Dr. H. Masduki Duryat, M.Pd.I., CFLS., CLA., Rector of INSIA Indramayu
The West Java provincial-level commemoration of National Santri Day (HSN)—hosted this year at the “Green Campus” of Darul Ma’arif in Kaplongan, Indramayu—should serve as a sharp wake-up call. It is far more than just a stage for ceremonial assemblies, marching bands, artistic performances, or speeches by the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
This year’s theme, “Santri and the Jihad Revolution,” compels us to be honest: without the Resolusi Jihad (Jihad Resolution) issued by KH. Hasyim Asy’ari on October 22, 1945, Indonesia might well have disintegrated before it could even truly secure its independence.
A Deliberately Obscured History
Let us look at this critically. School history textbooks highlight November 10th as Hari Pahlawan (Heroes’ Day) but who, in fact, set the events of November 10th into motion?
The Resolusi Jihad a fatwa (religious decree) from KH. Hasyim Asy’ari, declared that resisting the colonizers was a fardhu ‘ain (an individual religious obligation). Following this decree, thousands of santri (Islamic boarding school students) and kyai (Islamic scholars) from across Java including those from Indramayu flocked to Surabaya, armed with little more than sharpened bamboo stakes. They held no military rank and possessed no modern weaponry; they carried only one conviction: the principle that hubbul wathan minal iman loving one’s homeland is an integral part of faith.
The contribution of the santri was not merely a decorative detail of history; it was the very substance of history itself.
The Irony of National Santri Day Today
So, what is the contribution of the santri today, 80 years into our independence?
Here is the hard truth: while the santri of the past waged a “Jihad Revolution” with their own blood, today’s santri are often reduced to mere pawns in five-year political cycles their votes exploited, while their pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) are left forgotten. Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) continue to struggle, with their diplomas often undervalued and their economic foundations remaining fragile, all while state budgets are funneled into grandiose, high-profile projects.
If the observance of Hari Santri Nasional (National Santri Day) at the “Green Campus” of Kaplongan amounts to nothing more than a ceremonial event, then we have betrayed the very spirit of the Jihad revolution.
A Challenge from the Green Campus of Kaplongan
From Kaplongan, Indramayu, we proclaim: the Jihad revolution today is no longer about taking up arms; it is a revolution against ignorance, poverty, the radicalism that hijacks religion, and the corruption that gnaws away at our nation.
The “Green Campus” of Darul Ma’arif stands as a testament that santri (Islamic boarding school students) must not be confined to the role of mere caretakers of a prayer house (surau). Santri must become university rectors, regents, government ministers, and entrepreneurs mastering science and technology without ever casting aside their sarung.
Happy National Santri Day. Do not merely be santri who are celebrated; be santri who celebrate independence through tangible, meaningful contributions.
Indramayu, October 22, 2026
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