BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – The term of gonggong or ngababakan (opening a new village/area) may probably rare to be found. It also may be lost from Sundanese word-lists and language. Therefore, there should be the attempt in order to make Sundanese language and culture stick to the daily life. Because, if it is lost from the word-lists, the nation/tribe/country might also be probably lost.
These are what made teacher of Faculty of Social and Political Science (FISIP) Universitas Pasundan, Dr. Ade Priangani, M.Si, along with other staffs and teachers in the faculty would want to build/create some kind of place which can strengthen the Sundanese spirit to keep it alive in the society.
“Unpas FISIP plan to build/create a Storefront for Sundanese Village in Desa Cikalong, Sidamulih Sub-District, Pangandaran District. Alhamdulillah, Dean of the faculty, Dr. M. Budiana, M.Si fully support our plan. This agenda is even also included to 2022 FISIP Strategic Plan,” he said.
The plan of building/creating the Storefront of Sundanese Village is not separable to the history of Desa Cikalong itself. Cikalong is not only a lembur (kampung), but also a place with full of culture wealth and Sundanese natives. These characteristics are stick with them, so they are able to give birth to Cikalong Culture Village.
“People in Desa Cikalong are still maintaining and keeping the ancestor’s culture, such as ngijabkeun or tawasul as form of sending their gratitude of everything that Allah SWT has sent them,” he continued.
Ngijabkeun is cultural wisdom as the forerunner to the formation of a community character which is friendly, collaborative and sabilulungan. People in Desa Cikalong have social and economic fighting power expressed with gratitude in their respective dialectics and ways.
Another interesting tradition in Cikalong Village is the Nampaling Cultural Festival. The festival is held after harvest, around October-September. Nampaling is a tradition of getting rid of plant pests/catching grasshoppers using a tool called tampaling, then putting it into a basket (kembu).
“Building/creating the Storefront of Sundanese Culture in Desa Cikalong is none other than to keep and develop the culture passed from generation to generation. Later, Desa Cikalong is expected to be the centre of Sundanese culture,” he explained.
Not only in Desa Cikalong, Unpas FISIP is currently planning similar agendas in other 12 traditional villages, including Kampung Naga (Tasikmalaya District), Kampung Baduy (Lebak, Banten), Kampung Kuta (Karangpaninggal, Ciamis), Kampung Cijere (Rancakalong, Sumedang) and Kampung Gede (Kasepuhan Ciptagelar).
“Every village will be represented by five buildings in the form of traditional houses and one main building which will be a place to perform diorama, history, cultural product and people’s product,” he said.
It is also possible that Unpas FISIP would explore other area to build/create the Storefront of Sundanese Cultural Village, especially those who are still trying to maintain culture.
Head of UPT for Strengthening the Vision and Mission of FISIP Unpas, Iwan Ridwan Zaelani, S.IP., M.Sc., as well as the Head of Cikalong Village who also proposed this plan is ready to help realize the Storefront of Sundanese Cultural Village, supported by the Head of Paguyuban Pasundan for Pangandaran Branch, Regent and Deputy Regent of Pangandaran District, as well as West Java DPRD.
“Hopefully in the future it would also be the concern of West Java Governor and Minister of Education and Culture,” he concluded. (Reta)*
