Suara.com – Happy Heroes’ Day, November 10 2023. Always, every year this historic day is celebrated on the 10th of November. However, many people still ask why November 10 is celebrated as Heroes’ Day in the history of the Indonesian nation.
So what is the actual reason for this date to commemorate Heroes’ Day, even though there are quite a lot of iconic moments experienced by the Indonesian people during the struggle against the colonialists in the past?
Beginning of November 10 Heroes’ Day
This historic day began precisely after the proclamation of independence which was carried out on August 17 1945. Arose because of the fighting in Surabaya, the situation in several areas at that time was not yet stable and there was still unrest.
The tension actually occurs between the Indonesian people who feel they are independent, and foreign troops who are still in Indonesian territory. In Surabaya, several Dutch people raised their country’s flag at the Yamato Hotel on Jalan Tunjungan Number 65 without permission from the government.
Surabaya residents in the area were angry and felt that raising the flag was a form of insult to the independence that was proclaimed several months ago. On September 19, 1945, tensions became increasingly hot and it was only a matter of time before they broke out and erupted.
On November 10 1945, an ultimatum was issued with the Order of November 10 1945 which contained a request to stop resistance and surrender and surrender weapons to the British. This letter itself was issued by British Major General, Eric Carden Robert Mansergh.
However, this ultimatum was ignored by the people of Surabaya, and actually became the trigger for the outbreak of the big battle in Surabaya. This battle lasted for three weeks, and took casualties not only from the fighters but also civilians.
The embers of the Surabaya people’s struggle were difficult for the British to extinguish, and actually made their remaining troops in Surabaya even more squeezed. This battle later made Surabaya known as the City of Heroes.
Establishment of Heroes’ Day
Heroes’ Day was then established by Presidential Decree Number 316 of 1959, which contains National Days that are not Holidays. The commemoration of Heroes’ Day on November 10 is carried out to commemorate the struggle of the people of Surabaya in maintaining Indonesian independence, even though it had to sacrifice many fighters and civilians.
That’s a glimpse of why November 10 is celebrated as Heroes’ Day every year. Hopefully this is a useful article for you, and good luck with your next activity!
Contributor : I Made Rendika Ardian