(Re) finding Srikandi of Modern Balinese Literature

(Re) finding Srikandi of Modern Balinese Literature

Literary life in Bali is developing so rapidly, even this life evolves the same pace as other artsy lives such as sculpture, painting, music, or dance. In fact, literary life inspires a large number of creations of other arts in Bali. Working on literature, as in Balinese term known as nyastra, has always been close to men’s life indeed, though no doubt that numerous women also take parts in this subject. Since many experts conducted intensive research on the world of literature in Bali (especially traditional one), it was found that not many female authors (pangawi) were recorded. In traditional Balinese literature, the number of revealed female authors is no more than a finger count, let’s say Anak Agung Istri Biang Agung and Dewa Istri Kania who are familiar to our ears. Both authors lived in royal surroundings which at that time were so close to world of literature. The social environment back then gave positive ambiance for the two great authors to take pleasure in the world of literature, compared to most Balinese women in that era.

Perhaps the dominating reason for Balinese women unwilling (having hard time) to work on literature at that time was due to the fact that a woman’s nature is to become a domesticated being, to become an individual whom being tabooed for involving in a subject outside her domestic domain. Women have been lap-sitting unpleasant stigma ever since they were born, and nobody knows who pioneered the construction of that never-ending circles. Balinese women and their domestic roles turned them into individuals who found it hard to reserve some time for doing other works, let alone taking care of themselves. Now, what about modern Balinese women? When Kartini’s breath was blown out every corner of the country, when Kartini dispersed hopes for women to be brave to take off “the restraints” on them, to step forward and stand on their own feet in line with men, it was then Balinese women started to step outside from their domestic domain. Balinese women started to take roles in organizations, in politics, started a career, and started to write. Inevitably, modern Balinese women today take important positions in various sectors, formal and informal. It turns out they are capable of competing with men who have been formerly predominated those sectors.

            Alas, the progressive movement of Balinese women is unapparent in the world of modern Balinese literature. Since the birth of modern Balinese literature, female writers scarcely showed any encouraging number of involvement. Modern Balinese women did not show any wriggle of working in modern Balinese literature at all. In the early beginning of Balinese literature (in 1910ish), the authors might be dominated by teachers who were mostly men back then. Moving on to the next years, female writers didn’t shed any lights of improvement.

A contest, then, became one of catalysts to grow novice author of modern Balinese literature, and it was strongly promoted. The first contest was held by National Language Institute, Singaraja Branch I (today Bali Language Office) in 1968, initiated by I Gusti Ngurah Bagus, the chairman of the institute. According to the record written by I Gusti Ngurah Bagus, the number of participants was satisfying. Yet, not a single female writer took a chance to chip in. Since then, the contest of writing modern Balinese literature was held annually until 1972, but the same trend occurred in which no single woman participated. Even when a mass media like Suluh Marhaen provided a column for Balinese literature in the same year, female writers never showed up.

The scarcity of female authors in the world of modern Balinese literature is indeed considerably long, because the emergence of female authors was firstly recorded in 2000ish. A female author, Ni Wayan Margiani was one of female authors who frequently wrote in early 2000, and her works were mainly published in Satua and Canang Sari magazines administered by Nyoman Manda and Made Sanggra. These two magazines played important roles in documenting emerging female authors’ works. In 2006, a Bali Orti column was presented the first time in Bali Post newspaper. The presence of this column increasingly triggered the presence of female writers, especially when one of the editors (pangremba) of the Bali Orti column was a female writer, named Anak Agung Mas Ruscita Dewi. A worth noted condition in the appearance of the Balinese language column was that among its several appearances, including Balinese language column or Balinese language mass media, this was the first time for a woman to sit in the board of editor (pangremba), moreover Mas Rucita was the only female there. Only then, after several years have passed, the board of pangremba added another female member namely Ari Dwijayanti. This was obviously due to the minimal number of Balinese women interested in working in the world of modern Balinese literature.

The year of 2008 was a milestone in the existence of modern Balinese female literary writers for there were 3 books published by female authors of modern Balinese literature. Anak Agung Mas Ruscita Dewi (Luh Jalir), Ni Kadek Widiasih (Gurit Pangawit),  I Gusti Ayu Putu Mahindu Dewi Purbarini (Taji), three of them may be the history makers of women's authorship in modern Balinese literature. Because of that, Balinese literature book written by female authors was published for the first time. After 2008, none of female authors published any book, although it was undeniable that their presence in Bali Orti column was increasingly lively. Mass media actually became a promising field to provoke the growth of female writers. New names of female writers were appearing more and more every week writing Balinese language column in mass media, and the number of mass media “acquiesce” their pages for modern Balinese literary works was also increasing.

In 2013, Denpasar anthology of poetry (Dénpasar lan Donpasar) was published. This book documented numerous female authors’ work. The next year, a book of short story collection was published by a female author Dewa Ayu Carma Citrawati (Smara Réka) and a collection of lyrical prose by I Madé Ari Dwijayanti (Blanjong). Ari Dwijayanti's book was one of the books that received the Widya Pataka award from the Provincial Government of Bali. In 2014, another anthology of poetry documented the works of young writers of modern Balinese literature. In a book entitled Angripta Rum, it was recorded that there were eight new generation female authors. All of these female writers actively wrote in Balinese language column in mass media. Overall, up to mid-2015, there were no more than 10 titles of modern Balinese literature published by female authors.

That is all from what can be recorded from the track record of the modern Balinese literature srikandi (heroine). It is clear that women haven’t taken their positions to the fullest extent in the world of nyastra modern Balinese literature. Perhaps, this is the reason why not a single name of female author appears as a winner since the first time Balinese literature became part of the recipient of Sastra Rancage in 1998. Quality wise, the works of modern Balinese literary female writers and that of male writers are worth to juxtapose. However, in term of quantity, we have to admit that the number of heroines is left behind. In recent years, the Bali Arts Festival (PKB) has routinely held a competition in writing modern Balinese literary short stories. The participants came from every district / city in Bali, and each district / city delegated a couple of representatives, a man and a woman. And once again, from work-quality wise, female authors in this competition are very capable of competing with male authors. This can be an excellent way to “force” the emergence of novice female writers of modern Balinese literature. At least, there will be nine modern Balinese literary female writers emerging in the Bali Arts Festival (PKB). Additionally, it is highly suggested that the committee need to intensively follow-up the participants in order to prevent the withering of the newly sown novice writer.

 I Gede Gita Purnama A.P