Jakarta, IO – The news of Indonesia’s independence on August 17, 1945 probably would not be known by many countries had it not broadcast by Jusuf Ronodipuro, a journalist who worked with Hoso Kyoku, a Japanese military radio, in Jakarta.
On this day, 78 years ago, Jusuf was in his office at around 5:30pm WIB. Suddenly, a young man named Syahruddin from news agency Domei, a media belonging to the Empire of Japan, entered Hoso Kyoku by jumping over the back wall of the office. He brought a piece of paper containing message from Adam Malik.
The independence movement figure wrote this message: “Please broadcast the enclosed news”. The news turned out to be the text of the proclamation read by Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta at 10:10am WIB that day.
Jusuf then discussed this message with several of his colleagues. They decided to read out the text of the proclamation at 7pm WIB. At the time, they used an overseas broadcast room that the Japanese shut down two days earlier.
Luck was indeed on the side of Indonesia. On that night, it so happened that the room was not guarded. They pretended like they were about to broadcast domestic news.
Jusuf’s efforts were successful. He managed to read out the proclamation text right on the evening news segment for about 15 minutes. It was Jusuf’s broadcast was picked up by many people across Indonesia and around the world.
The news shook the world. A new fully sovereign country called Indonesia was born. But unfortunately, this act of valor had to be paid dearly by Jusuf and his friends. He was caught by the Japanese intelligence agency and beaten so badly his left knee was severely injured after it was stomped by the Japanese soldiers. He was even almost beheaded.
Covered in blood, Jusuf was lucky to escape from death. He managed to escape and sought refuge at the house of his best friend Basuki Abdullah in Gambir. The next day he went to the hospital in Salemba and was treated by doctor Abdurrahman Saleh. Their meeting sowed the seed for the establishment of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI).
Jusuf Ronodipuro and his friends founded RRI on September 11, 1945. The figure born in 1919 was also the creator of RRI’s famous slogan “Sekali di udara, tetap di udara” (Once on Air, Stay on Air). Jusuf was trusted to helm the national radio station.
When the Dutch launched military aggression in 1947-1948, RRI played an important role in kindling the people’s resistance spirit to defend the country’s independence. RRI was then taken over by the Dutch. Jusuf and his colleagues were arrested and jailed.
Until the end of 1949, after the transfer of sovereignty from the Netherlands to Indonesia, President Sukarno again appointed Jusuf to lead the news agency on Medan Merdeka Barat Street.
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In addition to leading RRI, Jusuf served as Director-General of Domestic and Foreign Information Directorate under Information Minister B.M. Diah in the Ampera I and II cabinets. He was then entrusted to become the Secretary General of the Information Ministry under Information Minister Budiardjo in the Development Cabinet I.
Jusuf later served as ambassador to a number of countries — Argentina, Chile and Uruguay — and then as Indonesia’s envoy to the United Nations until 1976.
At the age of 57, Jusuf decided to retire and enjoy his senior years and retreated from politics. He passed away in Jakarta on January 27, 2008. Jusuf Ronodipuro was buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery. (Compiled from various sources/un)