Ponari & His Magic Healing Stone
Feb 26th, 2009, in News, by Lairedion
The magical faith healing stone of young boy Ponari is big business for a small village in East Java.
East Javanese village is earning big bucks with its boy wonder
Even Ponari must go to school. He hasn’t been there for three weeks and this Monday is the time. The school director takes him there personally on his “moped”, and a platoon of riot police officers run alongside the 9 year old prodigy to protect him. It is not easy to get the boy away from his village. Thousands of people crowd between the houses and when they see Ponari they even press harder. But people have to wait because Ponari must go to school.
A month ago Ponari was hit by lightning, according to his story. When he regained consciousness there was a stone on top of his head. He threw it away but the stone came back so he took it home. There he discovered the healing effects of the stone: a neighbour healed of fever after he had touched it, the village head got rid of a bad pain in his arm and the local police officer, a pious Muslim, swears he has seen with his own eyes how Ponari healed a boy who had not spoken a single word for five years.
The news about the miraculous healings spread quickly and people started to flood to the small village of Balongsari, a few hours drive from Surabaya. First dozens, then hundreds, and now there are thousands. They bring cups, bottles and buckets of water in which the boy wonder plunges his stone. This allegedly turns the water into a powerful panacea. Ponari is carried around by his father. He looks tired.
A party tent protects him against the sun. There are barriers of bamboo put down to control the crowd. This has already led to accidents: four people have been trampled to death and an unknown number got injured. And also the healing doesn’t work that well. A child of three died after his parents had given him wonder water instead of taking him to a doctor. The media are interviewing more and more people who have been drinking the miracle water but didn’t notice anything. Hamzah (53) says that his eyes are just as bad as before. Such information may not deter visitors. They keep on flooding to the village.
Yet there is growing criticism of the Balongsari circus. Especially Muslim organizations condemn what is happening there. It is superstition and therefore sinful but also dangerous. Child welfare agencies demand closure of this ‘practice’ of Ponari in order to protect the boy against exploitation. Even his father says now enough is enough. He has already tried a few times to get Ponari to school but was always stopped by the crowd and his own neighbours which keep the family more or less as hostages. They want Ponari to continue because they earn big money: they sell food, they rent out parking spaces, sleeping places and sell water in which Ponari has immersed his stone. This poor peasant village is making a daily turnover of one billion rupiah (70,000 euros).
As long as the faithful continue to throng there’s no way back. Ponari says nothing. After school he is back on his father’s shoulders and he immerses his stone in water until he cannot hold it anymore….
This post is a translation of an article which appeared in Dutch daily “Volkskrant” on 24 February 2009 (link: http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/article1154300.ece/Indonesisch_dorp_teert_op_wonderkind).
249 Comments on “Ponari & His Magic Healing Stone”
-
Suryo Perkoso says:
they can eat my bogem mentah
Tolong mas – ojo mengadu ayam. See your point though.
-
Oigal says:
So, if certain somebody said that we are mismanaged the country,
Nope doing a great job keep up the good work…nothing like a blackhawk helicopter for a regional governor whilst schools collapse due to poor maintenance or the purchase of submarines whilst an effective patrol boat fleet to protect Indonesia fish stocks remains a pipe dream..Its all about getting priorities in order really isn’t it.
Of course the “we” is somewhat presumptious as more and more people are rejecting this line of santimonous claptrap and demanding accountablity making the elite more and more uncomfortable and strident as they pretend and fail to be one with people
-
@ Oigal – not so different in the west, patients denied treatment while illegal immigrants get legal aid.
You would be better of smuggling yourself into the UK and raping someone than you would being british and paying your taxes if you wanted medical treatment.
As you say, it’s all about priorities and accountability.
-
Mr TTC,
You misquote me yet again, as I have said twice now. I was asking the question and perhaps in clumsy manner I will acknowledge, never the less it was a question to provoke a response not a statement of fact (seriously tho I would be interested in a rational answer)
Why is it taking so long and/or why is Indonesia (ns) not taking the lead more in world affairs be it in religion or anything else.
