The discourse on renaming West Java Province to Tatar Sunda has entered a new chapter. All factions in the West Java Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) have officially declared their support to advance the proposal to the legislative process, marking a significant step after similar debates lay dormant for years since 2013.
This agreement was reached during a formal hearing between Commission I of the West Java DPRD and a number of academics and Sundanese history experts in Bandung. Chairman of Commission I of the West Java DPRD, Rahmat Hidayat Djati, confirmed that this political consensus involves all political parties in the regional parliament, signaling a collective commitment to follow up on cultural aspirations within the regulatory framework.
Professor at Padjadjaran University, Ganjar Kurnia, who is part of the review team, emphasized that this name change is grounded in strong historical and sociological reasons. According to him, Tatar Sunda represents the people's identity more accurately than the current administrative designation. He also dismissed concerns regarding administrative complexity, pointing to past successful precedents of renaming other regions in Indonesia.
On the other hand, the West Java Provincial Government, through its Governance Bureau, stated that it has received a comprehensive academic paper. The study covers a broad spectrum, ranging from philosophical to legal aspects, serving as a foundation for policy considerations. However, bureaucratic officials emphasized that every stage of the change will still adhere to Law No. 23 of 2014 on Regional Government.
Although signals of political support have strengthened, the realization of this name change is certain not to happen overnight. The proposal must still undergo a long process involving the refinement of the academic paper, in-depth internal council deliberations, and a series of administrative mechanisms stipulated by law before it can finally be enacted as a definitive public policy.
