During the New Order era, Indonesia adopted capitalistic economic policies as a development ideology. Unfortunately, this policy has caused various problems in various sectors, especially in the agricultural, plantation and customary land sectors. Marena Village in Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, is a silent witness to the long agrarian conflict that grew as a result of this policy.
Marena Village, which is inhabited by the To Kulawi tribe, has depended on traditional land for centuries. This conflict originated from changes in the land ownership regime in the 19th century. Resulting in land control shifting from the To Kulawi tribe community to the hands of regional government-owned companies. In 1970-1975, Marena Village became part of the Critical Land Rehabilitation Project which later turned into a clove plantation.
The process of acquiring customary community land is not only not in accordance with procedures, but also not transparent. The land size taken for the project does not align with official data. Also, there are land claims by project leaders that do not comply with the provisions. This land acquisition was accompanied by intimidation and stigma against those who refused to hand over the land. Even with the accusation of being PKI, remembering the G30S/PKI incident that was still surrounding the 1970s.
In 1981, the management of the clove & casia vera plantation was handed over to the Central Sulawesi Regional Company (PD-SULTENG) with the status of business user rights. In the same year, the Forestry Department designated part of the area as Lore Lindu National Park (TNLL) without any outreach to the public.
The To Kulawi tribe community in Marena Village, whose livelihood is very dependent on agriculture, feels they have lost access to the resource (land) which is their main source of livelihood. Basic rights in the ownership and management of natural resources are ignored by the state. For them, customary land is not just an economic asset, but an integral part of their identity and traditions.
Article 33 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution states that the earth and its natural resources are controlled by the state and used as much as possible for the prosperity of the people. However, the reality shows inequality in land ownership in agricultural areas. The timber management approach in forest management is inadequate to accommodate social and cultural aspects in community life.
The concept of hegemony, as expressed by Gramsci, is evident in the land dispute in Marena Village. Inequality in productive land ownership is a pervasive structure in the social, cultural and economic life of society. The pressure of the need for land to survive exceeds the foundations of the status quo.
With the increase in population, agricultural land and public facilities have not increased proportionally. The people of Marena Village face increasingly narrow land, an increasing number of landless farmers, and limited residential land. All of this is an accumulation of the Central Sulawesi Regional Company's dominance over land control.
Despite this, the people of Marena Village did not just give up. They developed a strategy to reclaim land ownership from regional companies. Through negotiation, mediation and legal settlement, they reached a fair agreement with the company and finally reclaimed their former land.
The involvement of external parties, such as the Awam Green nature lovers community, is the key to success. The synergy between local communities and external parties proves that when communities unite, they can overcome the complexity of the challenges they face. Reconstructing land tenure not only restores livelihoods, but also creates the basis for future improvement and development.
In this context, the role of the state is very important to ensure equal redistribution of land as a production factor for farmers. Realizing social justice and prosperity for the Indonesian people must be the government's main focus. Without it, agrarian conflicts and inequality in land ownership will continue to run rampant, threatening the sustainability of people's lives.
*This article was written by: Sofia Rizki_Estungkara Internship Student_FISIPOL UGM 2023
