“Punk is rough, a scumbag, and so on,” stated Dedika, a member of the band Arusaji, in the opening of the video titled, “Punk, Stigma, and Mental Health” released on their YouTube channel.
The combination of people with mental disorders and Punk may seem unusual in forming a band. However, therein lies the intresting part. ]
Criticism and sarcastic remarks may be the responses they receive. Perhaps, the negative stigmas attached could lead people to choose to ignore them.
Nevertheless, for Arusaji, forming a band and creating art is a path — a way to voice themselves. And if not to completely eliminate the stigma, at least they find satisfaction in what they make.
Disparaging assumptions are taken lightly by Loster, the bass player of Arusaji. He shares that the band he formed was considered incapable of creating.
Worse still, they were perceived as unable to think and function in a world that itself is not entirely sane. Instead of turning back and feeling small, Arusaji persisted, disregarding the words of those who criticized.
“We can (create something),” said Loster in the same video.
And indeed, early last year, Arusaji released a mini-album. In this album, Arusaji consistently questions those who consider themselves sane about the horrific things happening to people with mental disorders.
Listen closely to the song titled “Jangan Pasung Aku” (Don’t Shackle Me), where Arusaji depicts the cruelty faced by individuals with mental disorders who do not receive proper care and are instead shackled.
“Jangan samakan aku dengan anjing peliharaanmu yang diam di rumah, aku memang sedikit tidak umum, tapi aku bukanlah gila…” or “Don’t compare me to your pet dog that stays at home, I may be a bit unusual, but I am not crazy…”
The poignant lyrics of this song remind me of a dialogue from the TV series “The End of the F***ing World” season 1 a few years ago. In that scene, one character said, “To be mad in a deranged world is not madness; it’s sanity.”
Now, we must ask again, who is truly sane?
The anger and unrest brought by the band Arusaji are valid. They not only experience it themselves but also stand close to those often overlooked. The song “Jangan Pasung Aku” is Dedika’s real experience. He recounts seeing a resident who, before being moved to a community empowerment home, was shackled.
“I saw that shackling is not suitable for humans. That’s why I made a song to voice my heart. It’s very heartbreaking for me to see that,” said Dedika.
Therefore, Dedika ultimately wants to speak out. To voice those he feels need to be heard and seen more closely. Without resorting to inappropriate actions, Dedika and Arusaji choose to express what they believe needs to be expressed — through music and having fun.
“We just want to create, express the honesty within our hearts, and break the societal stigma,” Dedika passionately said in the same video.
Ah, we should give them a round of applause right here.
Arusaji itself is a Punk band from the city of Denpasar. The name Arusaji is an acronym for Alumni Rumah Sakit Jiwa (Mental Hospital Alumni). Arusaji consists of three members: Dedika (vocals and guitarist), Loster (bassist), and Pak Man (Kajoon).
Around February last 2021 the band released a mini-album comprising seven songs. The seven songs are Di Rumah Berdaya (In the Empowerment Home), Jangan Pasung Aku (Don’t Shackle Me), I’m Skizofrenia (I’m Schizophrenic), Halusinasi (Hallucination), Gadis Jalanan (Street Girl), and Anarchy War and Penjahat (Criminals).
Through their music, Arusaji wants to be heard, not silenced, they want to fight for their rights, and themselves.
Published on Balebengong but the link went missing, so lets read here.
