Sukarno's PNI vs Hatta's PNI

The Indonesian national movement period, which began in the early 20th century, was marked by the emergence of many nationalist organizations that promoted national unity and set aside regionalism. The national movement period also witnessed the emergence of many influential figures who were committed to fighting for Indonesia's independence through organized, well-structured movements that rejected tribal egos. We can see Budi Utomo, Sarekat Islam, Muhammadiyah, Nahdhatul Ulama, Indische Partij, Partai Nasional Indonesia, Gerakan Indonesia Raya, Gerakan Politik Indonesia, Sumpah Pemuda, and so on. All of the above movement organizations were born in the 20th century and played an important role in Indonesia's journey to independence in 1945.

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Ir. Sukarno and Drs. Mohammad Hatta were two figures who played a major role in the national movement. Both were active in establishing movement organizations as a means of fighting for Indonesia's independence from colonial rule. Both Sukarno and Hatta were members of the PNI. However, the two had different perspectives on the PNI as a medium for the national movement. Sukarno's version of the PNI was the Indonesian National Party, which was totally political in its orientation and tended towards revolutionary agitation. This was because Sukarno was an orator who liked to give speeches in public with fiery rhetoric to ignite the spirit of nationalism among the people. His hope was that the people would realize the importance of unity in achieving the goal of independence. Meanwhile, Mohammad Hatta's version of the PNI was the Indonesian National Education Party, also known as the New PNI.

Both of them worked toward the goal of fighting for Indonesia's independence from colonialism. Mohammad Hatta and his New PNI did not fully agree with Sukarno's model of mass agitation. According to him, independence could not be achieved through agitation alone. Instead, it needed to be done in an orderly and structured manner, moving from agitation to organization. The best way to carry out political movements, according to Hatta, was to select and educate cadres so that they would be educated and resilient, and ready to become leaders when Indonesia gained independence. For Mohammad Hatta, educating cadres was essential so that the struggle for independence would not be halted even if the leaders of the movement were prevented from doing so because they were detained or exiled by the colonial government.

The PNI, led by Sukarno, was historically founded on July 27, 1927, by Sukarno and other movement figures such as Sartono, Cipto Mangunkusumo, Iskak Cokroadisuryo, and Sunaryo. The ideology promoted by this group was nationalism, which was believed to be the unifying ideology that would lead to an independent Indonesia. To realize the ideal of independence through national unity, Sukarno used mass politics as a means of struggle.

For Sukarno, mass power was an effective way to awaken the people from the oppression and colonial rule of the Dutch government. Therefore, he often used rhetoric to inspire the people. Unfortunately, Sukarno's struggle through the PNI he founded had to be halted when Sukarno and his friends (Gatot Mangkupraja, Supriadinata, Maskun Sumadiredja) were arrested by the Dutch in December 1929. When they were arrested, the PNI movement ceased to exist because it had lost its central figure. Other PNI figures who were not arrested, such as Sartono, decided to dissolve the PNI and establish a new party called the Indonesian Party or Partindo on April 25, 1931.

The dissolution of the PNI by Sartono was not approved by PNI members and supporters. Those who disagreed with the dissolution of the PNI then established the Golongan Merdeka (Independent Group). Coinciding with the return of Sutan Syahrir from the Netherlands at the end of 1931 and Mohammad Hatta in August 1932, the Independence Group then formed the Indonesian National Education or New PNI in December 1931. When Sukarno was released from prison in 1931, he was faced with two choices: to join the New PNI or Partindo.

Sukarno then chose to join Partindo in July 1932 as a continuation of the PNI that he had initiated. In reality, both Partindo and the New PNI were two movement groups that remained different in their views on how to move towards Indonesian independence. These differences lay in the style and character of the leaders of each group. Partindo, with Sukarno at the helm, emphasized personal charisma and an expressive political style, using the podium as a mouthpiece for the movement, earning Sukarno the nickname “the lion of the podium.” Meanwhile, the New PNI, with Syahrir and Mohammad Hatta as its leaders, tended to be cautious, emphasizing intellectual and analytical approaches.

The difference in style between Sukarno and the PNI and Partindo, and Mohammad Hatta and the New PNI, can be understood as a logical consequence of their different backgrounds. For example, Sukarno never received a Western education. He knew firsthand how Dutch colonialism and imperialism worked in Indonesia, which fueled his passion for revolution. He believed that colonialism could only be fought by stirring up the emotions of the people so that they would unite against Dutch oppression. Sukarno used rhetoric and mass agitation to achieve national unity.

Unlike Sukarno, who tended to be outspoken and expressive in voicing his political narrative of independence, Mohammad Hatta and Sutan Syahrir, who were educated in the Netherlands, tended to be normative, favoring soft approaches such as cadre education and intellectual approaches. For Hatta, a nationalist party must devote its energy to forming a small, politically aware and disciplined core membership before seeking mass membership. This is because, according to Hatta, the main task of movement leaders is to prepare trained cadres who are able to guide others and teach them how to analyze contemporary situations. Furthermore, according to Hatta, podium politics could no longer be continued. He believed that the people could no longer depend on a single leader; the Indonesian people themselves had to become heroes.

In short, the New PNI had a vision and mission to develop leaders who, in turn, would be expected to educate others. Hatta, Syahrir, and the New PNI cadres believed that independence could not be achieved through the support of the masses led by charismatic leaders with short careers, because their struggle would stall halfway if they were arrested and detained by the colonial government. Therefore, cadre development was the solution. This was the difference in perspective between Sukarno's PNI and Hatta's PNI in their efforts to liberate Indonesia. Uniquely, this difference in style did not cause them to break up their partnership in the struggle for Indonesian independence. In fact, these differences contributed positively to the strengthening of the national movement's goal of achieving an independent Indonesia.

They complemented each other and worked together, as acknowledged by Hatta, who stated that towards the end of September 1932, three figures from Partindo and the New PNI, namely Sartono, Sukarno, and Hatta, discussed the possibility of uniting Partindo and Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia. On that occasion, Hatta argued that it would be better for both parties to maintain their respective identities, but if necessary, to work together. Therefore, differing perspectives are acceptable, but we must remain united as one nation to realize our noble goals together. This is the essence of diversity: the goal is to unite and synergize, not to divide ourselves due to sectoral egoism that threatens the integrity and interests of the nation.