Njoto

Njoto (1925–1965) was a senior national leader of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), who joined the party shortly after the country's deceleration of independence, and was killed following the 1965 coup attempt.

Njoto was born on 17 January 1927 in the house of his grandfather house, Marjono, in Jember. Njoto's parents were Raden Sosro Hartono, a descendent of the Surakarta royal family, and Masalmah. He had two younger sisters, Sri Windarti and Iramani. He and Windarti attended the Hollands Inlandsche School (HIS) in Jember and lived with their maternal grandparents in Kampung Tempean, Jember. Their father wanted them to enroll there because Dutch schools were better organized than native schools. After regular school, Njoto had private lessons in the evening with Meneer Darmo.

After graduating from school, Njoto enrolled at the Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs(MULO) school in Jember. Eventually during the Japanese occupation, the school was disbanded. Njoto's father sent him to another MULO in Solo. In the second grade of MULO, according his classmate Sabar Anantaguna, Njoto said that he had to go home to Jember, but, in fact, he was going to Surabaya, where he was involved in the disarmament of the Japanese imperial army. During this time, Njoto met future PKI leaders D.N. Aidit and M.H. Lukman. Njoto was also involved in the Battle of Surabaya against the British.

During the Indonesian National Revolution, as a representative of the PKI Banyuwangi branch, Njoto became a member of the Central Indonesian National Committee (KNIP), a body appointed to assist the president of the newly independent Indonesia. At the time, Njoto was living in Hotel Merdeka, Malioboro, Yogyakarta. In March 1947, after KNIP held a meeting in Malang, Aidit was elected as chairman of the PKI fraction, while Njoto was elected as chairman of Badan Pekerja KNIP. In early 1948, Njoto, Aidit, and Lukman were ordered by the party to translate The Communist Manifesto. In August 1948, the PKI Central Committee comprised Aidit in land affairs, Lukman in agitation and propaganda, and Njoto in relation with other organizations. Around this time, mid-1948, Njoto was also a member of the Politbiro. On 17 August 1950, Njoto along with Aidit, M.S. Ashar, and A.S. Dharta founded Institute for the People's Culture (Lekra), a literary and social movement, while according to Tempo Zulkifli and Hidayat, the four founded Lekra in 1951.

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