INDONESIA LOOKS TO INDIA FOR LESSONS AMID SECOND COVID WAVE by Fardah

 

Jakarta, 1/7/2021 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has turned to India for lessons in battling COVID-19 in the wake of a second wave of infections triggered by the new Delta variant.

The countrys COVID-19 cases have hit a record, with daily cases reaching 21,807 on June 30, 2021, bringing the total tally to 2,178,272. Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 58,491.

The Indonesian government announced the nations first coronavirus cases on March 2, 2020.

In comparison, the Indian Health Ministry on May 6, 2021 reported 3,980 daily deaths, which took the national total to 230,168, and 412,262 daily cases, which brought India's caseload since the start of the pandemic to 21.1 million.

According to Indonesia, India has been quite successful in curbing the recent spike in cases, with daily infections falling to 50 thousand of late.

"There is a lesson that we can learn from there," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said on June 30, 2021.

Over these past few weeks, Jakarta and many other provinces across Indonesia have witnessed an alarming resurgence of COVID-19 cases amid the government's ongoing vaccination drives.

In flattening the COVID-19 curve, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, for instance, has urged local residents to abstain from frequent travel.

Meanwhile, in response to the alarming resurgence of new COVID-19 cases in the country, President Jokowi himself has earlier highlighted the necessity for state institutions and all levels of government to be on the same wavelength.

Such a fast and appropriate response necessitates state institutions, the central government, and regional governments to be on the same frequency, he  emphasized.

Indonesians react over violence against Muslims in India by Fardah

Jakarta, March 4, 2020 (ANTARA) - Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Pradeep Kumar Rawat, on February 28 visited Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD in Jakarta to discuss bilateral relations and security issues in the two countries. 

Following the meeting in Mahfud’s office, Rawat told the press that India is currently in a safe and peaceful condition. "Everything is peaceful. And as it is known, the situation in India is under control," Rawat said.

He also asked people to not trust the news developing outside because it was being done for certain vested interests.

"And, of course, we advise our friends to not believe in fake news that is being brought out by personal interests to mislead and by those trying to disrupt our country's diversity," he added.

At the same time, however, on social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp in Indonesia, videos of communal attacks against Muslims and a mosque being set on fire during Delhi's recent violence were going viral.

The videos triggered concern and even anger, especially among Muslims, which constitute nearly 90 percent of Indonesia’s population of some 270 million.

Violence against the Muslim community in India, triggered by the passage of the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019, has so far left 42 dead and more than 350 injured.

On March 2, members of Muslim organizations in Medan, North Sumatra Province, held a rally in front of the Indian Consulate General, to express their solidarity towards Indian Muslims and condemned the bloody violence.

“We demand that the Indonesian Government take a stern stance on the conflict in India because our brothers and sisters of the same faith are being murdered,” Razali Taat, the rally coordinator said.

They demanded that the Indian Government stop “the genocide” against Muslims in the South Asian nation.

Next Friday (March 6), a much larger rally is being planned in front of the Indian Embassy in Jakarta by Indonesian Muslim organizations.

In addition, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) was unequivocal in denouncing the violence on Muslims in India.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms, the barbaric act of violence that reflects real extremism and gross violation of human rights," the council noted in a press statement signed by its chairman Prof. Dr Din Syamsudin on March 2.

The council urged the Indian government to take stern measures against those involved in the attack and protect Indian Muslims from cruelty in any form.

PEACE DIPLOMACY A PRIORITY IN KASHMIR ISSUE

Sabtu, 17 Ags 2019 20:24

Daerah : Jakarta

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Nearly four million Kashmiris have been under lockdown with movement restrictions and a near communications blackout since August 4, 2019, as the Indian Government recently revoked special status accorded to Indian-administered Kashmir in its Constitution.
In the lead-up to the move, India sent tens of thousands of additional troops – joining 500,000 already there - to the disputed region, imposed a crippling curfew, shut down telecommunications and the Internet, arrested hundreds of Kashmiri political leaders, and turned parts of the main city of Srinagar into a fortress of roadblocks and barbed wire.
The latest developments have escalated the tension between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Pakistan formally asked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently to hold an emergency session to address the situation.
As a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Indonesia, however, believes that dialogue and communication between Pakistan and India would be more desirable to resolve the Kashmir problem.
From Indonesia's point of view, peace and security diplomacy must be prioritized in dealing with the Kashmir issue. Indonesia is also of the view that the solution to the problem should be sought bilaterally by Pakistan and India. A bilateral solution is a key to this problem.
Teuku Faizasyah, spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, said in a statement on August 15, 2019 that it would be better for Pakistan and India to hold a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir problem, because a communication deadlock has led to information scarcity, giving rise to various interpretations that have only led to an escalation of the problem.
In the UN Security Council, Indonesia emphasized the importance of the two countries exercising restraint and resolving the problem bilaterally, Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard, Director General of Multilateral Cooperation of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, said.

