadn’t created Lintang, readers would conclude that it is okay for children who came from poor family to study at improper school or even quit it, because if they had brain and will, they would become successful or go to Sorbonne anyway. I believe that is not what Andrea wants to say (supported by facts no 2 about May 2nd, but again, if it’s true :p). He wants to say that something is really wrong with our education system, that someone had to be at least a high school graduate to survive in the society (wajib belajar 9 tahun, bo! negara-negara lain wajib belajar sampe SMU, tapi di Indonesia wajib belajar sampai SMP aja belum tercapai)

That’s why Riri Riza and Mira Lesmana put Chapter 31 Articles (1) of UUD 1945 at the end of the movie; “Setiap warga negara berhak mendapat pendidikan.” When I saw the chapter, I thought someone at least got the point. But still, Riri Riza and Mira Lesmana are so far the only people who help continuing Andrea’s mission to criticize the government. I’m sure a lot of people who watch the movie understands the purpose of putting the chapter, but no journalists, for instance, asked the president, who also watch the movie, whether he was tersindir or not and what he would do to provide better education for LP-like children, nor there was demonstration rally to demand better education system. It seems that Indonesians are immune to issues of improper school buildings and the lack of teachers.

Another criticism in LP is poverty and social security. It’s true that those children don’t get proper education. But the story about Lintang, the smartest of all, who has to quit school while he doesn’t even have to pay for it, shows that education system is not the only problem. The social service is to be blame; letting kids, such as Lintang, having to work to support the family. Children should not be the breadwinner because they need time to go to school. That’s why I think Riri Riza and Mira Lesmana are missing one chapter of UUD 45 in the movie. They should have put Chapter 34 Articles (1) also; “Fakir miskin dan anak-anak terlantar dipelihara oleh negara”.

Still I think it’s no use. One magnificent novel and movie have not open the government’s (and maybe our) eyes. I think criticizing the government thru art is not a choice in this country.

* It is a common believe that Laskar Pelangi is Andrea Hirata’s real life story, which he admitted in Kick Andy. But no one knows how many fictitious things are added.