Satya Graha (journalist)

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Satya Graha
Born(1931-08-05)5 August 1931
Died8 June 2022(2022-06-08) (aged 90)
Occupation(s)Journalist, translator

Satya Graha (also spelled Satyagraha; 5 August 1931 – 8 June 2022) was an Indonesian translator and journalist, mostly active during the Sukarno period in the 1950s and the 1960s with the Suluh Indonesia newspaper. Having worked at the newspaper since its founding, he served as its final chief editor before the newspaper's ban and his incarceration in 1965.

Biography

Satya was born in Blitar on 5 August 1931.[1] As a teenager during the Indonesian National Revolution, he joined Indonesian guerilla forces, mostly serving inside major general Moestopo's division within the military police and intelligence units.[2] His journalistic career began in 1951, when he joined the Pesat magazine in Yogyakarta.[3]

In 1953, Satya was one of the first journalists at the

Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).[4]

After the 1955 Indonesian legislative election, Jusuf Muda Dalam became the newspaper's editor-in-chief, despite Satya's vocal opposition due to Dalam's association with communism. When Dalam was replaced in 1957 with Mohammad Isnaeni, Satya became the deputy editor-in-chief, and he initiated the Sunday magazine Berita Minggu. It became very popular, reaching a peak circulation of 350,000 and generating enough income to sustain the newspaper's continued publication.[4] To further capitalize on the success of Berita Minggu, Satya required newspaper distributors to purchase Suluh Indonesia papers as part of a package with Berita Minggu, boosting its popularity.[1] He was elected as secretary-general of the Indonesian Journalists Association in 1959, serving until 1965.[6]

Between 1956 and 1965, Satya made three visits to the

People's Republic of China. He wrote extensively of his visits, generally praising the Chinese government's programs such as the agricultural communes.[6] He also drew contrasts between the apparent political unity within China with the unstable domestic political situation in Indonesia,[7] and unfavorably compared Chinese Indonesians with the mainland Chinese.[8]

In July 1965, during an internal conflict within PNI, Isnaeni fell out of favor and was removed from his chief editor post, with Satya appointed by party chairman

30 September movement several months later, Suluh Indonesia was banned by authorities and published its final edition on 2 October 1965. Satya was arrested on 18 October and imprisoned without trial in Salemba.[4] While investigators determined that Satya was not affiliated with PKI, he was still held due to his closeness to Sukarno, and shared a prison block with writers and journalists such as Pramoedya Ananta Toer and Sitor Situmorang.[9] He was released in late 1970, and afterwards worked at a company owned by Taufiq Kiemas as a translator since he was banned from returning to journalism. He then lived in Bekasi, and still worked as a translator.[4][9] He died on 8 June 2022.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ketika Suluh Indonesia Merajai Pers Indonesia". Merdeka (in Indonesian). 23 October 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Satya Graha: Jurnalis yang pernah Jadi Gerilyawan Cilik Bernyali Besar". Merdeka (in Indonesian). 3 July 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  3. .
  4. ^ a b c d e "Satyagraha Berkisah tentang Suluh Indonesia dan Bung Karno". koransulindo.com (in Indonesian). 27 September 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Akhir Tragis Koran Marhaenis". Historia (in Indonesian). 27 September 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  6. ^ .
  7. ^ Liu 2011, p. 146.
  8. ^ Liu 2011, p. 173.
  9. ^ a b "Cerita dan Kesaksian Wartawan era Bung Karno". Merdeka (in Indonesian). 9 February 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.