INDIA-BALI DIRECT FLIGHTS EXPECTED TO BOOST TOURIST ARRIVALS by Fardah

  Jakarta, April 25, 2018 (Antara)- After waiting for three years, Garuda Indonesia finally on April 24 materialized its inaugural direct flight serving Mumbai-Denpasar, with the aim of boosting Indian tourist arrivals in Indonesia.

         Direct flight is believed to be crucial in attracting more Indian tourists as the south Asian nation is one of the highest growing markets.

         Indian tourist arrivals to Indonesia has grown significantly, reaching 485 thousand in 2017 or an increase of 29 percent than the previous year.

         With the start of direct flights, Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya is optimistic that the number of Indian tourists would grow up to 40 percent to reach some 700 thousand this year.

         The airline noted that the occupancy rate for the carrier's route from Mumbai to Denpasar had reached over 82 percent on its inaugural flight.

         The GA-815 flight carried as many as 192 passengers of the total capacity of 222 people, served by the Airbus 330 series 200 aircraft, with a configuration of 36 business-class and 186 economy-class seats.

        "For an inaugural flight, this is a good number," Garuda Indonesia President Director Pahala N. Mansury noted after landing at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Kuta, Bali, on April 24, 2018, from Mumbai.

         Mansury stated that his office had earlier conducted intensive promotion targeting the Indian market in order to attract as many passengers as possible for the route that holds high potential.

         He expects the occupancy rate to reach more than 75 percent, as tourists from India do not need to obtain visas to enter Indonesia.

INDIA CONTRIBUTES THIRD LARGEST NUMBER OF TOURISTS TO BALI by Fardah

Jakarta, March 22, 2018 (Antara) - Several countries contributing to the largest number of tourists to Bali Island have shifted from those considered as traditional markets, such as Japan and Europe, to China and India.

         India is one of the growing markets, with a high potential for Bali tourism. But its tourism potential had slowed down due to the recent eruption of Mount Agung.     
    Bali has become one of the favorite destinations for Indian people, after the Indonesian government implemented the free-visa policy for India since 2015.

        A significant increase in Indian tourist arrivals was recorded after the policy was implemented, from 19 thousand tourists in 2015 to 250 thousand tourists in 2017, up by 45.59 percent from 187,351 in the year before.

          India is the third biggest contributor of foreign tourists after China and Australia, out of the total 5.8 million foreign tourists visiting the island.

         In January 2018, the number of Indian tourists visiting Bali rose by 29,016, or 65.62 percent, from the same period last year.

         "However, it was down by 107, or 0.37 percent, from the previous month. In December 2017, the total number of Indian tourist arrivals was recorded at 29,123," head of the Central Statistics Agency office, Adi Nugroho, stated.

        Most of the Indian tourists come by direct flight from their country, while others travel by cruise ship.

INDONESIA OFFERS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO INDIAN INVESTORS by Fardah

Jakarta, March 21, 2018 (Antara) - The Indonesian Government has invited several countries to participate in the development of infrastructure being carried out across the country to improve the national connectivity.

         China and Japan are currently been engaged in various infrastructure projects, such as rapid railway projects on Java Islands.

         Now, the Indonesian Government is trying to persuade India to be involved in the constructions of various other projects, such as seaports, airports, and railways.

         The offers were conveyed by Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi while speaking at an India-Indonesia Infrastructure Forum (IIIF) in Jakarta on March 19, 2018.

         Indonesia trusts India, because the south Asian nation is very experienced in developing large-scale infrastructure projects. 
     "I think good relations between Indonesia and India could be deepened and expanded in a concrete manner, especially in airport and seaport development. It is also not impossible in railway development projects," the minister told the forum¿s participants.

           He remarked that large-scale projects offered to Indian investors include the constructions of Kualanamu Airport of Medan in North Sumatra and Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport of Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, as well as medium-scale projects, such as Radin Inten II Airport of Lampung, Juwata Airport of Tarakan in North Kalimantan, and Komodo Airport of Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara.

            Seaport projects offered to Indian investors include the Kuala Tanjung port of North Sumatra and Bitung port of North Sulawesi. In addition, there are several small-scale projects in central Indonesian region.

STRENGTHENING TRADE, INVESTMENT COOPERATION WITH INDIA by Fardah

Jakarta, Dec 14, 2016 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) paid a state visit to India in the last month of 2016 to boost bilateral trade and invite Indian businessmen to invest more in Indonesia.

          India is Indonesia's largest trade partner in South Asia and fourth largest trade partner in the world, with a trade balance reaching US$14.6 billion, or 4.9 percent of Indonesia's total trade value in 2015.