I did indeed ask “if it was cultural or genitic but (and here is the key) never stated it was fact..It is a question not a statement..
Personally (and again happy to be corrected) I believe it has lot to do the fact that Indonesia suffers from (did suffer from?) significant brain drain. In that the very best of Indonesian’s future leaders and teachers found it very hard to get ahead without patronage and ethically challenged donations therefore move away to make their lives elsewhere unfortunately this lead to a vacumn that was quickly filled by the inept and uncaring..
But I am probably wrong and happy to hear your side if we can pass on the it all a colonial polt which fails on so many levels after 60 years.
-
Suryo,
Interesting and to large degree true but also falls into the trap of comparing nation to nation which is silly as I can see your example and you raise you two (as you could to mine).
My point’s clumsy as it they may be:
1. It’s pointless to keep raging at the foreigners for the current postion Indonesia finds herself (which with just a little bit of consideration for the little people would not be that bad)
2. I really do not understand the reluctance of Indonesia to take the lead in areas were by population and position she should be directing the traffic not waiting at the lights for someone to say she may proceed
-
1. Yes, it’s done and dusted, there is nothing to be gained by looking back (in saying that though I bet india wishes it could turn back the clock)
2. Ah yes, “keloyoan Indonesian (I just made “keloyoan” up, but it fits the bill) – is that rakyat Indo are just to polite for their own good, and sit waiting for the resy of the world to pass the biscuits around, and when the plate arrives, there is only those horrible cardboardy things left that no one wants?
-
Actually “keluyuran” fits the bill even better.
-
Mike Oxblack says:
You read that crap, and think the great Ponari debate is pissing time up the wall? You’ll find you can take a screenshot and it won’t change one week to the next. The only thing that changes is the number of wives that the proprietor has.
You don’t live with 5 teachers one house do you?4 wives and 4 teacher’s. I’ve said too much Suryo me old china plate. My cover’s blown.
BP is fun tho to waste a few hours, MR TTC is I believe the real deal and interesting in he spouts the usual deal of the anti-reformists “its all someone elses fault” despite the fact any number of nations have moved on successfully.
It is curious but I am coming to the belief that the knife edge of denial that so many well educated Indonesians sit upon will come to grief soon and where daddy got his money for my education will need to be faced.
Yes the dad’s money factor is usually hidden behind knee jerk nationalism. Doesn’t really deal with the world of trans-capitalism that we live in i.e. the West propping up small domestic elites so that they can plunder countries. I am a Tony Benn style loon though politically. I used to ask my students (when I was a teacher Suryo) what their dads did for a living. They often didn’t really know…which speaks volumes I think. “He’s a businessman” they’d say “What business?” …erm
So, if certain somebody said that we are mismanaged the country, or even genetically incapable, they can eat my bogem mentah.
mismanaged – YES
genetically incapable – ABSOLUTELY NO. I’ll have none of that evolutionary bell curve bollocks here. environment is everything. Fish have two eyes. The heritability of 2 eyes is pretty much 100%. Stick your fish in potassium permanganate solution and in a couple of generations you’ll have fish with only one eye. Environment is everything. The education system here is pure potassium permanganate. Jesus I’m really spouting pish today…time to do some work. -
4 wives and 4 teacher’s. I’ve said too much Suryo me old china plate. My cover’s blown.
Nah, your secret is safe with me. I thought the latest one was “masih dalam prosesnya”.
-
When we were naughty young journos we were forever writing pieces and signing ourselves Hugh Jampton and Mike Oxblack.
Ye little bugger ye.
-
Hugh Jampton’s a jolly nice name. Only 3 teachers in the house now I’ve jumped off the saucepan fiddler gravy train.
Sincerely yours
are haitch -
Mr Tic Tac Toe says:
Uff, i wish i have enough time and energy to reply all…. perhaps later.
It is curious but I am coming to the belief that the knife edge of denial that so many well educated Indonesians sit upon will come to grief soon and where daddy got his money for my education will need to be faced.
