Deference and Defiance
Tjokroaminoto touched the lives of many national movement leaders, although some ended up opposing him, like Musso and Semaoen. Kartosoewirjo’s idealism went to the extreme, evident from his attempt to create an Islamic State. And although Tan Malaka greatly respected Tjokro, he often criticized his guru.
August 17, 2011
DINNER time at Tjokroaminoto’s home in Peneleh, Surabaya, was often a lively affair when the host and some of his young associates discussed affairs of the time, such as Dutch colonialism. Young Sukarno asked: “How much have the Dutch taken from Indonesia?” Tjokro replied: “De Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie (Dutch East Indies Company) takes or steals around 1,800 gulden a year from our lands a year to feed Den Haag.” Dissatisfied wi
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