"Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it," says a popular English aphorism. At home, we have a similarly popular adage: "A great nation is one which fully appreciates its heroes."

Put them together and you probably have the real reason why the government -- despite years of deliberation and protracted controversy -- eventually confer national hero status on Mohammad Natsir, Soetomo (Bung Tomo) and KH Abdul Halim on the occasion of National Heroes Day today.

The decision to confer national hero status, granted annually to Indonesians who worked and struggled for Indonesia's independence or for the development and betterment of the country, has always been controversial. The recipients' political inclinations and character, combined with the ruling government's personal and biased evaluation of the nominees, has, although unwritten, likely been the reason for delaying or failing to endorse a candidate's nomination for national hero status.

The ruling government's personal and biased evaluation of the nominees was obvious when the then Soeharto government conferred hero status on the late first lady Tien Soeharto in November 1996, only seven months after her death. The decision was controversial not only because the criteria applied for the endorsement were questionable, but also because there was an uncommonly short interval before she was nominated.

Such unfair treatment is also the reason behind the delay in the nominations this year.