[1][2] In October 1938, Wikana, Amir Sjarifuddin, Asmara Hadi, dan A.M. Sipahutar became the editorial board of political monthly magazine Toedjoean Rakjat.

[1] Wikana also contributed to Menara Merah (Red Tower), an illegal PKI newssheet, and was responsible for the paper's circulation in West Java.

[4] In June 1940, he together with Adam Malik and Amir Sjarifuddin was suspected by colonial government after a copy of Menara Merah was discovered.

After the Dutch colonial government surrendered to the Japanese imperial army, Wikana was released from Cilacap prison.

The school was supported and supervised by two Japanese, Yoshizumi Tomegoro and Nishijima Shigetada and opened in December 1944 in Jakarta.

[6][7][8] On 14 August 1945, a group of youths held a meeting in the Bacteriological Laboratory in Pegangsaan after the news of the Japanese surrender spread.

[9] They left the lab and were on their way to the office of the Japanese Navy when they met Achmad Soebardjo, Iwa Kusumantri, Buntaran, and Samsi.

"[11] According to Sukarno in his autobiography Bung Karno Penyambung Lidah Rakyat, he refused to comply with Wikana's demand because he felt that they were not ready if they had to fight against the Japanese army physically.

However, according to Poeze, Sukarno refused because he did not want to leave the members of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence who were in Jakarta for a meeting.

In the early hours of the morning, Wikana and other youths, including Chaerul Salh kidnapped Sukarno and Hatta and took them to Rengasdengklok to try to force them to declare independence.

The following day, Sukarno proclaimed independence in Jakarta[13] On 18 August, Wikana, Chairul Saleh, and Sukarni attended a PPKI meeting.

Later, on 29 December, he was forced resigned from a study group run by the Murba Party as it was seen as harmful to the interests of the PKI.

[21] After the sixth congress of the party in September 1959, Wikana was reelected as full member of central committee.

According to Chairul Saleh in AM Hanafi Menggugat, when Wikana arrived at Kemayoran Airport, he was immediately arrested by the military.

He wrote Organisatie, Pengoempoelan Boeah Pena (Oesaha Penerbitan Tengara, 1947), Dokumentasi Pemuda Sekitar Proklamasi Indonesia Merdeka (co-written with D. N. Aidit and Legiono, published by Badan Penerangan Pusat SBPI, 1948), and Satu Dua Pandangan Marxisme (Revolusioner, 194x).

They had six children: Lenina Soewarti Wiasti Wikana Putri, Temo Zein Karmawan Soekana Pria, Tati Sawitri Apramata, Kania Kingkin Pratapa, Rani Sadakarana, and Remondi Sitakodana.