Gafatar Has 5,000 Hectares Land for Food Security Program
20 January 2016 15:22 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former leader of Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar), Yudhistira, said one of the organization’s work agenda is inviting its members to go to Kalimantan to participate in food security program.
According to Yudhistira, the people who were reported missing previously were participating in the program. “They were not missing, they were just participating in the program on their own voluntarily,” said Yudhistira last week.
In the food security program, Gafatar provides 5,000 hectares of lands in Kalimantan for the members to work on it. Some of the lands were obtained by the organization by purchasing and some others were voluntarily given by the elders. “The locals think that the lands are better to be used for agriculture than oil palm which can damage the environment,” Yudhistira said.
Yudhistira also reminded the members who would go to Kalimantan to notify their families and relatives. However, each member said different reason and no one said they would go farming as many people would not believe it. For example, Yudhistira said it would raise some questions from many people if an advocate like him wanted to be a farmer.
Yudhistira did not deny that some members of Gafatar were former members of Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah, an organization that was disbanded in 2007 for being considered heretical. In 2011, Mahftul Muiz Tumanurung, founder of Gafatar, invited some former members of Al Qiyadah to join Gafatar.
So far, there are about 20,000 members of Gafatar which are spread in 34 provinces and from various religious, professional and organizational backgrounds. “Gafatar has also never participated in the members’ religious beliefs. That is their privacy,” said Yudhistira.
Adi, former Gafatar caretaker of Central Java, said Gafatar’s funding comes from donation of the members. Every month, there are voluntary contributions and they can donate any amount, starting from Rp5,000 to Rp10 million. “As long as it’s sincere.”
SWITZY SABANDAR