Thousands of alumni and students along with the people of Yogyakarta spilled into the streets on Sunday (18/12) morning. Together, the participants walked along the historical route on the agenda “Niti Laku Perguruan Kebangsaan”. The activity which was held the sixth time this year, is part of the highlight of 67th Dies Natalis Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM anniversary). Starting from Keraton Yogyakarta, the participants moved through Malioboro Street, Mangkubumi Street, Cik Ditiro Street, and then ended up at UGM Central Building.
The presence of UGM as the first post-independence higher education institution owned by Indonesia can’t be separated from the role of Keraton Yogyakarta and Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX. Formerly, all academic activities were centered in Keraton Yogyakarta before being moved to the current Bulaksumur area. In order to maintain the historical value, UGM annually organizes Niti Laku.
Deputy Chief Organizer of Niti Laku 2016, Budi Setiyono mentioned that UGM has long been a symbol of the nation’s diversity and unity. “The name taken to make firm that UGM is an institution that nurse and unify diversity. Various ethnics, regions, and religions are all here for the welfare of the nation,” said Budi.
The interesting thing about this year’s parade was the great number of participants who wore ‘Tempoe Doeloe’ attire. In accordance with the tagline, “Djogja Djadoel Sehari, Djogja Moeda Kembali” the participants seemed enthusiastic to follow the event series. Various participating regional student organizations made the event even more festive by featuring traditional art from each region.
Also presented at the event was the Rector, Prof. Diwkorita Karnawati; State Secretary, Prof. Pratikno; Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi; and Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono.
Chairman of KAGAMA PP who also walked down the parade, Ganjar Pranowo, assessed that this commemoration should be preserved for its positive value. According to him, different from last year, the implementation of this year’s Niti Laku was not just a parade of history, but also was upgraded to be a world-class tourism show.
“Since last year, we are excited to upgrade Niti Laku to be an international level performance parade. In addition to preserving the history of UGM, this event also adds to the tourist attractions in the city of Yogyakarta,” said Ganjar. [Eggy]