Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on the Commemoration of the National Dharma Santi Nyepi (Day of Silence) and New Year of Saka 1944, April 10, 2022
Om Swastiastu.
Distinguished the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri;
Distinguished Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and Leaders of State Bodies;
Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Force (TNI), and Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri);
Distinguished the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council’s Dharma Adhyaksa (Chairperson), the Pandita and Pinandita (High Priests), Chairperson of the Sabha Walaka (Intellectual group);
Distinguished Daily Chairperson and all ranks of the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council’s;
Distinguished Governor of Jakarta;
Distinguished Hindus throughout Indonesia;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
On behalf of the Government and on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate all Hindus throughout Indonesia for the Holy Day of Nyepi, New Year of Saka 1944.
I also would like to express my gratitude to all Hindus for the contribution, efforts, hard work you have been doing in supporting COVID-19 pandemic handling by both facing health and economic impacts so that we are now experiencing a downtrend in active cases. It is our hope that COVID-19 in our country will as soon as possible shift from pandemic to endemic.
The improved pandemic situation must be maintained by observing health protocols, boosting full dose of vaccination; first dose, second dose, and booster. So, we can continue nation’s important agendas that had been delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Distinguished all Hindus,
The commemoration of the Holy Day of Nyepi amid COVID-19 is a special momentum for Indonesian Hindus to strengthen Sradha (faith) and Bhakti (worship), belief, and piety to the Almighty God, to remind on the importance of maintaining balance with nature and environment, to be a chance to sharpen humanity’s soul, to build solidarity and harmony with others, to be a chance to do self-introspection, to make improvement, and to strengthen the weakness so that live in harmony, live in peace, and happy life can be realized.
When performing Catur Brata Penyepian (Four abstinences of Hindus during Nyepi Day), Hindus are reminded to serve humanity, reminded the noble value of Tat Twam Asi (I am You) that encourages Hindus to realize live in harmony. Helping others and preserving nature mean self-protecting, otherwise hurting others and destroying nature mean self-harming. It means that Hindus are urged not only to serve humanity, but also to preserve the nature, our source of life, encourage people’s concern on nature and environment by preserving land, water, and air so that it will sustain to become sources of all life.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our country is a country with lots of mineral resources. Our mineral resources must be managed properly for the interest of the nation. We have to maintain, preserve, our mineral resources so that it will bring sustainable prosperity to all of us.
To that end, through this year’s Commemoration of the Holy Day of Nyepi, I call on all Indonesian Hindus to raise awareness and carry out concrete action in protecting the environment, mountains, forests, lakes, water resources, rice fields, sea as a form of gratitude and piety to the Almighty God.
I conclude my remarks on this auspicious occasion.
I thank you.
Om santi santi santi om.
(AP/HD/LW)