Yes the dad’s money factor is usually hidden behind knee jerk nationalism.
Well, if those were directed to me, you got me all wrong. Im just a highschool graduate, no college degree. No dad’s money factor.
-
Mike Oxblack Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Hugh Jampton’s a jolly nice name. Only 3 teachers in the house now I’ve jumped off the saucepan fiddler gravy train.Out of interest, how is the gravy train, has it cleared up yet?
Nice glass of Jatim cider should sort it out if not. -
Mr TTC,
Not specifically not at you, perhaps tho may I suggest that the straight to the entrenched position tends to stifle debate on what could be perfectly reasonable discussion points. Don’t assume always assume that worst agenda for every counter point raised, personally I am probably wrong more often than I am right but rarely out of malice (ok..sometimes but not with those who disagree in a logical fashion).
-
I think that’d rather exacerbate the old mulligatawny guts but I seem to be better after now after getting almost better then getting much worse again thanks. Those Norit tablets are a complete waste of time I’ve concluded. Has to be 500mg Antibiotic Mick Mills. Cider with Rosie though? Bring it on . Cider with Rani…even better.
-
Creeping mango disease that was without a doubt. I carried out a survey in Kudus some 12 years back. I though the hook on the back of the door of the kazi would support my gazelle like form suspended by my belt in the “jongkok” position, alas, I was wrong and the whole nine yards ended up down the hole, complete with a section of the door – ah, such happy times in Jateng.
Cider with Kiki would be the best, especially if served with jagung – Kawruh?
-
Aluang Anak Bayang says:
@ Misterrr Mike Oxblack,
Mbak Oigal to the rescue. White solidarity when the going gets tough. Perhaps Mbak Oigal could enlighten us on ‘smoke for poke’ or ‘cook a blackie’ in his backyard.
-
Se se se Mas, nggak usah dadi keras pada Mas Kontol Ireng.
Walaupun dheweke nampak jahat, tenan dheweke nggak pernah dolan tempik ama wedhok jowo, kasihan deh. -
Suryo Kontho … yoh, kabeh bule kuwi senengane dho mletho… awake dhewe kudu ngati-ati… ojo nganti anak-anake dhewe dho nyedhak karo bule…
-
Opo se ” anak-anake”?
“arek-arek”?
“Kudu” artine opo mas? “Mesti” kalau nggak salah?Cukup Mas aku wes di dhodhos!
-
schmerly says:
@ AssmadsAngryBitch.. When are going to get off this prejudiced soapbox of yours, Australian aborigines are called just that, not blackies maybe it’s time to change your name to the Java Nigger!!
-
Hey AAB..
Ever reliable to lower the tone of any discussion, congrats on being able to read Australian Newspapers (guess the Australian School System for all its faults has that dubious achievement). Kind of shame you are on the wrong webpage, if you need help finding those site that deal with Australian Injustices and issues let me know (hint .. probably best to subsitute “Australia Matters” for “Indonesia Matters” in the search.
However did you get to the jobs section whilst wasting other peoples time? Perhaps there is an opening for a
“Westerner, pretend Indonesian, Low social skills and self esteem and position suitable for those perfer to fraudently represent the opinion of others, government funded of course”
Ho di Ho ..thanks for coming
-
Oh thanks for the backhanded defence (?) sport although you really should work on your terms of address, I acknowledge my Javanese Slang is more than poor, but good enough.
AAB..What is the Javanese slang for pretentious twat?Sundae mau O’O’ lagi….udah..Aku mau p.. or perhaps malay?
Weee look at me!!! I am a white bloke and I can speak in regional slang..
Mind you, I confess thats all I can do, but then I am not paid by taxpayers to sit around all day reading books.
-
Good evening. The last scene was interesting from the point of view of a professional logician because it contained a number of logical fallacies; that is, invalid propositional constructions and syllogistic forms, of the type so often committed by my wife.
