Prof Dr Ir Sajogyo: An Outstanding Rural Sociologist
PROF Dr Ir Sajogyo, who turned 82 last May, is a keen observer of rural development in Indonesia. Born in Karanganyar in the Central Java district of Kebumen, Sajogyo has been critical of government policies which he says are not in favor of the rural majority. He believes that the recently launched program to provide cash assistance to the poor, the so-called Bantuan Langsung Tunai, won’t solve the problem of rural poverty.
Sajogyo, a rural sociologist par excellence, has dedicated all his life to researching, writing, and teaching on rural issues. In a recent interview with Tempo’s Grace S. Gandhi and Rina Widiastuti, he spoke at length about his life and his concern with rural poverty. A soft-spoken man, Sajogyo is a true scholar with a clear mind and great intelligence.
July 1, 2008
I WAS born to a teacher family. My father and mother, Soewardjo Poerwoatmodjo and Chamidah, were both graduates of a teacher school in Ungaran, Central Java, where they met and fell in love. Upon graduation, my father began his teaching career in an elementary school while my mother settled for life as a housewife. At home she became a teacher to us, her six children.
My parents gave me a rather long name: Sri Kusumo Kampto Utomo. Kampto was wri
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