Perhaps the concept of immagined communities told by the late indonesianist, Benedict Anderson, could also speak about the Indonesia people in the perspective of Nusantara. We always remember Sumpah Pemuda 1928 that Bahasa Indonesia is one of the oaths. Without learning Anderson, de Saussure, or Levinas, we can see that modern time of Indonesia in 1928 had been coming, because finally Indonesian young people can identify what language they want to hold on until the independence day, not Dutch, not French, not Arabic, but Bahasa Indonesia.
Now, we are in 2017 while in just couple of days, United States of America has their new president and in months, there are more than 375 international conferences around the world to study about politic and national identity. National identity readiness is part of each nation to accelerate the globalization and face the modern challenges. Mother language is one aspect of this national identity readiness.
In regionalism, Indonesia is part of ASEAN with other 9 (nine) countries, CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement/ Perjanjian Kemitraan Ekonomi Komprehensif) with European Union countries, and Silk Road Economic Belt with China, Indonesia could be one of superpower countries in the next 20 years, but nobody could respect Indonesia if Indonesia does not have their own language, just see the Singapore, they use English all the time and sometimes Indian, Arabic, Chinese, and Melayu languages, but they do not have an unique Singaporean language and this is their problem in the future, if there is no more Indian, Arabic, Chinese, or Melayu people working or studying in Singapore, Singapore can not define their own mother language while most of Singapore residents are coming from other countries.
Indonesia is not Singapore. Since the formation of Nusantara, Indonesia had agreed to use Bahasa Indonesia as the language of unity of 34 provinces and more than 275 million indonesians nowadays, including those with mixed-blood and staying around the globe.On the Abstraction, this paper would show numbers of people who are currently speaking Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia) around the world. Based on the official data from the Director of Islamic Higher Education Ministry of Religious Affairs of Republic of Indonesia; Prof. Dr. Amsal Bakhtiar, M.A., on the 3rd Joint International Seminar on Religious Education in a Diverse Society: Promoting Civil Religion and Deliberative Society, Hotel Santika Semarang, November 18-20, 2016; there are currenty 500 million active speakers of Bahasa Indonesia, including Indonesian diaspora and half-Indonesians; international workers and students.
This number does not include those who are learning Bahasa Indonesia in some parts of the world, for example in INALCO Paris France, Australian colleges, and some of Middle Eastern parts. Many Australian soldiers can speak Bahasa Indonesia perfectly, perhaps they are forced to do so, to learn Indonesia from the core identity; their language and if we think it based on Sishanneg concept, this is also a threat if we do not learn other languages. Yes, it is true to face globalization, that to be polyglot is a must, but do not forget our own identity.
We are reaching out to know the raison d’être to put Bahasa Indonesia as one of UN official languages. Based on Polemology theory, there is no such a clear standarization of how much is a language can be an official language of the UN, but currently 6 (six) languages[1] officialy spoken now are having a good power to do so.Based on historical evidence, those 6 (six) languages had political power in history (some of the locuteurs are the founders of UN) and numbers of locuteurs. This 2 (two) simple reasons might be criticized in the next few years, but until now, there is no clear standard to make such a language an UN official languages, nor how to make a language is unelangue mondiale.
This paper will not talk about the historical evidence more deeper to judge those 6 (six) languages, but will talk much about the political process of how to make Bahasa Indonesia to be the seventh, إن شاء الله. It is already cited on the Method of Analysis that on Polemology theory, Bouthol divides 2 (two) system of the UN. First is superpower bodies, namely UN Security Council and second is lower bodies conducted by many bodies under UNSC resolution, for example UNESCO, UNHCR, ICJ, and so on.
To make Bahasa Indonesia to be discussed in UNSC, firstly Government of Indonesia must propose it to the UN General Assembly and the proposal must be an academic one with historical evidence, numbers in detail, and assessed by socio-linguist expert to state that Bahasa Indonesia is valid to be one of UN official languages.
UN General Assembly is not an easy process, because superpower countries, such as Russia and America have right to do veto, eventhough other members are agreed, so that in line with this political process, Government of Indonesia must maintain good relationship with superpower countries. There is no doubt that Neorealism of “take and gift” still a good style of politic, because no country does such action without interest. Indonesia has right to do it.
If UN General Assembly process “the proposal of Bahasa Indonesia”, then there will be UNSC Court. This is also a difficult process, but we have to face it and do not stop until finish. In this Court, the UNSC members will discuss pluses, minuses, effects, and other things if Bahasa Indonesia becoming one of UN official languages. If there is no veto, then Bahasa Indonesia is officially one of UN official languages.
As academicians or researchers, we could contribute to support this political process in our own way, for example by speaking Bahasa Indonesia in correct grammar in formal events, meetings, or conferences and being a volunteer of Bahasa Indonesia instructor for some foreigners who want to learn Bahasa Indonesia. If there is a will, there is always a way.
