Karonese gather in thanksgiving celebration
January 21st, 2008
For many years, young Karonese people from North Sumatra have traveled to Jakarta in search of their fortunes.
Their journeys are usually only one-way trips, with most of them believing their prospects are brighter in the capital.
The Mburo Ate Tedeh festival, organized recently by the Indonesian Association of Karo People (HMKI), provided an opportunity for Karo natives living in Jakarta to reminisce about their homeland.
More than 2,000 people attended the event, which was held at the Senayan Sports Center in Central Jakarta.
A member of HMKI, Inget Sembiring, agreed that people from Karo who migrate to Jakarta rarely return to their hometowns.
“They usually stay in their new homes and work hard to be successful. They support their relatives back home by sending money,” said Inget, who has lived in Jakarta for 59 years.
The South Jakarta resident left his hometown when he was 19 to study in the capital. He now works as a commissioner at a private bank.
People of Karo ethnicity inhabit various parts of North Sumatra, including Karo Plateau, Deli Serdang, Binjai, Langkat, Dairi, Medan and Southeast Aceh. Karo regency in North Sumatra is named after the ethnic group.
Mburo Ate Tedeh are ancient grand jamborees that were originally held in North Sumatra. Traditionally people organize and attend these festivals to thank God for the annual harvest.
The Mburo Ate Tedeh festival held in Jakarta recently incorporated various forms of entertainment, including dancing, singing and poetry recitals.
The Gendang Adat and Gendang Guro-guro Aron dances were among popular attractions at the festival. Traditionally these dances can last for several hours and are seen as an opportunity for young Karonese people to find their soul mates.
While Mburo Ate Tedeh festivals can sometimes last for an entire week, Karonese people in Jakarta had to make do with a 12-hour equivalent.
The head of the festival’s organizing committee, Budianto Tarigan, said the event would be held annually so Karonese people could gather with relatives in Jakarta.
“Karonese people usually return to the region during New Year’s celebrations or for school holidays. However, this event gives people a chance to see each other more often,” he said.
Inget said up to 150,000 Karo natives lived in the Greater Jakarta area. He said Karo migrants worked in various fields, including as civil servants, entrepreneurs, drivers, lawyers and politicians.
“About 35 percent of them work as food vendors and drivers,” Budianto said.
Rostiana Tarigan, a Karo native who traveled to Jakarta with her aunt 20 years ago, runs a staple food stall out of her house in Warakas, North Jakarta.
“I have 15 siblings. Seven of them work and live in Jakarta,” she said.
Budianto said less Karo people had been traveling to Jakarta since the monetary crisis in 1997.
“The city is no longer so attractive for Karonese people,” he said.
“Many Karo natives also go to other cities in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua to work as farmers,” Inget said.
Budianto said HMKI planned to organize training workshops for Karo migrants in the future. He said the workshops would include automotive training.
The recent Mburo Ate Tedeh festival was attended by Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, who said he hoped all ethnic groups in the city could live in harmony.
“The richness of cultures in the city is interesting for Jakartans and tourists alike. I hope the committee will hold this event annually,” Fauzi said. (tif)
Source: The Jakarta Post
Entry Filed under: World Tourism News
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