Local Wisdom and National Integration in Indonesia: A Case Study of Inter-Religious Harmony amid Social and Political Upheaval in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli

This study emphasizes on inter-religious affairs happened in
Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli began to experience turmoil
when the national movement era started in 1908 and it still
happens to present-day. The Dutch colonial government
advocated for inter-religious harmony at a local level. The policy
was pursued by the the Dutch colonial government out of fear
that the Indonesian people would develop a sense of unity and
fraternity among them, thereby intensifying the spirit of
nationalism. The Dutch government’s concern eventually came true when the power of the
Christian wing of the national movement cooperated with its Islamic counterpart. Along
with the political upheavals and social changes experienced by the Indonesian people, the
harmony between religious groups in various regions was affected. Despite migration,
changes of central and local leadership, and the flow of modernization that took place, the
dynamics of inter-religious harmony of the 1930s are still present today. The tradition, the
spirit of harmony, leadership models, and the application of local wisdom are all the key to
the survival of inter-religious harmony in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli, as findings in
research that can be used as a guide or model to build national integrity.