The ‘Hunger Games’ election and intergenerational trauma in Indonesia

Prabowo welcoming Jokowi to the newly inaugurated Great Commander Soedirman State Defense Central Hospital in Jakarta. — AFP

DAYS before Indonesia’s Feb 14 election, I already felt extremely tense and anxious about the prospect of Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka winning.

On Feb 14, when this became a reality, indeed, a nightmare, I sank into a deep depression. I shared my feelings with a few friends, including a European ambassador who blithely responded, “Don’t be sad. It’s democracy”.