Learning from the Grass Roots

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

Logistics for fast food raw materials are collected by young people who turn their own cafe into a public kitchen called \'Kitchen for the People\' in the Pisangan area, Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten, on Wednesday (8/4/2020).

The hashtag #IndonesiaTerserah (Whatever Indonesia) is trending on social media. This is the public’s satirical response to the unclear and constantly changing government policies.

It must be acknowledged that there is confusion at the grass roots on what the government is doing to control the Covid-19 outbreak. Confusion reigns due to conflicting information in the government’s public communication. The government’s statements contradict the reality. The public is confused by phrases that should not be confusing, such as “mudik” (exodus) and “pulang kampung” (returning to one’s hometown); between “war on Covid-19” and “at peace with Covid-19”. The policies change too often and could cause demotivation.