Sutomo or Bung Tomo was born in Surabaya, East Java on 3 October 1920, he was born impung Blauran, in the heart of Surabaya. He was the son of Kartawan Tjiptowidjojo, a man from mediocre family. He worked as government officer, as private office staff, as an assistant in government tax office and as an employee in Dutch export-import office. He admitted to have a relationship with Pangeran Diponegoro. His mother was mix of central javanese, Sundanese and Madurese.
His father has multitasking. He worked as a cop and also as Sarekat Islam member, before he moved to Surabaya and became local distributor for Singer sewing machine. Sutomo was raised in a family which appreciated education. He spoke straight forward and full of spirit. He worked hard to fix situation. When he was 12, he should leave his school, MULO, and he worked various small works to get over depression period. He then finished HBS school by correspondence, yet he was never graduated formaly.
Sutomo then joined KBI (Indonesian Scout). And then he emphasized that scout philosophy and nationalism he received from the group and from his grandfather were to replace his formal education. In his 17, he was famous for second person in East Indies to reach Pandu Garuda in scout. Befor the Japanese Occupation in 1942, this level was only gained by 3 Indonesians.
Sutomo was a successfull journalist. He joined political and social groups. When he was chosen as member of Gerakan Rakyat Baru supported by The Japanese, no one slightly knew him. Yet this prepared him for his important role, when he became one of leaders in October and November 1945 to awake Surabaya people spirit who were attacked by NICA and the allies. Sutomo is remembered by his emotional speech through radio. Though Indonesia was lost in 10th November battle, yet the event is recorded as one of the most important events in Indonesian Independence history.
After Independence, Sutomo entered political carreer in 1950s, but he was not happy and later he disappeared from politics. In the end of Soekarno period and early Soeharto period which he supported turned to be critisized by him. While various important positions in governments had been occupied by him. He baceme Minister of Indonesian Veteran and Minister of Ad Interim Social in 1955-1956 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Burhanuddin Harahap.Bung Tomo was also in the House of Representatives in 1956-1959 as Partai Rakyat Indonesia representative. But in the early 1970s, he had different view with the New Order government, that he was arrested on 11 April 1978 for his critics. A year later he was released by Soeharto. His spirit was not destroyed by the prison yet, he was not interested anymore to be vocal.
He died on 7 October 1981 in Arafah when he went for pilgrimage to Mecca. Bung Tomo’s body was brought back to Indonesia and burried in Public Cemetery, not in heroes cemetery. Bung Tomo was announced legally as Indonesian hero on 10 November 2008.