BandungBergerak.id – It’s not only Bung Karno who has many stories in Bandung. Many do not realize that Bung Hatta also had a special relationship with Bandung. Like Sukarno, this great figure born in Bukittinggi also carried out political activities and found his true love in the Kota Kembang (Bandung).

Mohammad Hatta may have been luckier in terms of education when compared to his ‘ally’, Sukarno. Hatta was able to go to the Netherlands to continue his higher education, while Sukarno, due to economic factors and not getting permission from his mother, had to be content with entering the Technische Hoogeschool, a higher technical education in Bandung since 1921.

Coming from such distant places, both built reputations as respected activists in the national movement. Bung Hatta through the Perhimpunan Indonesia he led (1926-1931) in the Netherlands and Bung Karno through Perserikatan Nasional Indonesia or later renamed the Partai Nasional Indonesia (PNI) which he founded in Bandung in 1927.

Encounter with Bung Karno

Although the two later knew each other from a distance through the activities of their respective organizations, the first physical meeting of the two movement figures only took place in Bandung in 1932 after Bung Hatta had left his position as chairman of the Indonesian Association and finished his study. Sukarno had just been released from Sukamiskin prison after serving half of his four-year sentence.

As stated in the book Untuk Negeriku: An Autobiography (2015), Haji Usman, a distant relative, was the one who reminded Hatta of the importance of meeting Sukarno.

“Anak gadang Hatta hasn’t met Sukarno yet. He has been out of Sukamiskin Prison for about half a year. Anak gadang certainly hasn’t met him. Even though it is a part of the party, it is also good to learn to know him,” said Haji Usman.

Hatta replied, “Indeed, I would like to meet him, but until now there has been no time. Since returning from the Netherlands, I have been doing a lot of work. When will we go to Bandung?”

“If Anak Gadang doesn’t mind, the day after Saturday afternoon we leave for Bandung,” said Haji Usman.

They traveled to Bandung together. According to Bung Hatta, they left at two in the afternoon using the Karawang and Cikampek routes and arrived in Bandung at around five in the afternoon. After leaving their luggage at the hotel, the two of them immediately headed to Sukarno’s house in Astanaanyar. Unfortunately, Sukarno was not there, after leaving a message, Hatta and Haji Usman returned to the hotel.

The first physical encounter between Mohammad Hatta and Sukarno, the two great figures whose names would later appear on the text of the proclamation of Indonesian independence, took place around nine in the evening at a hotel on Jalan Pos Timur. Sukarno came with Maskoen, while Hatta was accompanied by Haji Usman. Perhaps because of the presence of Haji Usman, who was considered an outsider to the party, their first conversation over tea and coffee did not discuss the problems of the Indonesian National Education Party (PNI Baru) and the Indonesian Party (Partindo). Bung Hatta and Bung Karno at that time only talked about Sukarno’s experiences while being detained in Sukamiskin.

Another witness to the first meeting of these two founding fathers was told by Maskoen Soemadiredja in his writing in the book Bung Hatta: Pribadinya dalam Kenangan. According to Maskoen, the encounter took place in August 1932. Maskoen, who at that time still lived in Sukarno and Inggit Garnasih’s house on Astanaanyar Street, participated in the first meeting. After dinner around nine o’clock, Sukarno and Maskoen came to fulfill Hatta’s invitation, who had previously come to Sukarno’s house in the afternoon. They both left by delman for the Semarang Hotel on Jalan Kebonjati, not far from the Kesatriaan Institut school led by Douwes Dekker. According to Maskoen, the trip took about a quarter of an hour in Bandung weather conditions which were drizzling.

In accordance with Bung Hatta’s memories, Maskoen also said that the first conversation did not discuss the politics of the movement. Bung Hatta told about the inspection of the books he brought from the Netherlands when he landed in Tanjung Priok, while Sukarno told about his activities while in prison in Sukamiskin.

The historic first meeting between Mohammad Hatta and Sukarno, according to Maskoen, ended at around ten. Hatta promised Maskoen that he would return to Bandung at the first opportunity.

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Every Weekend in Bandung

In early September 1932, Mohammad Hatta came back to Bandung as he had promised Maskoen. At that time Maskeon had moved out of Sukarno and Inggit Garnasih’s house on Jalan Astanaanyar and rented a house on Jalan Kopo Number 5 Bandung. This house later became the headquarters of the Partai Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia (PNI Baru).

From 1930, after Sukarno was arrested and the Partai Nasional Indonesia (PNI) was dissolved, Hatta helped former PNI members who disagreed with the disbandment of the party and formed Golongan Merdeka as the forerunner of the PNI Baru.

According to Bung Hatta, who had observed and also admired the work of the PNI from the Netherlands, the disbandment of the PNI was a setback and a severe defeat for the national movement. Hatta, who still had to finish his studies in the Netherlands, then sent Sjahrir to return to the country and then lead the Indonesian National Education, which was a transformation of the Golongan Merdeka.

Then, after arriving in the country in 1932, Hatta became active in the Indonesian National Education and later became its chairman in 1934-1935 with Maskoen as vice chairman.

As a result of the PNI general leadership meeting, it was decided that every weekend to handle the party’s agenda, Bung Hatta would be in Bandung starting on Friday afternoon and only return to Jakarta on Monday morning. In his autobiography, Hatta wrote about this division of time between Jakarta and Bandung. In a week Hatta would be in Jakarta for four days and three days he would be in Bandung as the seat of the General Chairman of Indonesian National Education.

Bung Hatta usually went to Bandung by train after Friday prayers at around two in the afternoon. He would stay in Bandung until Monday morning or afternoon. If most people at that time came to Bandung on weekends to rest, for Mohammad Hatta his weekends in Bandung were filled with holding general meetings of PNI branches and giving political classes which were usually held at the party office, which was also his boarding house on Jalan Kopo.

Encounter His Wife

Just as Sukarno found his love from a Bandung woman named Inggit Garnasih, Mohammad Hatta was also matched with a Bandung woman. In fact, the match was made directly by Sukarno, as told by Mrs. H. S. S. A. Rachim in the book Bung Hatta: Pribadinya dalam Kenangan.

Sukarno one day came to the Rachim family home located at Burgemeester Coopsweg (now Jalan Pajajaran) Number 11 Bandung. During the conversation Sukarno asked Mrs. Rachim: “Which girl is the most beautiful in Bandung?”

Mrs. Rachim answered by mentioning some of the most beautiful girls in Bandung at that time, such as Olek, the daughter of Dewi Sartika, and Meta Sam Joedo and Mieke, who were the daughters and relatives of doctor Sam Joedo.

Mrs. Rachim was surprised by the intent of Sukarno’s question, but Sukarno answered that he was just asking.

It was only after Indonesian independence that Sukarno again came to the home of the Rachim family, his old acquaintances in Bandung. This time he came to propose Rahmi, the eldest daughter of the Rachim family, to Mohammad Hatta. Rahmi, who was 19 years old at the time and 23 years apart from Hatta, was hesitant to accept Sukarno’s proposal. Rahmi’s doubts were later dispelled and finally accepted this arrangement after being convinced by Sukarno that Mohammad Hatta was a good person, a good leader, and a good friend. According to Sukarno, Hatta was a virtuous person and had firm principles.

Bung Hatta and his family then came to Bandung to propose to Rahmi around October 1945. At this proposal meeting, it was decided that the marriage would be held on November 18, 1945 at Hatta’s villa located in the Megamendung area, near Bogor. This place was chosen at the request of Hatta who did not want to hold a wedding party and invite guests.  According to Mrs. Rachim, this plan would have been difficult if the wedding had taken place in Bandung as the Rachim family had lived in Bandung for 21 years and had many acquaintances and relatives.

Finally, Mohammad Hatta’s marriage to Rahmi Rachim was held by traveling from Bandung to Megamendung. From Bandung came Mrs. Djundjunan, Otje Djundjunan’s parents. Also present were Sukarno, Fatmawati, Mohammad Hatta’s mother, and several close relatives of both families.

The Rachim family, who thought that their departure from Bandung would only be temporary, had to leave the city for ever. Rachim family home, located in the North Bandung area, was later occupied by the British army after the Allies’ first ultimatum to Indonesian fighters in Bandung at the end of November 1945.

So, that was in Bandung, where Bung Hatta left many stories, from the first meeting with Sukarno, political activities in PNI, and the encounter with his wife.

* Translated from this article by Altaf Hasna Banafsaj.