From our Radioman : Ki Pitutur Jati, Learning From Turtledove (Ki Pitutur Jati, Belajar Dari Perkutut)

Script            : Ernal Rosa
Narrator        : Prima Puspahapsari
Editor             : Bambang Sulaksono

Music illustration      : Bagong. K, Composer: Mas Paul (maspaul.com)

Operator: Playback: Ki Pitutur calls his turtledoves

Narrator: Playing with two turtledoves named Tanggul and Mendut is Gatot Marsono’s daily activity. He does it every morning while cleaning cages and feed his turtledoves. He has done this for years.

Operator: Playback: Ki Pitutur calls his turtledoves

Narrator: Gatot Marsono can be called a person who holds fast to Javanese cultural heritage. For example, we can see from his passion to raise turtledoves. In Javanese culture, to achieve a perfect stage of a life, a Javanese man should have Wismo or a house, Garwo or a wife, Kukilo or turtledove, Curiga or Kris (traditional Javanese knife) and Turonggo or horse. This understanding is part of his parents’ heritage, not only in the form of teaching but also the heritage of turtledove.

Operator: Playback: A man’s perfection

As a person who deals with Javanese culture, I feel what have been inherited by ancestors such as wismo, garwo then kukilo, curigo and turonggo are actually not only a stage of human’s life. It contains values that become a reflection for the person. Actually turtledove is classified in the third category. So a living person who already ha as house, a wife but still want to have children. Then here the kukilo is interpreted as the children.

Narrator: Since culture cannot be separated from life, no wonder when bird flu outbreak was under the limelight, Gatot Marsono just took it easy. There were no fears nor worries that his turtledoves would be infected by bird flu. He is convinced that the way he treats Tanggul and Mendut, by taking care the hygiene of the birds and cages, will prevent bird flu. But, is it so? Are his birds already safe from bird flu? Especially when we see the turtledoves’ cages are hung on the living room’s wall close to daily activities area. Here is the opinion of a professor of Veterinary Faculty, University of Gajah Mada, Prof. Charles Rangga Tabu.

Operator: Playback: Statement of Prof. Charles on raising pattern

So far they raise the poultry in the backyard or in the house which is far from chicken farm; where in the case the chicken farm is possible to get infected, it is not a problem for them. What is necessary is how to keep the cages clean. We keep the pet birds healthy. I think pet birds owner knows whether his birds are  healthy or not.

Narrator: Gatot Sumarsono is a member of an association of turtledove lovers with cultural background. This kind of group becomes one of important elements within the turtledove lovers community in Indonesia apart from other elements such as big business oriented farms, small business and hobby oriented farms, as well as achievement oriented turtledove lovers. For this cultural background element, economic potential is not big, but fanaticism is not a question.  According to Charles Rangga Tabu, the social and culture of Indonesian husbandry is familiar with pets inheritance system.

Operator: Playback: Statement Prof Charles on social and culture

The culture of Indonesian to raise poultry has been in practice for many generations. In turtledoves case, it can go to three to four generations down. My grandfather inherited chicken to my father, and then my father inherited a pair of chickens to me when I got married. This culture has to be preserved, cannot be left out just like that.

Narrator: There is an interesting story from Gatot Sumarsono’s turtledoves. Apparently, he did not buy those turtledoves. There is always someone giving him the birds.

Operator: Playback: Statement of Ki Pitutur on the background of his Kutut + the cultural background of Kukilo

I got one after giving education session in Tanggulangin village, Genjahan, Ponjong. I named it Tanggul because it came from Tanggulangin. The other one came at 8.30 in the evening, after a car stopped in front of my house. When I opened the door, a local public prosecutor brought a bird in a cage. His sentence was simple “Boss, here I bring you what you like”. I could not refuse. Turtledove’s song ‘aur keteklak kung’ has a meaning that people should talk like the song of turtledove. The sound is nice to listen to, not hurting other people, and has a value … it is a hard thing to do.

Narrator: In some cultural events, Gatot Sumarsono is an active person, including as a writer or host of cultural program on RRI (National Radio) and local TV. In the cultural events he uses an on-air name of Ki Pitutur Jati or the true storyteller. With this name, it seems that he wants to show that he is following the philosophy of turtledove ‘s song ‘Kur Kete Kung’

Operator: Turtledove Song

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