Gus Dur, Humor and Democracy

Kompas/Priyombodo

A mural of K.H. Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid decorates a wall of a coffee shop in the Karang Tengah district of Tangerang City, Banten, as seen on 30 May 2020. Gus Dur, the 4th president of the Republic of Indonesia, will always be remembered as part of the country’s journey in diversity, tolerance, and mutual respect, especially regarding minorities.

Democracy and humor run parallel each other. Like a ludruk (folk drama) play, politics is a fragment. Sometimes intriguing words is needed to create a relaxed atmosphere.

One day in mid-2001, famous artists and cultural figures visited Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. Sujiwo Tejo, Jaya Suprana, Darmanto Jatman, Garin Nugroho, Franz Magnis Suseno, Mudji Sutrisno and Greg Barton met with Indonesia’s fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur.