The Collective Memories of the Famine in 1977: Indonesia’s Policy on Disaster Management in the Karawang Regency

Abstract

In 1977, the people of the Pedes District in the Karawang Regency of West Java, Indonesia, experienced a severe famine, due to the crop failures in every agricultural area over three consecutive seasons. Although this famine occurred more than 42 years ago, the memories still linger among those who were traumatized by the experience. Thus, the main research question is “To what degree does the collective memories of the people in a certain area affect the policymaking of a country?” In order to answer this question, this reflective study examines previous research and historical writings regarding the famine, the collective memories of those who inhabited the district during the occurrence, and the efforts made by certain groups/institutions to deal with the consequent starvation from the lack of timely government relief. Based on the results, the occurrence brought certain misery to many people living in the five districts of Karawang Regency, especially those in the Pedes District. Although the government did provide assistance through the supply of food, items, and laborintensive projects, it was somewhat late. Moreover, such memories have made an impact on future policymaking regarding disaster management. The implication of the findings is that the ability to analyze the current situation and forecast future possibilities is much more important than only focusing on overcoming the issue itself. Such awareness should be further promoted in order to establish better management of natural and man-made disasters on a national level. Keywords—Collective memories, Famine, Karawang Regency, Crop failures, Disaster management and