2013 Riot in Little India, Singapore?!
 |
| 2013 Little India Riot, Singapore Photo Credit: The Straits Times |
- Maria Hertogh Riots - 11 December 1950
- 1954 National Service Riots - 13 May 1954
- Hock Lee Bus Riots - 12 May 1955
- Chinese Middle Schools Riots - 1956
- 1964 Race Riots - 21 July 1964
- 1969 Race Riots of Singapore - 1969
It is amazing that Singapore has enjoyed 44 years of peace and stability prior to the Little India Riot in 8 December 2013.
When I was schooling, our teachers would be emphasising on the importance of Racial Harmony in Singapore during Racial Harmony Day. Singapore is a unique place where our 4 major races (Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasians) can co-exist together as one nation in harmony. Racism is something that is intolerable in Singapore and that the peace we enjoy now are the fruits of our forefathers' labour not to be taken for granted.
As the Chinese saying goes, "和气生财" (Harmony Breeds Prosperity) - indeed, Singapore is a prosperous nation (when compared to our neighbours) that attracts a lot of foreign investments due to the peace and stability we enjoy. In fact, we are too fortunate that we thought that riots in Singapore will be extinct and conceptualise them as something which we can understand from our nation's history textbooks - then again, we were proved wrong by the "record-breaking" Little India Riots which occurred last night.
Little India Riots
According to the short video clip, this riot sparked off when a private bus knocked down Sathivel Kumaravelu, a 33-year old Indian Construction Worker last night at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road.
Upset by the incident, the mob of Indian Foreign Workers (approximately 400 of them) started wrecking havoc by throwing objects like the rubbish bin at the private bus. Then the mob went unruly and damaged government property - including overturning the Police Cars and burning the Ambulance down.
Upset by the incident, the mob of Indian Foreign Workers (approximately 400 of them) started wrecking havoc by throwing objects like the rubbish bin at the private bus. Then the mob went unruly and damaged government property - including overturning the Police Cars and burning the Ambulance down.
Video Footage of the Riot
As a result, a total of 25 emergency vehicles were damaged alongside with 5 that were set ablaze. Also, 39 auxiliary officers, police and SCDF were injured in the process.
The speculated causes of the riot were:
- The Foreign Workers were exploited at work and hence found an opportunity to vent their frustrations when one of their people were knocked down by the private bus
- The Foreign Workers were drunk during their usual gathering in Little India area
- The police did not handle the motor accident well and hence sparked off the dissent of the other foreign workers
Whatever the reasons are, I feel that causing riot is not something which should be condoned. I do agree that it is unfortunate that the pedestrian was knocked down by the private bus, but it is rash for the other workers to seek redress for their fellow countrymen through violence - it just does not make sense to endanger the lives of many over one dead man. After all, Singapore is a law-abiding country.
Sweetie Muffin has been a resident in Little India for the past 2 decades of his life and we were really fortunate to be attending his elder sister's wedding at the Intercontinental Hotel when the riot occurred. During our journey back home, Sweetie Muffin received text messages from his friend which warned him of the riots which we initially thought was a prank that was posted on Facebook. Upon logging in to our Facebook accounts, our News Feed was flooded with footages of the riot and realised that it was a "LIVE" event. It was a horrible sight to see emergency vehicles overturned and torched by the mob and the video seemed that it was taken in India or somewhere but Singapore. To be honest, it took us quite some time for the fact that a riot has broke out in Singapore to sink into our heads.
Sweetie Muffin drove back to the hotel to observe the news with his family after sending me home. He managed to reach home unscathed after midnight when the situation was brought under control but was disgruntled that he had to work on the following day after not getting much sleep.
As alcohol might be one of the reasons which sparked off the riot, the government has decided to ban the sales of alcohol in the affected areas during weekends. Again, I logged onto my Facebook and saw endless criticisms against this measure. Singaporeans are fond of complaining, especially when they have enjoyed the peace and stability for so long and they are taking everything for granted. Sometimes, we just have to be more appreciative and less critical in order to be happy :)
Like anyone else, I believe that there might be more underlying reasons behind the cause of the riot besides the influence of alcohol. Preventing the sales of alcohol at the affected area is not a fool-proof solution because if there is a will, there will always be a way, especially when we are dealing with drunkards. The potential rioters might gain access to alcohol via different means such as purchasing them on weekdays or elsewhere before bringing them into Little India where they always gather and hang around.
