Wikana

Wikana (16 October 1914-...) was an Indonesian minister and one of independence leaders. He was one of pemudas that forced Sukarno-Hatta to declare independence immediately after the surrender of Japanese. He was the first Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sport (although in his era the office was called Minister of State of Youth Affairs). He was one of Indonesian Communist Party leaders. Some time the coup d'état attempt, he was arrested and went missing.

Wikana was born on 16 October 1914 in Sumedang. He was the fourteenth child of sixteen. His father was Raden Haji Soelaiman, immigrant from Demak, and his mother was Nonoh.

Wikana was son of menak family in Sumedang. His brother was Winanta, an exile to Digul, according to Soemarsono, one of youth leaders generation '45. According to Ben Anderson, Wikana attended to Dutch-speaking Europeesch Lagere School (ELS) and continued his study to Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO). After graduated from MULO, Wikana became contributor in Bandung weekly Fikiran Rakjat according to an article of Merdeka dated 15 May 1947.

According to Trikoyo Ramidjo, Wikana was a member of Communist Party of Indonesia since the 1930s. Wikana also was a member of Bandung branch of Partai Indonesia (Partindo). In 1935, Wikana went to Surabaya to lead Masjarakat Baroe weekly. In 1938 he went to Jakarta leading Kebangoenan daily. In the same year, he was elected Penulis Umum II of Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia (Gerindo; Indonesian People Movement) and chairman of its youth section, Barisan Pemuda Gerindo (Gerindo Youth Wing).

In October 1938, Wikana, Amir Sjarifuddin, Asmara Hadi, dan A.M. Sipahutar became the editorial boards of political monthly magazine Toedjoean Rakjat.

According to Harry A. Poeze, in the first volume of Tan Malaka, Gerakan Kiri, dan Revolusi Indonesia, Wikana contributed to Menara Merah (Red Tower), Moscow-influenced newspaper. Wikana was responsible for the paper circulation in West Java. In June 1940, he together with Adam Malik and Amir Sjarifuddin was suspected by colonial government after one copy of Menara Merah discovered. According to Ben Anderson, he was charged for spreading the newspaper with Adam Malik and Pandu Kartawiguna then eventually arrested. After Dutch colonial government surrendered to Japanese imperial army, Wikana was released from Cilacap prison.

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