Author: Ari Lesmana  Editor: Ardi PutraMonday, 28/08/2023

Datuak Putiah, former demang of Solok, was involved in a controversy as an Ahmadiyya follower in 1930. This article reveals the background and impact of this case.

Cekricek.id, Solok –

In 1930, news from Mecca rocked. Datuak Putiah, a figure who once led the Solok district , together with his family, were detained on instructions from the Hidjaz State authorities. What could be the cause? Reportedly, he was involved in the Ahmadiyya movement which was developing in West Sumatra.

The Pandji Poestaka magazine , in its 5 August 1930 issue, reported on the detention. This source of news came directly from Mecca and was broadcast to the Sumatra Bode newspaper in Padang.

“People going to hadji are arrested. As far as news from Padang, Sum. Bode [  SumatranBode newspaper] has received a wire from Mecca, reporting that t[oean] Datoek Poetih, the former head of the Solok district, and his family, have been arrested on the orders of King Hidjaz, namely waktoe t. Dt. Poetih itoe arrived in the city. 

The news is because t. Dt. Poetih itoe became a follower of the Ahmadijah religious movement, which is also found in West Sumatra,” as quoted by the philologist Suryadi in his personal blog.

In its September 9, 1930 issue, the same magazine stated that Datuak Putiah had finally been deported back to the Dutch East Indies, based on information received by the Governor of West Sumatra from the Dutch Oetoesan in Jeddah.”The arrest of t. Dt. Poetih in Mecca.

Disgusted with the arrest of t. Dt. Poetih by the government in Hidjaz, because of his belief in the religion of Indonesia, Sum.  Bode heard  the  news that he stole the news received by Goebernoer Soem. Barat from Dutch Oetoesan in Djoedah, then t. Dt. Poetih itoe was sent back to the land of the Indies by the steamship  Poelau Beras . The newspaper Het Nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië in Batavia also reported similarly, highlighting the deportation of Datuak Putiah and his family to the Dutch East Indies. The daily De Tijd of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, in its 31 July 1930 edition, gave a special highlight under the title “Datuak Putiah and Ahmadiyah”, emphasizing how significant this news was in the eyes of global readers.

However, who is Datuak Putiah?

In 1927, Datuak Putiah, whose full name was Idris and the title Datuak Putiah, who had been the head of the Solok district, had faced the colonial court in a case known as the “Perambuhan-affaire” or Parambahan Case. Together with Datuak Tongga, the two were accused of carrying out repressive actions at the Solok prison, an accusation that shocked many.The court in Padang sentenced both of them. 

Datuak Putiah received a sentence of 1.5 years, while Datuak Tongga received 2.5 years. They then appealed to the Betawis, and their case was heard at the Batavian High Court on 8 October 1927. However, the outcome of the appeal is still a mystery.In 1930, Datuak Putiah decided to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. However, this spiritual journey was hindered. He was deported by the Land of Hejaz authorities and returned to the Dutch East Indies on suspicion of being a member of the Ahmadiyya. According to some sources, Datuak Putiah may have been one of the pioneers of the Ahmadiyya movement in Minangkabau.

The Bataviaasch nieuwsblad newspaper , in its 6 August 1930 edition, added that before going to Mecca, Datuak Putiah and his wife had visited Qadian in Lahore, the center of the Ahmadiyya movement in North India.

From various news sources, it is clear that Ahmadiyya is not a new movement in Minangkabau. At least, since 1930, this flow has been known there.The controversy over Datuak Putiah highlighted the complexity and dynamics of religion in Indonesia at that time. 

His case is proof that religious issues are often in the spotlight, both at the local and global levels. Datuak Putiah, with all its controversies, has an important place in Minangkabau history, especially in the context of the Ahmadiyya movement and the legal cases involving it.

source https://cekricek.id/datuak-putiah-pengikut-ahmadiyah-asal-solok-yang-dideportasi-dari-mekah/