On May 20, 2026, Indonesia once again commemorates National Awakening Day (Harkitnas), which this year marks its 118th anniversary. The government, through the Ministry of Communication and Digital, has adopted the theme “Nurturing the Nation’s Sprouts for State Sovereignty,” a theme intended to emphasize the importance of caring for the next generation as the foundation of the nation’s future. This year’s Harkitnas logo is also filled with symbols of hope, resilience, and national growth.
However, behind this optimistic-sounding theme, a crucial question arises from disability groups: is the state truly nurturing these “sprouts” equally?
This question emerged from two separate interviews conducted during the Harkitnas 2026 momentum. On May 20, Saddam Ashar AA, Chairman of the Nusantara Affirmative Alliance for Disability Welfare (DIKARA), conveyed his criticism and reflections on the meaning of national awakening. The following day, May 21, 2026, Maria Un, affectionately known as Mia, Chairwoman of the Indonesian Women with Disabilities Association of South Sulawesi, spoke about the struggles of women with disabilities who still face layered discrimination.
Both come from different experiences but equally demonstrate that national awakening has not fully reached disability groups.
May 20, 2026: “If We’re Still Sprouts, It Means We Haven’t Truly Awakened”
On National Awakening Day, May 20, 2026, Saddam Ashar AA viewed this year’s Harkitnas theme with a critical tone.
According to him, the term “sprout” carries an ambiguous meaning. A sprout indeed depicts something that is growing, but at the same time, it also shows that this growth is unfinished and still vulnerable to failure.
“If we’re still sprouts, it means there’s still a possibility of wilting, dying, or failing to grow,” Saddam stated.
He believes that the use of this term is quite ironic for National Awakening Day, which is over a century old. For him, the nation should already be talking about the results of its awakening, not still about the initial phase of growth.
“It should be time for us to reap the fruits of that awakening, not still talk about sprouts,” he said.
Nevertheless, Saddam considers the term “sprout” still relevant when placed in the context of the disability struggle. He reminded that the state’s attention to disability issues only began to become more serious since the enactment of Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities.
“If counted from 2016 until now, the disability struggle is actually still very young,” he said.
For Saddam, one of the most tangible indicators of disability awakening is education. He acknowledges that access to education for persons with disabilities is now much more open than before. Inclusive schools are developing, universities are increasingly accepting students with disabilities, and even some private institutions are starting to open up wider spaces.
However, he also criticized the practice of inclusivity, which he believes is not yet fully healthy. He highlighted situations where persons with disabilities are accepted into education not because of their capacity, but merely to meet formal inclusion requirements.
“We are accepted because of disability, not because of ability,” he stated.
According to Saddam, this condition can actually degrade the dignity of persons with disabilities. Inclusion, he said, should be built on the principle of competency equality, not pity.
He also touched upon the condition of special needs schools (SLB), which he believes still require serious attention, especially regarding the number of educators and learning approaches tailored to the needs of each type of disability.
Despite being critical of government policies, Saddam emphasized that awakening cannot solely be burdened upon the state. The disability community itself, he believes, must also have the will to rise.
“The government can only provide facilities. But what determines our future is ourselves,” he said.
May 21, 2026: Mia and the Voices of Still Marginalized Women with Disabilities
The day after Harkitnas commemoration, on May 21, 2026, Maria Un, or Mia, presented a perspective that further highlighted the layered discrimination still experienced by women with disabilities in Indonesia.
As Chairwoman of the Indonesian Women with Disabilities Association of South Sulawesi, Mia believes that the spirit of National Awakening Day must not be separated from the struggle to achieve educational equality, access to public services, and recognition of persons with disabilities as subjects of development.
She stated that to this day, women with disabilities still face far more complex barriers, especially when their disability identity intersects with other vulnerabilities such as poverty, 3T regions (frontier, outermost, and least developed areas), or status as indigenous communities.
“If she is a woman, a person with a disability, lives in a 3T region, and is part of an indigenous community, then the discrimination is layered,” she said.
Mia asserted that national awakening should be interpreted as an impetus to ensure all citizens obtain equal rights: the right to education, the right to participate in public spaces, political rights, and the right to live with dignity.
According to her, persons with disabilities have too often been viewed as burdens or objects of social assistance, rather than as citizens capable of contributing.
In fact, Mia said, if provided with proper accessibility and accommodation, persons with disabilities can be involved in various fields: education, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and even public leadership.
“Proper accessibility and accommodation are rights. When they are not provided, it is a form of discrimination,” she emphasized.
Mia also paid special attention to the increasing gender-based violence against women with disabilities, including online gender-based violence. She believes that women with intellectual and mental disabilities are the most vulnerable group because they often do not receive adequate protection from their environment or families.
According to Mia, the relevance of this year’s National Awakening Day theme and logo must be understood through the state’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable groups.
“Protecting the nation’s sprouts includes protecting children and adolescent girls with disabilities from all forms of gender-based violence, including online gender-based violence,” she said.
She asserted that the impact of sexual violence, especially online sexual violence, does not stop at the event itself. The trauma experienced by victims can leave lifelong scars and destroy their outlook on the future.
“Because the impact and trauma experienced due to violence can affect a victim’s life throughout their life. And that will make victims feel their future is dead,” Mia stated.
An Awakening with Unfinished Business
From those two different days of interviews, one common reality emerged: the national awakening is not yet complete.
For Saddam Ashar AA, awakening must be measured by the quality of education and equality of opportunity. Meanwhile, for Mia, awakening must be evident in the state’s courage to protect the most vulnerable groups, especially women with disabilities.
Both demonstrate that the theme “Nurturing the Nation’s Sprouts for State Sovereignty” cannot be interpreted merely as a ceremonial slogan. The nation’s sprouts are not only those who grow in safe and well-equipped spaces, but also young people with disabilities, women with disabilities, disabled students, and citizens who have long lived on the fringes of state attention.
National Awakening Day should be a moment to re-evaluate who has truly awakened, and who is still left behind.
Because an awakening that is merely celebrated without bringing real change for vulnerable groups will ultimately only become an annual commemoration—not a movement that truly revitalizes the nation.
Makassar, May 21, 2026