Author: J Felix Raj
Publication: Indian Currents
Date: February 15, 2004
Introduction: The overwhelming majority
of Balinese people (almost 95%) are Hindu in a predominantly Muslim Indonesia.
But Balinese Hinduism is a world away from that of India.
[Note from Hindu Vivek Kendra: In
an otherwise favourable article, the author cannot miss any opportunity
to make snide remarks at the Hindus. First, he does not explain how the
Balinese Hinduism is 'a world away from that of India'. Second he
says: "Yes, the October 12 blast was reportedly aimed at Westerners. But,
why in a Hindu Island? Was there a message to the Hindu world? Was it a
reaction to what was going on in India particularly in Gujarat?"
There seems to be an implied message that the Islamic terrorists have not
indulged in the killings in places other than to want to send a message
to the Hindu world. Two, what about the acts of Islamic terrorism
prior to the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat? And three, the author
is letting his 'fertile' mind wander.]
Bali is the most well known of Indonesia's
13,700 islands, and it remains the top tourist attraction in the archipelago.
One of the biggest attractions of Bali is its culture, which despite the
intrusion of the outside world has been preserved in its unique arts and
ceremonies. Denpasar, the island's largest town and administrative center,
with a population of over 370,000, is the Capital of the island.
The island of Bali, with a population
of approximately 3 million people, constitutes a province of Indonesia
and is administrated by a Governor. The population is almost all Indonesian,
with the usual small Chinese contingent in the big towns, a sprinkling
of Indian merchants, plus a number of more or less permanent visitors among
the Westerners. The overwhelming majority of Balinese people (almost 95%)
are Hindu in a predominantly Muslim Indonesia. But Balinese Hinduism is
a world away from that of India.
At one time Hinduism was the predominant
religion in Indonesia (witness the many great Hindu monuments in Java)
but it died out with the spread of Islam through the archipelago. The last
great Hindu Kingdom, that of the Majapahits, virtually evacuated to Bali,
taking not only their religion and its rituals but also their art, literature,
music and culture. They have retained their Hindu religion. Its teaching
is to reach the attainment of peace and harmony in life. Hindu Dharma is
a special blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and ancestral worship, which has
flourished over the past centuries.
Religion is inseparable from everyday
life in Bali, from the simple daily rituals to the lavishly semi-annual
temple festivals. Religion in Bali has two overwhelming features: it is
absolutely everywhere and it is good fun! You cannot get away from religion:
there are temples in every village, shrines in every field, offerings being
made at every corner. However, the number of Muslims is steadily increasing
through immigration of people from Java, Lombok and other areas of Indonesia
who seek work in Bali.
The nature of age-old economic relations
between India and Bali has undergone significant changes due to various
developments in the 19th and 20th centuries. The founding of Singapore
as a British free trade port in 1819 changed the volume and direction of
India-Bali trade towards and through Singapore. The continued presence
of the Dutch East India Company in the archipelago, its trade for profits,
the subsequent colonization of Indonesia, occupation of Bali in 1904, and
the massacre of 4000 Balinese had caused a trade tilt in favour of the
colonizers, which affected Bali-India trade relations.
After Independence of Indonesia
in 1945 and its consolidation as a nation in 1950, and the killings of
nearly 1,00,000 Balinese reformists and suspected communists in 1965, when
the Island's population was only 2 million, a new chapter opened as India-
Indonesia economic relations, overshadowing India-Bali relations.
The Trade Agreements between India
and Indonesia in 1978, followed by many other Agreements have strengthened
the economic relations between the two countries, as President Megawati
had put it during her recent visit to India, "A sentimental color in the
Indonesia-Indian relations is normal because of their cultural and historical
relations for thousands of years which spills over to economic endeavors
to achieve joint progress". Consequently, the 1970s and 1980s saw around
16 Indian manufacturing joint ventures in Indonesia (Tatas, Birlas, Bajaj,
LNM, HMT Bombay Dyeing etc), almost all concentrated in Java and Sumatra.