        In the same year, India invested in 43 projects worth $15.5 million in Indonesia, an increase from the $12.89 million it invested in 2014. India mostly invests in the food, textiles, and transportation sectors.

         Indonesia has enjoyed a large trade surplus with India and continues to boost bilateral trade ties, particularly by diversifying products and commodities exported to India.

         Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi said, in addition to CPO and coal, which are Indonesia's main exports to India, Indonesia should be able to export other products to the South Asian nation, such as furniture, gambier, and areca nuts.

         During the two-day visit (Dec 12-13), the president explored the possibility of diversifying exports.   
    The first visit of President Jokowi to India is intended to reciprocate the visit of the Indian prime minister to Jakarta in 2013 and the visit of the Indian vice president to Indonesia in November 2015.  

BALI BECOMES MORE POPULAR AMONG INDIAN TOURISTS by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 17, 2016 (Antara) - Bali Island, Indonesia's most famous tourist resort, and India, have a striking similarity, namely that both have a Hindu majority population.

         The people of Bali, and even those in several parts of Indonesia, also share the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics of India. 
    Bali and India, however, also have their own unique culture, traditions and characteristics.

         It is reported that during his visit to Java and Bali in 1927, Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian poet, was so enamored by Bali that he said, "Wherever I go on the island, I see God."
     Then, 23 years later in 1950, India's then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru hailed Bali as the "Morning of the World".

           In the past, Bali was not a favorite destination of Indian tourists. But lately, thanks to intensified promotional activities in India organized by the Indonesian government, the number of Indian tourists visiting Bali has shown a relatively significant surge.     
      A Wonderful Indonesia campaign, for instance, was organized by the ministry during the Sale Mission India 2016 in Kolkata, India, on August 22, with the objective of attracting more tourists. 
     In addition to tourist promotion, the Indonesian government's visa free policy has also helped to significantly boost the number of foreign tourists. India is one of the nearly 100 countries that receive the visa-free facility.

         The Indonesian government hopes to attract some 12 million foreign tourists, including 350 thousand from India, this year.

-LURING MORE INDIAN TOURISTS TO INDONESIA by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 24, 2016 (Antara) - With a population four times of Indonesia's, or the world's second largest after China, India is a potential market for the southeast nation's tourism industry.

        The number of Indian tourists visiting Indonesia has been increasing over the past several years, thanks to promotional activities launched by the Indonesian tourism ministry.

         A majority of Indian tourists head for Bali when they come visiting Indonesia. Besides Bali, Jakarta and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara also receive a large number of Indian tourists.

       A Wonderful Indonesia campaign was organized by the ministry during the Sale Mission India 2016 in Kolkata, India, on August 22, with the objective of attracting more tourists from India.

          Other tourist destinations in addition to Bali and Yogyakarta were also introduced to the Indian people, Dody Prianto, assistant deputy director of the Tourism Ministry, said on the sidelines of the sale mission event.

        "We will promote other regions, such as the 10 'new Bali' tourist destinations that include Tanjung Lesung, Pulau Seribu (One Thousand Islands in North Jakarta), Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Mandalika (West Nusa Tenggara), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), and Morotai (Maluku)," he noted.

         He mentioned Sumatra as one of the interesting places for Indian tourists to visit as it is located near Singapore, and its culinary dishes bear similarities to those in Indonesia.

         The Tourism Ministry has set a target of attracting at least 350 thousand Indian tourists this year.

         "The target is quite high, but we are optimistic that it can be achieved," Prianto stated.

INDONESIAN TOURISM PROMOTION TARGETS INDIA AS POTENTIAL MARKET by Fardah

Jakarta, Dec 4, 2015 (Antara)- Indonesia has turned its focus on India as another potential tourism market, after identifying China and Russia as its main tourism promotion targets, among others.

        The country is trying to expand its tourism markets to the Asian countries, apart from its traditional European, Australian and American markets.

         India is one of the 90 countries to which the Indonesian government extended the visa-free facility this year in its efforts to double the number of foreign tourists visiting the country, from the current 10 million every year to 20 million by 2019.

        As part of its efforts, the Indonesian government has set a target to attract at least 300 thousand Indian tourists next year.

         Indonesia considers India a potential tourism market as most Indian tourists are high-class travelers, Taufik Nur Hidayat, an assistant deputy for the Asian and Pacific Market Development of the Ministry of Tourism, said.

INDONESIA, INDIA TO EXPAND COOPERATION BEYOND ECONOMIC TIES by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 14, 2013 (Antara) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Indonesia spurred the two countries to commit to expanding their strategic partnership in various fields.

