CURRENT STORY OF MERANTAU By Habib Muhammad Shahib Arrow can hit the target if it has released from the

archers bow & humans can meet the greatest wisdom of life if they leave their hometown (Imam Syafii) For Indonesian people, Who does not know Merantau ? It is a great symbol of life at many tribes in this archipelago country. The symbol of hope, adventure, and wisdom to find another story of humans life. Merantau, in English we can say as an activity to leave our hometown for finding another land to create a new life for the brighter future. Since many ages ago, The Merantau wisdom becomes a popular choice for archipelago people. It can be seen from many evidences of peoples migration. For instance, we can find in some Indonesias big islands (Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, Kalimantan, and Papua). There are so many towns which are lived by Javanese, Buginise, Makassarnese, Minangnese, Balinese, Malukunese, Papuans, and etc. As time goes on, they try to live peacefully not only with their tribes but with the indigenous people in the town that they lived in. In this modern era, many scholars said, the wisdom of merantau has changed. It can be seen from the evidences of migration people today. Currently, Indonesian people mostly chose to migrate to the big city such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Semarang, and etc. Based on the situations above and the data from The Indonesian statistical body (BPS), we know, the level of Indonesias urbanization has risen years by years. In socio-economic term, this situation is a bad signal for socio-economic development in Indonesia. The high level of urbanization is a symbol of the unfair distribution income to all regions in Indonesia. As an effect of that, the people from poor regions will try to find the short way to be welfare. And the shortest way to be welfare is doing urbanization to the big cities because the big cities have many expectations of the great life. However, we cannot deny, people have the right to pursue the happiness with doing urbanization. But we have to concern on the domino effect of urbanization. For instance, Urbanization makes many farmers in the villages become the new unemployment because they have a big dream to be the successful men if they go to the big cities. But the reality of life in big cities is not friendly for the ex-farmers. And then they become poor labor or homeless as a consequence of they have no ability or good skills to compete with others in the big cities. Next, the land which farmers have left in the village changed to be Industry or house land. Finally, Indonesia will lose its identity as an agricultural country. In my conclusion, I do believe. Merantau is good for us to pursue our dreams but with some requirements such as first, we have to have a good intend, what will we do in the new city? So we can make a plan to do it. Second, we have to have a good ability or skill. So we can compete and fight in the new cities. And from Government side, I have some suggestions to reduce the high level of urbanization for instance government can make some regulation or subsidies to our indigenous people in Indonesia so they can cultivate their land and become successful man without leaving their hometown so our country always be an agricultural country that can BERDIKARI. (Stand up with our ability without dependent to other nations). #Long Live Indonesia !