There was Kasim Arifin in the 50th Golden Reunion of IPB

 … 

Dari pulau itu, dia telah pulang

Dia yang dikabarkan hilang

Lima belas tahun lamanya

Di Waimital Kasim mencetak harapan

Di kota kita mencetak keluhan

(Aku jadi ingat masa kita diplonco

Dua puluh dua tahun yang lalu)

Dan kemarin, di tepi kali Ciliwung aku berkaca

Kulihat mukaku yang keruh dan leherku yang berdasi

Kuludahi bayanganku di air itu karena rasa maluku

Ketika aku mengingatmu, Sim

…

 

From the island, he has come home

He who is reported missing 

Fifteen years 

In Waimital Kasim scored expectation 

In town we scored complaint 

(I remember our times for being rookie

Twenty two years ago)

And yesterday, on the bank of Ciliwung river I looked in the mirror

I saw my face who was murky and my neck which had tie 

I spit my shadow in the water because of my embarrassement 

When I remember you, Sim

…

It was a fragment of the Poem of Taufik Ismail with the title of: “Syair untuk Seorang Petani dari Waimital, Pulau Seram, yang Pada Hari ini Pulang ke Almamaternya / Poem for A Farmer from Waimital, Seram Island, which Today Returns to His Almamater”. He read the poem as if Kasim was to be present in the reunion. Kasim was the figure of the ideal scholar who served the society selflessly, without salary. 

 

This poem was read by Taufik Ismail on the day of Graduation of Bogor Agricultural University in Campus of Darmaga, Saturday, 22 September 1979, to a friend named M. Kasim Arifin. This poem was read by Taufik coinciding when M. Kasim Arifin received the title of the Agricultural Engineer. 

 

Taufik Ismail read it again in the event of 50th Golden Reunion of IPB held in Jakarta Convention Centre (JCC), Saturday (5/10). Five thousands of the alumni of IPB seemed wise to listen to the poem. It was told by Taufik, Kasim was the student of the last level, when in 1964 leaving to Seram Island, for the foster job of the farming community there. He disappeared 15 years ago. His parents in Langsa asked him to go home. IPB called him for completing his study, but all in vain. 

 

Kasim who had 15 years reported missing, was apparently fostering farmers and residents in Waimital, and success. He was reluctant to meet the call of the Rector of IPB at that time, Prof. Dr. Ir. Andi Hakim Nasoetion. But, on the third call, coming the messenger of the Rector, i.e. his best friend Saleh Widodo, so Kasim wanted to come to Bogor. 

 

Kasim was moved because of the award of his almamater, but in fact he did not require an academic degree. On the graduation day Kasim who was in merciful years in T-shirt and flip-flops felt uneast when wearing a suit, tie and shoes, and joint reward with his friends. After getting the title of Engineer, various job offers were delivered to him, but instead he returned again to Waimital Village. He rejected the offer to review the agriculture in the United States of America. 

 

“Never mind the English language, many of the Indonesian language have been forgotten. What are the benefits to review the farming there, which is completely different with our farm here,” said Kasim, presented back by Taufik Ismail. (man)