Nusantara, a name derived from a Hindu dynasty, will be the new home of the Indonesian govt

*Paromita Das

Indonesia’s Parliament passed legislation to relocate the country’s capital from Jakarta to a new city called ‘Nusantara,’ which will be built on the jungle-clad island of Borneo. The decision was motivated by concerns about Jakarta’s long-term viability.

President Joko Widodo first proposed relocating the capital of Indonesia in 2019, citing the need to address the country’s massive environmental concerns as well as redistribute wealth. However, the relocation to Borneo’s jungle state of East Kalimantan has raised its own environmental concerns as the massive project gets underway.

What exactly is the problem in Jakarta?

Jakarta has served as the country’s capital since its independence in 1949. President Joko Widodo first announced in August 2019 that the capital would be moved from Jakarta, on the island of Java, to East Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, about 2,000 kilometers northeast of Jakarta across the Java Sea.

Jakarta faces numerous problems, which include overcrowding, pollution, and possibly the world’s most congested roads. One major source of concern for the city’s long-term viability was that the city, which has a population of over 10 million people, is located on a marsh on the Indonesian island of Java and has been gradually sinking.

According to studies, the city may completely collapse by 2050, and flooding is common. Environmentalists, on the other hand, have warned that the capital’s decision could harm ecosystems in the region, where mining and palm oil plantations are already threatening rainforests home to endangered Borneo species.
 
What is the new legislation’s purpose?

Mr. Widodo’s long-debated initiative to relocate the capital has finally received official approval, laying out a five-step plan. The Minister of Planning, Suharso Monoarfa, informed Parliament that the first stage, which is expected to be completed by 2024, will focus on basic infrastructure such as new roads to allow access to the site. The final stage will be completed in 2045.
The project, which is expected to cost more than $30 billion, is by far the largest in Indonesia. President Widodo stated that a larger goal was to boost economic activity in Kalimantan and reduce reliance on Jakarta and the island of Java, which is at the epicentre of both economic activity and national politics. Nusantara will house the entire government.
Environmentalists are concerned that the proposed project will bring pollution and flooding to Kalimantan, a province known for its forests and biodiversity.

What is the meaning behind the name Nusantara?

The term technically means “archipelago” in Javanese, but it also has a historical connotation that refers to the entire region, which includes Indonesia and its Southeast Asian neighbors. The new capital will be built in East Kalimantan, which is known for its jungles and orangutan population.

East Kalimantan, which is mineral-rich, has a population of only 3.7 million people.

According to officials, 256,142 hectares of land have been set aside for the project, which is set to start in the “first semester” of 2024. The early blueprints for the new capital show a utopian design aimed at creating an environmentally friendly “smart” city, but few features have been finalized.

The Planning Minister stated that Nusantara “is a unity concept that accommodates all of our diversity, whether in race, language, or ethnicity,” and that the new capital should reflect that desire. The term Nusantara is derived from Majapahit, a Hindu dynasty based on Java that flourished from the late 13th to the early 15th centuries.

Its influence or reach extended beyond modern-day Indonesia to the majority of Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Thailand, and parts of the Philippines. While the official reason is that it represents variety, others have questioned why President Widodo chose a name that alludes not only to Indonesia but also to the entire region from a list of 80 options.

Have any capital shifts occurred in other countries?

States have relocated their capitals for a variety of reasons throughout history, ranging from weather and military considerations to pride projects and simple politics. As a result, Indonesia is not the first or only country to move its capital.

Kazakhstan and Myanmar are two recent examples. Kazakhstan relocated its capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997, making it the country’s first planned city.
In 2019, Astana was renamed Nur-Sultan after former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who presided over the country for a long time (currently facing the ire of protesters amid the recent unrest). In 2005, Myanmar’s capital, Yangon, was relocated to Naypyidaw, a planned city. According to one theory, the military regime’s decision was motivated by strategic considerations.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s government relocated from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya in 2003. Brazil’s capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia, a more centrally located city, in 1960. Nigeria’s capital was also relocated from Lagos to Abuja in 1991.