        The two nations have acknowledged the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation not only in relation to the economy but also in fields such as transportation, tourism, information technology, creative economy, defense, security, counter-terrorism, natural disaster handling, anti-corruption, money laundering, drug and human trafficking, cyber crime, and space technology.  

RI PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO INDIA DEMONSTRATES HIGHER LEVEL BILATERAL TIES by Fardah

     Jakarta, Jan 25, 2011 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is paying a three-day state visit to India from January 24 to 26, 2011, his second state visit to the South Asian giant since November 2005 aimed at taking strategic partnership to a higher level.
       Yudhoyono, the first Head of State or Government to pay an official or state visit to India in 2011, will be the Chief Guest at India`s Republic Day celebrations, demonstrating the close ties between the two world`s most populated countries.

Dermawan Akan Hadiahkan Rumah Gandhi untuk Pemerintah

        Jakarta, 12 Agustus 2009 Spektrum - Seorang dermawan berencana untuk membeli rumah di Johannesburg, Afrika Selatan, yang pernah didiami oleh Mahatma Gandhi selama lebih dari tiga tahun.
     Pradeep Bhavnani, seorang pengusaha India, berharap rumah yang ia akan hadiahkan kepada Pemerintah India tersebut dapat dilestarikan sebagai tempat bersejarah.

SERBA-SERBI PUASA DI TIGA NEGARA oleh Fardah Assegaf

    Jakarta, 11/3/1994 (ANTARA) - Bila di Paris atau Washington DC segelas teh hangat bisa menghapus dahaga pada saat berbuka puasa, maka di New Delhi dua gelas es tebu, jus mangga plus "lasi" (yogur encer), belum mampu menghilangkan rasa haus akibat panas terik.
    Berpuasa di tanah rantau memang berat, namun sangat menarik karena memberi kesempatan untuk merasakan suasana "yang lain" selama Ramadhan.

UNESCO IMBAU DUNIA NYATAKAN KEADAAN DARURAT DI BIDANG PENDIDIKAN

      New Delhi, 16/12/1993 (ANTARA) - Direktur Jenderal UNESCO (Organisasi Pendidikan, Ilmu Pengetahuan dan Kebudayaan PBB) Federico Mayor di New Delhi, Kamis, mengimbau negara-negara yang turut serta dalam KTT Pendidikan untuk Semua (Education for All - EFA) untuk menyatakan keadaan darurat di bidang pendidikan paling tidak selama dasawarsa 1990-an.
        Mayor merasa pendidikan, yang bukan saja hak asasi manusia tapi juga suatu kebutuhan sosial, kurang diperhatikan di sejumlah negara. Karena itu, dalam pidatonya pada pembukaan KTT EFA, ia dengan sangat meminta agar masalah pendidikan dinyatakan dalam keadaan darurat selama tahun 1990-an atau hingga sasaran pendidikan dasar universal dapat dicapai dan angka buta huruf di kalangan orang dewasa dapat diturunkan secara drastis.

KTT BERTEKAD CAPAI TUJUAN EFA MENJELANG TAHUN 2000

     New Delhi, 16/12/1993 (ANTARA) - Sembilan negara berpenduduk padat pada akhir KTT Pendidikan Untuk Semua (Education for All-EFA) di New Delhi, Kamis sore, mengeluarkan Deklarasi Delhi yang antara lain mengutarakan tekad mereka untuk mencapai tujuan EFA menjelang tahun 2000 atau pada waktu yang paling tepat.
        Mereka berjanji untuk menjamin tempat bagi setiap anak di sekolah atau program pendidikan yang sesuai dengan kemampuannya sehingga tidak seorang anak pun yang tidak memperoleh pendidikan karena kekurangan guru, bahan belajar atau ruangan yang memadai.

MENSOS SAKSIKAN PERTUNJUKAN TARI INDIA

      Jakarta, 28/12/1988 (ANTARA) - Menteri Sosial Haryati Soebadio menyaksikan pertunjukan tari Odissi, India, di Jakarta, Selasa malam.
        Mensos, yang diterima oleh Duta Besar India untuk Indonesia R.S. Kalha dan isteri, menikmati pementasan tari, yang berlangsung selama dua jam itu, hingga selesai.

Musisi Legendaris India Persembahkan Resital Shehnai

    Jakarta, 27/12/1988 (ANTARA) - Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan, musisi legendaris India, tampil memukau dalam resital Shehnai, alat musik semacam obo (seperti suling) di Jakarta Senin malam.
        Ali Khan, yang sangat berbakat dan memiliki napas yang panjang, memainkan obo dengan mahir sehingga menimbulkan suara merdu yang kadang melengking tinggi atau tiba-tiba begitu lembut dan pelan.
        Alunan suara Shehnai (obo) malam itu bisa menimbulkan suasana gembira, tenang atau sedih meratap.