Equitable Rules and Local Wisdom in Alun-alun Yogyakarta A. Equitable Rules

As people are concerned, Alun-Alun is used for the community, the Palace, and urban activities. They can perform their activities at Alun-alun freely, at any time, anywhere, and with great responsibility to abide by the norms. Regarding equitable rules, there are several national regulations⁴⁸ for vulnerable persons and regional regulations on Yogyakarta Children-Friendly and Inclusive⁴⁹ City--but no special equitable rules for women, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities in these three spaces. The latest spatial regulations on these squares are stated below.

Table 6.3. Regulations on the Arrangement of Alun-alun Yogyakarta

Regulation Explanation

Peraturan Daerah Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta Nomor 4 Tahun 2012 tentang Perlindungan Dan Pemenuhan Hak-Hak Penyandang Disabilitas

[Yogyakarta Governor Regulation No. 4, 2012 on the Protection and Fulfilment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]

The government created pathways for blind people in South Alun-alun of Yogyakarta. The existing park has been paved with con-block and marked with yellow lines for persons with disabilities, and new seats have been installed.

Peraturan Daerah Kota Yogyakarta Nomor 2 Tahun 2010 tentang Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah Kota Yogyakarta (RTRW)

[Yogyakarta City Regulation No.2 Year 2010 about the Spatial City Plan of Yogyakarta during 2010–

2029].

North and South Alun-alun are the image points for the cultural city, implying active and passive tourism activities.

Source: Regulations of Yogyakarta City, 2010-2012

48 As stated in Chapter 5 about regulation and management in Indonesian public space

49 Yogyakarta City, today, declare itself as an inclusive city, and has six inclusive pilot districts, one of which is Kraton (Palace) sub-district (Rezkisari, 2017).

81 From the above table, it can be noted that there is a specific regulation on spatial development in these three squares, but no specific city regulation to manage the four marginalised groups.

B. Local Wisdom and History of Alun-alun Yogyakarta

Talking about history and local wisdom in Yogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities have a physically powerful and extensive record in the Palace. They have been essential users since its establishment. They were part of ritual events and ceremonies in Alun-alun as soldiers, abdi dalem (courtiers), and other activities.

Local Wisdom and History of Women

In the era of Hamengkubuwono II, in 1767, there were women soldiers (Langen Kusuma) who guarded the King, the crown prince, and the royal family. However, in 1812, women soldiers were dissolved by the British government. Later, women became part of the Palace activities as abdi dalem keparak and outside the Palace (in Alun-alun) as abdi dalem manggung. They also participated in cultural performances, such as traditional dances, carnivals (arak-arakan), or festivals (sekaten, garebeg). As abdi dalem keparak, they prepared everything (uba rampe) for ceremonies or exhibitions, such as Gunungan (traditional food), and other preparations. As abdi dalem manggung, women courtiers brought Palace goods to be exhibited on Sekaten or during other Palace activities.

Local Wisdom and History of Elderly Persons

Elderly persons have also been part of daily Palace activities since they comprise 50% of the abdi dalem of Yogyakarta Palace. Hence, the Palace, Alun-alun, and elderly persons are one unity. Historically, HB II was called the Sultan Sepuh or the Old Sultan because he was appointed the Sultan for the third time at 76 years of age, in replacing his grandchild (Marihandono, 2008).

He brought peace to the Yogyakarta Kingdom in the Java (Diponegoro) War Era.

Local Wisdom and History of Children

Children also became a part of the philosophical development of the Palace structure and important users of the Alun-alun. Cosmologically, the Yogyakarta Palace zones have a dichotomous implication: sacred and profane, men and women, front and back, public and private. The sacred area is located in Kuthanegara; the profane region is outside the Palace walls.

The men’s area--also the front or public area, is located in North Alun-alun, Kesatriyan (part of the Palace for princes), and hall (pendapa), which is in a residential area. The women’s area⁵⁰--also

50 It is a Javanese norm. But, in fact, the women’s area is also found in the outside area in the form of the traditional market (Pasar Ngasem and Pasar Beringharjo), as a statement that the market is women’s area.

the back or private area--is positioned in South Alun-alun, Water Castle (Tamansari), and Keputren (the part of the Palace for princesses), and dalem⁵¹ (house) in Jeron Beteng Area.

Besides this dichotomy, the Palace arrangement also has a symbol in its layout. As far as 5 km from Panggung Krapyak in the south until Tugu Monument in the north, there is a meaning for each zone (See Figure 7.8). Brongtodiningrat (n.d.) and Khairuddin (1995) explained the Palace symbols as follows: Panggung Krapyak is a place of spirit. Then, Mijen Kampong (comes from the word wiji or ‘seed’) means the babies’ and children’s era as the first step of the life cycle. The next zone is Plengkung Nirbaya or Plengkung Gading (gate to enter South Alun-alun), which is a symbol of puberty.

Then South Alun-alun symbolises a mature person. Next, South Sitinggil is a place to love and get married. South Kemandungan is a symbol of a baby in the womb. Subsequently, Regol Gadung Mlati, until Kemagangan, is a symbol of the baby delivery process. Kemagangan is a place to train a person to become a good human being. Then, Bangsal Manguntur Tangkil, Bangsal Witono, and Tarub Hagung are places for meditation for becoming a spiritual person. Pagelaran is a place of equality, where everyone can use the common language (Bagongan).

Then, North Alun-alun is a decision-making place to go wherever people want to go. That is because after that, there are lots of temptations, such as a Beringharjo Market as a place of beauty, delicious food, and fragrance, or Kepatihan as a place to get a position in life. After people complete the entire way, they will go till the Tugu (little monument), which is a symbol of gathering place of human and God. All the places mentioned before are designed contextually with the topic and its landscape.

The most important thing about the meaning of this Palace arrangement is that it signifies the considerable role of children. Besides, they play a significant part in the Palace activities, a crowd of Sekaten and Alun-alun daily activities.

Local Wisdom and History of PwDs

As mentioned before, people with disabilities also became vital users in Alun-alun as handicapped courtiers (abdi dalem polowijo), who historically became the Sultan’s advisers and patrons. They were placed in the forefront of Garebeg Carnival as courtiers who refuse the Palace disaster (Lombard on Nusa Jawa: Silang Budaya; Warisan Kerajaan-Kerajaan Konsentris, 2005c).

The presence of such servants in the Palace is vital to affirm the power of the King (old tradition in Java). The power comes from possessing an object or person with tremendous energy, such as a collection of traditional heirlooms and some strange human type (Benedict Anderson on Language and Power: Exploring Political Cultures in Indonesia, 2006 in Nugroho, 2017).

51 This is a reason why lots of batik female entrepreneurs work from home around the kampong, such as in Kampung Kauman Yogyakarta.

83 Their presence in the Javanese Kingdom⁵² has a long history and has been recorded in the Prambanan Temple [9^th Century], Singasari Era [13^th Century], Majapahit Era [14^th Century], and the spread of Islamic religion⁵³ [14^th–15^th Century] (Nugroho, 2017).

In Yogyakarta, abdi dalem polowija were the Sultan’s favourite escorts and got special land, known as Kampung Palawijan, inside Jeron Beteng, Yogyakarta Palace. Their role was not only to accompany the Sultan as the advocate of a ceremonial rite of the Palace but also to act as the symbol of the social soul of the king. They were believed to increase his magical powers.

Nowadays, it would be odd to congregate them in Alun-alun Yogyakarta, but Alun-alun area still has a special design and space for them although limited.

All four communities; women, children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities, have been central in Alun-alun in the past, and are so, even today.