Pancasila renewed in face of bigotry

Singing in harmony: As an archipelago with a vast array of ethnic groups, cultures and faiths, the more politically moderate among Indonesians see Pancasila as unifying element in the face of increasing intolerance. — Reuters

THE Indonesian government’s decision to make Pancasila Day, which falls every June 1, a national holiday could not be more appropriate.

With the rising global intolerance seeping into the nation’s fabric, those who believe the state ideology – formulated by the nation’s founding fathers in 1945 – feel they can no longer stay silent and have begun to stand up for it.