Bali was neglected and its relation with India given less importance. Bali
was, spontaneously, led to shift its emphasis on tourism. Agricultural
resources were sacrificed for tourism-based industries like hotels, handicrafts,
wood products etc. Traditional export items like rice and other agro-based
goods gave way to tourist items.
In the bilateral trade between India
and Indonesia, the value of India's export was $ 697 million in 1997, 293m
in 1998, 525m in 2000 and 398m in 2001 (Jan.-Oct.); and imports 689m in
1997, 722m in 1998, 1151m in 2000 and 861m in 2001. The 1997 economic crisis
had turned the trade balance in favour of Indonesia. The crisis affected
the rest of Indonesia (many Indian business houses like IRCON, WAPCOS closed
their offices), but not Bali. Tourism flourished and played an important
role in Bali's economy. It was fuelled by a constant flow of tourism dollars.
Bali had a major contribution to
keeping Indonesia going in the last five years. Bali's economy is one of
the most prosperous in the country. One-third of Indonesia's earnings (12.5
billion UK pounds) from tourism come from Bali. Bali was doing better than
other islands and was evolving into a wealthier and westernized society.
The economy was growing at 9 per cent per annum with exports around $ 400
million in 1998. Through all this, Bali retained its magnetism for bilateral
trade with India particularly in textiles, garments and spices. The Indian
settlers continued their trade and business.
Bali is fueled by a constant flow
of tourism dollars, mainly from a popular tourist area located in Southern
Bali, and supported by agricultural production and trade revenues. Tourism
plays a considerable role in the Balinese economy, not only in providing
accommodation, meals and services to many visitors but also in providing
a market for all those arts and crafts. It still greatly depends on the
export of raw materials in return for manufactured goods.
Once Bali was exporting rice, but
now Indonesia is importing rice from India. What Bali produces goes to
feed its own teeming population. The new trade regulations are creating
new problems to Bali exporters in terms of competition and barring children
from employment. The October 12, 2002 bomb blast in Kuta was an attack
on the heart of Bali's economy and has had a massive impact on its economic
relation with all countries. Its export-oriented industries like textiles;
garments, handicrafts and wood products have been badly affected. The drastic
fall in tourists has affected tourism-based industries.
The insecure climate has affected
the inflow of investment. This has resulted in closure of many industries
and unemployment problem, which has added to the existing problem of Muslim
influx from other Islands seeking employment. Bali is Hindu in Muslim Indonesia,
though it is not of the Indian kind. If the present immigration of Muslims
continues, it will be a problem in future. Yes, the October 12 blast was
reportedly aimed at Westerners. But, why in a Hindu Island? Was there a
message to the Hindu world? Was it a reaction to what was going on in India
particularly in Gujarat?
The new free-trade regulations are
creating some problems for Bali's exporters, as they do not allow employing
children. Most children here work for their parents, and in handicrafts
industries. They believe that this is part of the process of acquiring
professional skills and kind of an informal education, which has been very
important in the Balinese society for centuries. Free trade will also open
these village-based small-scale industries to outside competition. There
is a fear whether they will be able to survive through.
Javanese interests seem to dominate
in all policy decisions while the local government discriminates against
the locals. When tourism is affected, Balinese return to agriculture. There
is a need to build close links between agriculture and tourism for sustainable
development in future. One area Balinese have to exploit to the maximum
is the fishing industry and seaweed farming. There seem to be ample opportunities
for job generation and export revenue. The present situation might provide
a new start and change in Bali's development paradigm.
India and Bali are ancient civilizations
and share lot of similarities in the field of culture and religion. Both
could take steps to promote cultural, educational and religious exchanges
and strengthen their bilateral relation.
(The author is vice-principal, St.
Xavier's College, Kolkata. The article is based on a paper presented by
him at the International Conference on Development held at Denpasar, Capital
of Bali, in December 2003.)
