History and Symbolism of the Garuda Pancasila
📌 The Garuda symbol, associated with the Hindu deity Vishnu's mount (an eagle-like bird), has deep historical roots in Indonesian ancient temples like Prambanan and Penataran.
🏛️ The Garuda was chosen as the national emblem to signify Indonesia as a great and strong nation.
📜 A State Emblem Committee was formed on January 10, 1950, following independence, to select a national symbol.
🎨 The design by Sultan Hamid I of Pontianak was ultimately accepted, but President Sukarno ordered the addition of a crest (jambul) to differentiate it from the U.S. bald eagle symbol.

Foundational Debate for Indonesian Independence
💬 Early discussions centered on the fundamental philosophical basis (filosofi gronslag) for the new Indonesian state following the Proclamation of Independence.
⚖️ There was significant debate regarding the fifth principle, Theism (Ketuhanan), with various representatives expressing concerns about basing the new law on specific religious doctrines like Islamic law, versus establishing a system acceptable to all citizens, including Christian and other minority groups.
🌍 One perspective argued against absolute internationalism and extreme nationalism, suggesting that the new state should be founded on principles transcending religion or tribe, focusing on the "wellspring" (welvaart) of the nation.

Sukarno's Five Principles (Pancasila) Proposal
🗣️ Sukarno argued against overly meticulous planning that would delay independence, emphasizing that political independence (political onafhankelijkheid) is the necessary "golden bridge" for societal perfection.
🏛️ The five proposed foundations (Pancasila) for the Indonesian state, derived from his 1933 concept of achieving independence, were:
1. Indonesian Nationalism (Kebangsaan Indonesia): Defined geopolitically as the unity of all people inhabiting the Indonesian archipelago from Sumatra to Irian.
2. Internationalism/Humanitarianism (Internasionalisme/Perikemanusiaan): Must be rooted in nationalism but aim toward world fellowship (kekeluargaan bangsa-bangsa).
3. Consent/Democracy (Mufakat/Demokrasi): A democracy of consultation and consensus (permusyawaratan) ensuring the state is "all for all" (semua buat semua), not just for the wealthy or noble class.
4. Social Welfare (Kesejahteraan Sosial): Aiming for a society free of poverty, contrasting with the capitalist-dominated parliamentary democracies of the West.
5. Belief in the One and Only God (Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa): Stressed as "Theism with Culture" (Ketuhanan yang Berkebudayaan), emphasizing mutual respect among different religious practices.

The Concept of Gotong Royong
🔄 Sukarno noted that these five principles could be condensed into three (Trisila): Socio-nationalism, Socio-democracy, and Theism, or further condensed into a single core concept.
🤝 The ultimate unifying principle proposed was Gotong Royong, defined as mutual assistance (pembantingan tulang bersama), shared struggle, and shared sweat for the common good and happiness of all.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The initial design of the Garuda Pancasila was modified by adding a crest (jambul) to avoid similarity with the U.S. national symbol.
➡️ A major foundational debate involved balancing national identity (nationalisme) with universal humanism (internasionalisme) in forming the new state's philosophy.
➡️ Sukarno advocated for immediate political independence, viewing it as a "golden bridge" to perfect the future society.
➡️ The five proposed foundational pillars were ultimately named Pancasila, meaning five bases/principles, distinct from *Pancadharma* (five obligations).

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Oct 14, 2025, 06:16 UTC