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The Indonesian People's Movement (Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia), better known as Gerindo, was a left-wing and nationalist political party in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) which existed from 1937 to 1942. It had modest goals and was largely cooperative to the colonial administration. More strongly anti-fascist than anti-colonialist, the party sought to support the colonial government in opposing fascism, especially Japanese fascism.

Founded as the successor to Partindo, the party's leaders were mainly left-wing nationalists who aspired to socialist ideals. Though more radical than its conservative counterpart, the Great Indonesia Party, Gerindo was tolerated by the colonial administration, becoming the only legal organization for radical nationalism. In 1939, Gerindo joined several other parties in forming the Indonesian Political Federation (GAPI), an umbrella organization of various different nationalist groups which called for Indonesian self-determination and an elected parliament. Following the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940, the party's activities were severely curtailed and it, alongside GAPI, was dissolved in the wake of the invasion of the colony by the Empire of Japan in 1942.

Background
In 1931, Bonifacius Cornelis de Jonge became governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. As governor-general, he took a more hardline approach to radical anti-colonialism than his predecessor. A year into his tenure, the colonial administration announced an ordinance which required permission from the authorities before any private school could be established. The ordinance prompted a national outcry from every significant Indonesian organization and de Jonge subsequently suspended it in 1933. However, the government now perceived a dangerous potential for united action among the Indonesian movements. Its concern was increased following a brief mutiny of Dutch and Indonesian sailors aboard the HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën that same year. In response, de Jonge, who attributed the mutiny to nationalist political agitation, arrested and exiled non-cooperative nationalist leaders, including Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Sutan Sjahrir as part of a clampdown, leaving their organizations leaderless. This included Sukarno's Indonesia Party (Partindo), which ceased most of its activities following his arrest.

By 1934, radical anti-colonialism on the basis of non-cooperation was effectively dead, replaced in favor of cooperation with the Dutch. In 1936, several moderate members of the Volksraad, the semi-legislative body of the colony, introduced the Soetardjo Petition. Written by Soetardjo Kartohadikusumo, the petition called for the organization of a conference to discuss autonomy for the Dutch East Indies within a Dutch-Indonesian union over a period of ten years. It was passed in the Volksraad by 26–20, thanks to the votes of the Indo Europeesch Verbond, the largest European party in the body. However, the proposal was met with apathy by the nationalist movement who were skeptical that it could succeed. The colonial government also reacted negatively to the petition which, according to historian George McTurnan Kahin, was "a sobering dash of cold water" in the faces of moderate Indonesians who believed that co-operation with the Dutch would be a sure path towards self-governance.

Founding


The government's negative reaction to the Soetardjo petition and the growing threat of fascism led a number of left-wing nationalists to form Gerindo on 24 May 1937. Founded as the successor to Partindo, Gerindo's membership largely consisted of former Partindo members and those who had grown disillusioned with the more conservative parties. The principal leaders of the new party included the likes of Amir Sjarifuddin, Sartono, Mohammad Yamin, A. K. Gani, Sanusi Pane, and Wikana. Following its establishment, Gerindo grew rapidly and it became the "powerful left-wing of the nationalist movement." In spite of it's more radical position compared to the more conservative Great Indonesia Party (Parindra), which it opposed, Gerindo was tolerated by the colonial government, becoming the only legal organization for radical nationalists, including supporters of the banned Indonesian Communist Party. However, the resulting disparity of views within the party led to tensions between the more moderate and the more radical leftist members.

Ideology
Gerindo was a left-wing party. Its founding members were mainly left-wing nationalists who aspired to socialist ideals for the future of the colony.