Bung Karno Month: A Moment to Reaffirm Trisakti and Gotong Royong - Center for Geopolitic and Geostrategic Studies

The month of June, known as “Bung Karno Month,” holds deep historical and ideological significance in the life of the Indonesian nation. Three key moments — the birth of Pancasila on June 1st, the birth of Bung Karno on June 6th, and his passing on June 21st — form a symbolic sequence representing the journey of thought and struggle of Ir. Soekarno as the Proclaimer, national thinker, and leader of the revolution.

In a biographical context, these three moments show the continuity between Soekarno’s ideas and the formation of the state’s foundation and national development orientation. Pancasila, born from Bung Karno’s thought, is a moral and political foundation that unites diversity within an inclusive system of governance. When Bung Karno declared, “The Indonesian state does not belong to a certain group, a certain religion, or a certain ethnicity, but to all of us,” he was instilling a spirit of egalitarianism, translatable into a participatory governance model.

Pancasila provides a value framework for all levels of government, from the central to regional and even village administrations, to carry out their duties based on the principles of social justice, unity, and people’s sovereignty. In the context of regional autonomy, Pancasila serves both as a unifying force and a moral guide, ensuring that local policies remain aligned with national development directions rooted in the spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation).

When implemented consistently, the values of Pancasila allow for the establishment of a solid government — one that is coordinated, not divided by sectoral interests, and works based on the universal values of the nation. Here, Pancasila as the state’s foundation and ideology acts as a unifying platform across government levels and society.

If the bureaucracy at the national, provincial, regency/municipal, and village levels adopt Pancasila as an operational principle in development planning, implementation, and evaluation, the system of governance will be built on a strong value base, not merely technocratic directives. Within this framework, the concept of Trisakti — political sovereignty, economic self-reliance, and cultural identity — offers a comprehensive orientation for policy formulation from the centre to the village.

This includes, among others, the independence of villages in managing Village Funds, which should reflect the principle of economic self-reliance, where villages are no longer mere objects of development but active subjects determining their development direction. Local and village governments must adopt the values of Trisakti as key instruments in decision-making, development planning, and strengthening the socio-economic capacity of their communities.

Political sovereignty means that both national and local policies must be free from foreign pressure or domination while strengthening participatory democracy. In this context, the village plays a strategic role as the starting point of civic political education. Building village governance capacity that is transparent, accountable, and responsive is a practical manifestation of people’s political sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the principle of economic self-reliance demands that villages strengthen their economic resilience through the development of local potential, such as agriculture, crafts, culture-based tourism, and cooperative-based economic systems. Food and energy sovereignty at the village level are crucial indicators of Trisakti’s implementation in a real living space. As for cultural identity, it requires both local and central governments to avoid merely following global cultural currents, and instead uphold local wisdom and Indonesia’s national character.

Gotong royong, a core value promoted by Bung Karno and rooted in the archipelago’s traditions, is the key link between government policy and community participation. In the context of tiered national development — from village to central level — gotong royong should be understood not just as physical cooperation, but as a collective spirit in shaping a development vision that is sustainable and just.

When national programs such as infrastructure development, food security, or MSME empowerment are implemented with active participation from rural communities, Bung Karno’s teachings on “mental revolution” and “building from the grassroots” become tangible. The central government must synergize this spirit into inter-agency mechanisms, while regional and village governments must build community trust as strategic partners in development.

In modern governance, gotong royong does not imply being anti-technology or anti-professionalism. On the contrary, value-based gotong royong can fill the ethical vacuum within bureaucracies often bound by routine and formalism. It becomes a form of “social glue” uniting policy vision with people’s real needs.

When rural communities feel they are part of the development process—not just passive objects—policy effectiveness increases and social resistance decreases. Conversely, development that strays from the spirit of gotong royong risks widening the gap between the state and its people, and perpetuating social inequality. Thus, Bung Karno Month becomes a strategic space to reaffirm the spirit of gotong royong, the values of Pancasila, and the teachings of Trisakti as the foundation of a strong and effective governance system from the central to the village level.

Amid the challenges of globalization, technological disruption, and political polarization, Indonesia needs a national narrative that unites and mobilizes—and Bung Karno’s legacy provides all of that.

When both the government and society are equally committed to these values, national development will not only be effective from a technocratic perspective, but also meaningful ideologically and grounded socially. Therefore, the realization of an Indonesia that is independent, sovereign, just, and prosperous, as envisioned by Bung Karno, can only be achieved if his teachings are not merely remembered, but truly implemented from the village to the central government.

Prof. Dr. Ermaya Suradinata, SH, MH, MS, is a member of the Expert Council of BPIP RI and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Centre for Geopolitics & Geostrategy Studies Indonesia (CGSI).