The Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance of the Ministry of Religious Affairs received an audience with the Asia Tamil Indo Social Foundation to discuss plans for developing Hindu religious education, cultural, artistic, and yoga programs through the deployment of educators from India. The meeting took place in Jakarta on Tuesday and was attended by senior officials and several relevant technical units within the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance.
The audience focused on the proposed deployment of six educators from Tamil Nadu, India, who will teach Hindu religious education, arts, culture, and yoga. The initial placement is planned at Pasraman Ekadanta in Cipondoh, Tangerang, before the program is expanded to several other regions, including Jakarta, Tangerang, and Medan.
The Asia Tamil Indo Social Foundation is an institution engaged in Hindu religious education, arts, and cultural development. The proposed program is carried out in cooperation with institutions in Tamil Nadu, India, with all funding provided by the Government of Tamil Nadu, covering visa arrangements, residence and work permits, as well as accommodation for the educators during their assignment in Indonesia.
During the meeting, Secretary of the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance, Dr. Ida Made Pidada Manuaba, stated that the government fundamentally supports initiatives aimed at strengthening religious education and preserving cultural heritage. However, he emphasized that all programs must comply with existing regulations and legal provisions.
“We will facilitate the necessary processes, but the foundation must complete all administrative requirements in based on the applicable regulations,” he said during the meeting.
The discussion also addressed the institutional status of the educational facility that will host the program. The Directorate of Education team explained that administrative system adjustments are currently underway for pasraman institutions following institutional migration toward the nonformal pasraman category.
A representative from the Directorate of Education, Risky, explained that based on available data, Pasraman Ekadanta still holds a valid registration permit until July 2027. However, no institutional migration request has yet been submitted to change its status to a nonformal pasraman under the latest procedures.
“Administratively, the system is currently undergoing adjustments. For Pasraman Ekadanta, based on existing data, its registration permit remains valid until July 2027, but the migration process to nonformal pasraman status has not yet been submitted,” he explained.
In addition, the discussion covered provisions concerning religious-based educational institutions under Minister of Religious Affairs Regulation (PMA) No. 2 of 2024 on Widyalaya. The regulation governs Widyalaya education levels, ranging from Pratama Widyalaya (equivalent to kindergarten), Adi Widyalaya (equivalent to elementary school), to Utama Widyalaya, which covers junior high school, senior high school, and vocational high school levels.
Meanwhile, the Legislative and Regulatory Affairs team, represented by Gung De, highlighted the completeness of documentation required for issuing recommendations for foreign educators assigned to work in Indonesia. Several administrative documents were noted as still incomplete and must be uploaded through the designated application before the process can proceed.
This audience marked an initial step to ensure that the proposed educational cooperation can be implemented in accordance with applicable laws and policies. Through cross-unit coordination, the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance seeks to ensure that efforts to strengthen Hindu religious education, preserve cultural heritage, and promote international educational cooperation are carried out in an orderly, accountable manner and deliver meaningful benefits to Hindu communities in Indonesia.
Editor : I Made Juni Saputra
Photographer : I Gusti Ngurah Sathya Dharma
Contributed and translated by Muhammad Mahmud Alhushori