‘All wood burns,’ states Sir Bedevere. ‘Therefore,’ he concludes, ‘all that burns is wood.’ This is, of course, pure bullshit. Universal affirmatives can only be partially converted: all of Alma Cogan is dead, but only some of the class of dead people are Alma Cogan. ‘Oh yes,’ one would think. However, my wife does not understand this necessary limitation of the conversion of a proposition; consequently, she does not understand me, for how can a woman expect to appreciate a professor of logic, if the simplest cloth-eared syllogism causes her to flounder?
For example, given the premise, ‘all fish live underwater’ and ‘all mackerel are fish’, my wife will conclude, not that ‘all mackerel live underwater’, but that ‘if she buys kippers it will not rain’, or that ‘trout live in trees’, or even that ‘I do not love her any more.’ This she calls ‘using her intuition’. I call it ‘crap’, and it gets me very irritated because it is not logical. ‘There will be no supper tonight,’ she will sometimes cry upon my return home. ‘Why not?’ I will ask. ‘Because I have been screwing the milkman all day,’ she will say, quite oblivious of the howling error she has made. ‘But,’ I will wearily point out, ‘even given that the activities of screwing the milkman and getting supper are mutually exclusive, now that the screwing is over, surely then, supper may now, logically, be got.’ ‘You don’t love me any more,’ she will now often postulate. ‘If you did, you would give me one now and again, so that I would not have to rely on that rancid Pakistani for my orgasms.’ ‘I will give you one after you have got me my supper,’ I now usually scream, ‘but not before’– as you understand, making her bang contingent on the arrival of my supper. ‘God, you turn me on when you’re angry, you ancient brute!’ she now mysteriously deduces, forcing her sweetly throbbing tongue down my throat. ‘Fuck supper!’ I now invariably conclude, throwing logic somewhat joyously to the four winds, and so we thrash about on our milk-stained floor, transported by animal passion, until we sink back, exhausted, onto the cartons of yogurt.
I’m afraid I seem to have strayed somewhat from my original brief. But in a nutshell: sex is more fun than logic– one cannot prove this, but it ‘is’ in the same sense that Mount Everest ‘is’, or that Alma Cogan ‘isn’t’.
Goodnight.
-
Burung Koel says:
And in the same vein:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79vdlEcWxvM
Karl Marx appeals for offside.
-
ET says:
Mr TTT
Most of them are our fault indeed. No doubt about that matter in my heart.
Can you elaborate? It would be interesting to know what faults you see in yourself as a people.
@ MO
I think that’d rather exacerbate the old mulligatawny guts but I seem to be better after now after getting almost better then getting much worse again thanks. Those Norit tablets are a complete waste of time I’ve concluded. Has to be 500mg Antibiotic Mick Mills. Cider with Rosie though? Bring it on . Cider with Rani…even better.
Pardon my ignorance. Is this supposed to be English?
-
Pardon my ignorance. Is this supposed to be English?
Is there a problem with my banter old fruit?
-
Pak Mike Oxblack yth,
I see that you were plucked away to safety in the nick of time by none other than IM’s resident evil. Like most Bules, easy way out is to avoid embarrassing question time by Brown man. This is not the first time that bules collectively rear their ugly heads in the name of white solidarity.
Mbak Oigal shied away from sharing with us what happened to Blackie landowners in Oz. Maybe some decent unbiased Ozzies (if any) can help with The Jawa Report or last week’s ‘Cook a Blackie in a divvy’.
-
AAB.. When are you going to drop the blackies bit? you ignorant swine.
Comment on “Ponari & His Magic Healing Stone”.
Copyright Indonesia Matters 2006-2025
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact
Tn. Oigal, Yth. :
No, tuan. You get me wrong.
Most of them are our fault indeed. No doubt about that matter in my heart.
But if you start saying its genetical fault (as you have done before). I will go nuts.
Its the same as saying that it is our FATE to become like this. Its like saying that we are hopeless people.
And if by refusing to take that genetical argument, you labeled me as xenophobic… Then i proudly accept your label.