LITERATURE
The literature development programme is closely connected with that of
language, assisting as it does in literary-artistic, aesthetic and spiritual
communication. For future success, it is essential that more people make
use and take full advantage of the language in an appropriate way. For
it is only by the development of the national language, both in practical use
and at the spiritual level, that it will become completely established.
Together with the language development programme itself, literature
development also encompasses Indonesian as well as local languages and
dialects.
In developing national literature, it is important to refer to old literature
written in Malay, on which the national language is based. Included in
the programme are various activities, such as: philological study and publication
of Old Malay manuscripts; publication and comparative studies
of more recent Malay literature; organization of periodical competitions
for writing literature in Indonesian; publication and reviews of contemporary
works; subsidies and assistance with activities written in Indonesian.
Local languages and dialects face further problems for they do not
all possess written literary works. Many areas have only recently become
literate. Previously, outside communication was expressed either in Malay
as the linguafranca or in the colonial language. Much local literary material
has thus been transmitted orally.
Making an inventory of local literature, whether written or oral, is a
huge task incorporating various institutions all over the country. The
Centre for Language Development and the Directorate of History and
Traditional Values are the only two government institutions concerned
with this task, but provincial universities, offices of the local administration,
the various branch offices of the Department of Education and Culture and
many private organizations and persons all have an interest in local
literature. There is concern that with the development of Indonesian,
local languages will suffer and ultimately die out. The younger generation,
even those who are using them at home in everyday life, write in Indonesian.