The Pramuka Movement of Indonesia (), officially the Praja Muda Karana Scouting Movement (), is the national scouting organization of Indonesia. Scouting was founded in the Dutch East Indies in 1912, and Indonesia became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1953. Its membership is compulsory for students. It has 21,599,748 members (as of 2011), making it the world's largest Scout association.
The organization was established on 14 August 1961 as a part of the late Sukarno government's attempt to create a Scouting-like movement "freed from (the influences of) Baden-Powell", a goal largely reversed under the succeeding Suharto government. August 14 is celebrated as Pramuka Day to honour the organisation's first public parade in 1961, wherein independence hero Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogyakarta was appointed as the first Chief Scout of the GPI.
With the 2013 education curriculum in effect, it is compulsory for all Indonesian students to join the scout movement as scouting is officially one of the study units in the curriculum. This contributes to the movement's recognition as the world's largest.
Unlike other Scouting organizations the GPI uses a full military salute instead of the usual Scout sign and salute, honoring the fighting youth of the foundational organizations that formed the GPI for their service during the long Indonesian National Revolution (1945–49).
Etymology
The name Pramuka was derived from the acronym of "Praja muda karana", (Sanskrit: young people willing to work). But before this abbreviation was established, the word was originally proposed by Hamengkubuwono IX from the Javanese term (pronounced /pramukɔ/; lit. "front line soldier"). In W.J.S Poerwadarminta's 1939 Javanese Bausastra Dictionary, pramuka means pangarep or lelurah, which means "leader". The Pramuka word in Indonesia is currently often used as a term for scouting.
History
Colonial Period
Scouting came to Dutch East Indies in 1912, as a branch of the Nederlandse Padvinders Organisatie (NPO, Netherlands Pathfinder Organisation). After the oubreak of World War I had its own large quartier, it was called the Vereeniging Nederlandsch Indische Padvinders (Association of Dutch Indies Pathfinders). Other Scouting organizations were established by the Indonesia Scouts in 1916. As the Dutch East Indies, Indonesia had been a branch of the Netherlands Scout Association, yet Scouting was very popular, and had achieved great numbers and standards.
The Scouting organisation initiated by Indonesians was the Javaansche Padvinders Organisatie; established at the initiative of S.P. Mangkunegara VII in 1916.
As scouting organizations sprung up, scouting became inline with the national movement. Scouting organizations that sprung are the "Padvinder Muhammadiyah" which in 1920 changed its name to "Hizbul Wathan" (HW); "Nationale Padvinderij" founded by Budi Utomo; Syarikat Islam established "Syarikat Islam Afdeling Padvinderij" which was later changed to "Syarikat Islam Afdeling Pandu" and is better known as SIAP, Nationale Islamietische Padvinderij (NATIPIJ) established by Jong Islamieten Bond (JIB) and Indonesisch Nationale Padvinders Organisatie (INPO) established by Pemuda Indonesia.
In 1923, the Scouting movement in Indonesia gained ground by the full establishment of the (Dutch) Nationale Padvinderij Organisatie (NPO) in Bandung. In Jakarta, the Jong Indonesische Padvinders-Organisatie (JIPO) was established in the same year. These two forerunner organisations of scouting in Indonesia merged into one, named the Indonesische Nationale Padvinderij Organisatie (INPO) in Bandung in 1926. Outside Java, West Sumatran religious school students founded El-Hilaal scouting in 1928.
The desire for unity for Indonesian scouting organisations at that time appeared to begin with the formation of PAPI, namely "Persaudaraan Antara Pandu Indonesia", a federation of Pandu Kebangsaan, INPO, SIAP, NATIPIJ and PPS on 23 May 1928. This federation could not last long, due to the intention of fusion, as a result in 1930 the Kepanduan Bangsa Indonesia (KBI) was founded by figures from Jong Java Padvinders / Pandu Kebangsaan (JJP / PK), INPO and PPS (JJP-Jong Java Padvinderij); PK-Pandu Kebangsaan). PAPI later evolved into the Central Body of the Indonesian Scouting Fraternity (BPPKI) in April 1938.