Abstract
From 2017 to 2019, a number of street names were changed in Yogyakarta, Bandung and Surabaya City by each Provincial Government for the purpose of celebrating the reconciliation between the Sundanese (West Java) and the Javanese (Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta) after years of dispute due to the infamous Bubat Tragedy which occurred in the 14th century. Some existing street names in Yogyakarta and Surabaya were changed to those associated with Sundanese history, such as Jalan Padjadjaran and Jalan Siliwangi, while some existing street names in Bandung were changed to those associated with Javanese history, such as Jalan Majapahit and Jalan Hayam Wuruk. The author explores this phenomenon using the concept of critical toponymies and examines the connections between naming, place-making, and power underlying such policy. This study found that, although the changes were made with good intentions, in some cases this was actually opposed by several factions within the local community because those changes could obliterate the historical significance and collective memory represented by the previous names. From theoretical perspective, this paper also discussed the successful and unsuccessful changes of street names, as well as their relevance to the current context. In other words, our findings can be taken into consideration in future policy-making process.
Bahasa Abstract
Dari 2017 hingga 2019, telah dilakukan penggantian sejumlah nama jalan di Kota Yogyakarta, Bandung, dan Surabaya oleh pemerintah provinsi dengan tujuan untuk merayakan tuntasnya konflik yang timbul antara orang Sunda dan orang Jawa setelahperistiwa Perang Bubat pada abad ke-14. Sejumlah nama jalan di Yogyakarta dan Surabaya diubah menjadi Jalan Padjadjaran dan Jalan Siliwangi yang berciri Sunda, sedangkan nama sejumlah nama jalan di Bandung diubah menjadi Jalan Majapahit dan Jalan Hayam Wuruk yang berciri Jawa. Selanjutnya, penulis menganalisis fenomena itu menggunakan konsep critical toponymies (toponimi kritis) dan mengkaji hubungan antara ikhtiar penamaan (naming), penciptaan tempat (place making), dan unsur kuasa (power) yang melatarinya. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa, meskipun penggantian nama itu dilakukan dengan itikad baik, pada sebagian kasus, kebijakan ini justru ditentang oleh sebagian masyarakat karena pengubahan dapat menghilangkan nilai sejarah dan memori kolektif yang terkandung di dalamnya. Dari segi teoretis, makalah ini juga mendiskusikan keberhasilan dan ketidakberhasilan pengubahan nama jalan serta kaitannya dengan konteks aktual sehingga dapat menjadi bahan pertimbangan di dalam proses pembuatan kebijakan di masa depan.
Recommended Citation
Erikha, Fajar. 2021. Application of The Concept of Critical Toponymies to Street Name Changes in Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya. Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya 11, no. 1 (April). 10.17510/paradigma.v11i1.373.
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