Insulinde (Political Party)

Insulinde (1907–1919), a direct successor of the Indische Party (IP) and later renamed the Nationale Indische Party (NIP), was a political organization that represented efforts by some Indo Eurasians to identify and cooperate with the Indigenous educated élite of the Dutch East Indies in an effort to establish an independent dominion. The organisation was mainly led by Indo-European and Javanese activists, but had a considerable membership in the South Moluccas. It was considered part of the more radical political wing in the colony, for which it faced much oppression from the colonial authorities.

Insulinde was the direct successor of the Indische Party (IP), with a strong Indo-European (Eurasian) following and was based in Semarang. When the 3 founders of the IP (E.F.E. Douwes Dekker, Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo and Soewardi Soerjaningrat) were exiled to the Netherlands in 1913, the IP secretary became chairman of the newly established ‘’Insulinde’’. The ‘’Insulinde’’ leadership was immediately put under strict police surveillance, but retained a strong core following. 6 September, the founding day of the IP and coincidentally also the day the 3 IP founders sailed into exile was proclaimed 'IP Day' by ‘’Insulinde’’.

Still many former IP members were scared off by the harsh measures of the colonial authorities and refrained from joining ‘’Insulinde’’. Its magazine ‘De Express‘ lost subscriptions and came into financial difficulties. Only to be saved by the IP’s so called TADO ‘’Tot Aan De Onafhankelijkheid’’, (Until The Independence) fund. The three former leaders of the IP, branded "embittered extremists" by the colonial government, were held in great esteem by the Insulinde members. During the 1913 Dutch imperial festivities Indo-Europeans of the ‘’Indische’’ party drove through white (totok) neighbourhoods in the big cities waving the IP banner.

August 1914 Insulinde published its bi-weekly Dutch & Malay language paper, named ‘De Goentoer’ (The Thunder), edited by Javanese Insulinde member Darnakoesoemo, a close friend of IP leader Tjipto. To the great dismay of the authorities It still called for independence of the Dutch East Indies, “free of foreign tyranny” and defended the interests of indigenous and Indo people alike.

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