User:The man from Gianyar/I Gusti Ketut Pudja

I Gusti Ketut Pudja (19 May 1908 – 4 May 1977) was an Indonesian politician and national hero, who served as the first governor of Bali from 1950 until 1958, and the first and only governor of Lesser Sunda from 1945 until 1950. He was a member of the Investigating Agency for Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence (BPUPK). He was also present at Admiral Tadashi Maeda's house, during the preparation for the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. Making him the only Balinese to be present during the proclamation.

Pudja was born on 19 May 1908 in Singaraja, Bali. He graduated from Rechtshoogeschool in Batavia (now Jakarta), and he started working in the Bali and Lombok Residency Office in Singaraja, in 1935. A year later, he was placed in the Raad van Kerta, a court in Bali at that time. Pudja was a member of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI), formed on 7 August 1945, to continue the work begun by the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK).

Early life and education
I Gusti Ketut Pudja was born in Singaraja, Bali, on 19 May 1908. He came from a relatively noble background, his father was I Gusti Nyoman Raka, a servant of a noble, and his mother was Jero Ratna Kusuma, the daughter of I Gusti Nyoman Ide Gempol. He was the youngest of five siblings. He was initially educated at the Tweede Inlandsche School (TIS), before going to the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS). He continued his education to the Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO) in Malang, where graduated in 1926. He again continued his education to the Algemene Middelbare School (AMS) in Bandung, graduating in 1929, and then entering the Rechtshoogeschool in Jakarta. There, he graduated in 1934, at the age of 26, earning his Master of Laws, and promptly returning to Bali shortly thereafter.

Committee for Independence
In 1935, he began to devote himself to the Bali and Lombok Resident office in Singaraja. A year later, he was placed in the Raad van Kerta, a court in Bali at that time, with a salary of 50 Gulden. On 7 August 1945, the Japanese announced the formation of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI), as a replacement for the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPKI). The PPKI at the time was tasked with accelerating all efforts related to the final preparations to form the Government of the Republic of Indonesia during the waning days of World War II. In the PPKI, Pudja was appointed the representative for Lesser Sunda by Sukarno.

As a Hindu, he, along with other eastern Indonesians in the PPKI, opposed the first point in the Jakarta Charter, that being the "God with the obligation to carry out Islamic law for its adherents," a point, which had previously been agreed upon by the PPKI. He, together with the people of Eastern Indonesia, suggested that the precepts be changed to one Godhead. The point was finally changed by Mohammad Hatta.

Following the Rengasdengklok incident, Pudja was present at Admiral Tadashi Maeda's house, located at Imam Bonjol street No. 1, Central Jakarta, during the preparation for the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. This made him the only Balinese to be present during the proclamation. Pudja was also witness to the historic moment of reading the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence at Sukarno's house, located on Pegangsaan Timur street no. 56, Jakarta. Following the proclamation, he represented Bali at the meeting of the PPKI held in Jakarta on 18 August 1945.

Governor of Lesser Sunda
Then, the-newly as the newly appointed president, Sukarno, appointed Pudja as the Governor of the Lesser Sunda islands on August 22, 1945. The areas under the authority of the Governor of Lesser Sunda included Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor, and Wetar, with his home town of Singaraja being designated as the capital. On August 22, 1945, Pudja arrived in his hometown of Singaraja, Bali, carrying the mandate of his appointment as Governor and immediately started his duties.

He appointed Ida Bagus Putra Manuaba as Chairman of the National Committee for the Lesser Sunda Region. A Working Committee was soon formed, which consisted of Mohamad Ansar, I Gusti Bagus Oka and Ida Bagus Putra Manuaba. He also began to carry out his political movement, namely carrying out the mandate from the president to secure the proclamation and seize power from the hands of the Japanese. He exerted political pressure on the Japanese by filing demands. The demands were, the Japanese flag that is flown in offices to be lowered and replaced with the Red and White flag, the use of Japanese time is replaced with the use of Indonesian time, and the atmosphere of war such as restrictions, curfews, and blackouts be ended. These demands weren't met by the Japanese, as Pudja and the Indonesian government were considered illegitimate.

Following the death of several Japanese soldiers by some pemuda's, the Japanese began an offensive, attacking the pemuda. On the afternoon of the attack, most of the pemuda's fled to the mountains, though Pudja and Manuaba were both arrested. Fortunately, the Japanese set them free, fearing continued rebellion if the leaders were not released.

Honors

 * The former Imaco building in Buleleng, Bali, was renamed after I Gusti Ketut Pudja in 2014.
 * His face is featured on the 1000 Indonesian rupiah coin of the 2016 series.

Awards

 * Star of the Mahaputra Utama (Bintang Mahaputra Utama), 1992
 * Indonesian National Hero, 2011