Towards a Technocratic Dialectic: Renewing the Direction of Student Activism in the New Era of Digital Environment

by Subhan Yusuf, S.Kom., M.A., observer on geopolitics and public policy

Every August, our public sphere is often filled with contradictory narratives: celebrations of national development achievements on the one hand, and waves of protest on the other. Mass demonstrations carrying bombastic slogans such as #ReclaimingIndependence appear to have become an annual ritual. Yet, amid the rapid transformation of the sociopolitical landscape in the digital era, it is time for us, as an educated younger generation, to ask a fundamental question: is street-based criticism still the most relevant means of contributing to nation-building, or has it shifted into little more than a stage for self-branding, trapped within information biases and particular agendas? It is time to revise our perspective. The maturation of democracy should no longer be measured by how loudly people shout in public spaces, but by how sharp, accurate, and substantive the ideas they bring to the table of scholarly dialectics are.

The Failure of Narratives and the Importance of Data-Based Criticism

When examining the issues raised in recent demonstrations, a clear and substantial gap emerges between the rhetoric of the streets and the realities of government administration. The allegation that there has been "state colonization of the people" represents a reductive and unsubstantiated narrative that could potentially mislead the public. In an era of open information, making extreme accusations without empirical evidence only serves to undermine the credibility of the student movement itself.

The same problem can be observed in the issue of eradicating corruption, collusion, and nepotism. Calling for an end to corruption will always remain relevant. However, ignoring the systematic measures currently being implemented by the government, such as the digitalization of public procurement systems, the strengthening of budgetary oversight, and impartial law enforcement, reflects an inability to acknowledge tangible progress. The same applies to agrarian reform, which is often reduced to a pragmatic political slogan rather than approached through a comprehensive study of land law and governance. As a result, it can appear more like an articulation of the interests of particular groups or political parties than a genuine expression of grassroots aspirations.

Between Policy Evaluation and Local Elite Interests

Criticism of National Strategic Projects (PSN) and social programs such as Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) is, in itself, entirely legitimate. However, demanding the total termination of programs whose effects are directly experienced by lower-income communities reflects an analytical tendency toward simplification. These national policies are, by their very nature, subject to continuous evaluation, adjustment, and refinement based on empirical conditions on the ground.

Furthermore, narratives concerning regional autonomy and opposition to tighter central government oversight need to be critically examined. Resistance to central supervision can sometimes reflect the concerns of local "little kings", namely local bureaucratic actors who feel threatened when regional budgetary practices are subjected to stricter oversight by the central government in an effort to break entrenched chains of corruption at the regional level. Invoking regional autonomy as a justification for preserving opportunities for the misuse of local public funds is an irony that students must not overlook.

Systemic Misunderstanding and Vulnerability to Foreign Agendas

The superficiality of the solutions proposed by student movements becomes increasingly visible when addressing technical issues such as national disaster management. Demanding the declaration of a particular emergency status without understanding the relevant legal variables, the scale of the emergency, and the mechanisms for distributing authority between central and regional governments demonstrates the weakness of intellectual consolidation at the grassroots level. Disaster relief and accelerated recovery require integrated technocratic coordination, not merely the placement of an administrative stamp on a document.

Equally crucial are demands concerning security-sector reform, particularly opposition to strengthening territorial structures such as Territorial Development Infantry Battalions (Yonif TP). Narratives that continuously discredit the role of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) in maintaining stability and supporting national development bear a strong resemblance to certain external approaches. From a geopolitical perspective, external agendas can seek to weaken domestic security institutions so that developing states lose part of their national resilience. Students, who should ideally serve as a bulwark of national sovereignty, risk instead becoming intermediaries for agendas that diminish their own country's defense capacity.

Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Cadre Formation and Self-Promotion

We must honestly acknowledge that the social media era creates a powerful temptation for movement leaders to become trapped within the attention economy. Demonstrations can undergo a process of substantive dehumanization, in which the aesthetics of documentation, heroic narratives, and social media follower counts become more dominant than the actual impact of the criticism itself. Normalizing demonstrations as the primary vehicle for the personal branding of future leaders is a serious mistake that can create a vicious cycle.

If a student's objective is to learn practical politics and pursue a leadership career, the political party system is the appropriate arena. Political competition and strategic calculations should take place within political parties, institutions constitutionally designed to organize and manage political power. The academic environment of universities can then remain a genuine space for the pursuit of scientific truth and objective policy analysis.

Respecting Democracy in Its Fullness and Holistic Dimension

A healthy democracy does not emerge from an oppositional attitude that automatically rejects political reality. A holistic democracy is one capable of maintaining fairness: criticizing policies that require improvement on the basis of evidence while simultaneously acknowledging and appreciating positive achievements made by the government. Criticism should not be expressed so selfishly that it sacrifices the convenience and interests of the broader public who depend on public facilities.

As an educated younger generation, it is time for us to renew our intellectual approach. Today's national challenges, including digital transformation, the energy transition, and geopolitical competition, demand specialization and high technocratic capacity rather than merely street rhetoric. Let us return political contestation to the formal political arena, return students to spaces of scholarly inquiry, and provide a more mature example for future generations.