Instead, I think it would be good to have more police on patrol and to disperse the crowd whenever they gather together in flocks - if you are a frequent visitor to Little India, you will get my drift. During the night, you will see crowds and crowds of foreign workers gathering at the grass patches and along the streets of Little India. This creates an avenue for them to organise riots in the form of 'illegal gatherings'. Also, these foreign workers might pose a threat to the bypassing vehicles as most of them do not abide the traffic rules and cross the roads recklessly. As a cautious driver, Sweetie Muffin would always slow his car down whenever he was driving along the roads of Little India, especially during the night where the visibility is poor. It is not easy to spot an Indian dashing / strolling across the roads at night unless they smile with their pearly whites flashing at you like headlights, you know?
I do not know how the fatal accident occurred and would not like to comment on that but certainly, I agree that the foreign workers have to be educated on how to cross the roads in Singapore and to abide by the traffic rules. The road does not belong to them or their grandfather's and hence they should abide the traffic rules like how the locals would. They are the greatest road hazards in Little India if they continue to do so and not many are lucky to jaywalk across the streets without any mishap. So if you are to tell me that a traffic accident has happened in Little India, I will not be surprised at all.
The Little India Riot serves as a wake up call to all Singaporeans to be vigilant at all times. Also, we have to be thankful (yes be thankful in turbulent times like this) that this riot was sparked off by disgruntled foreign workers and not caused by our locals due to racial discord.
The Little India Riots is not a time for us to point fingers at each others and to criticise the government for their incapability to prevent the tragedy from happening. Rather, it is a time for us to stay united in order to maintain the peace of our homeland, Singapore.
I do hope that we can still be ONE People, ONE Nation, ONE SINGAPORE! Majulah Singapura (means "Onward Singapore" in Malay)!
Sweetie Muffin drove back to the hotel to observe the news with his family after sending me home. He managed to reach home unscathed after midnight when the situation was brought under control but was disgruntled that he had to work on the following day after not getting much sleep.
Today's News
As alcohol might be one of the reasons which sparked off the riot, the government has decided to ban the sales of alcohol in the affected areas during weekends. Again, I logged onto my Facebook and saw endless criticisms against this measure. Singaporeans are fond of complaining, especially when they have enjoyed the peace and stability for so long and they are taking everything for granted. Sometimes, we just have to be more appreciative and less critical in order to be happy :)
Da Rabbit's Take on the Riot
Like anyone else, I believe that there might be more underlying reasons behind the cause of the riot besides the influence of alcohol. Preventing the sales of alcohol at the affected area is not a fool-proof solution because if there is a will, there will always be a way, especially when we are dealing with drunkards. The potential rioters might gain access to alcohol via different means such as purchasing them on weekdays or elsewhere before bringing them into Little India where they always gather and hang around.
Instead, I think it would be good to have more police on patrol and to disperse the crowd whenever they gather together in flocks - if you are a frequent visitor to Little India, you will get my drift. During the night, you will see crowds and crowds of foreign workers gathering at the grass patches and along the streets of Little India. This creates an avenue for them to organise riots in the form of 'illegal gatherings'. Also, these foreign workers might pose a threat to the bypassing vehicles as most of them do not abide the traffic rules and cross the roads recklessly. As a cautious driver, Sweetie Muffin would always slow his car down whenever he was driving along the roads of Little India, especially during the night where the visibility is poor. It is not easy to spot an Indian dashing / strolling across the roads at night unless they smile with their pearly whites flashing at you like headlights, you know?
I do not know how the fatal accident occurred and would not like to comment on that but certainly, I agree that the foreign workers have to be educated on how to cross the roads in Singapore and to abide by the traffic rules. The road does not belong to them or their grandfather's and hence they should abide the traffic rules like how the locals would. They are the greatest road hazards in Little India if they continue to do so and not many are lucky to jaywalk across the streets without any mishap. So if you are to tell me that a traffic accident has happened in Little India, I will not be surprised at all.
Conclusion
The Little India Riot serves as a wake up call to all Singaporeans to be vigilant at all times. Also, we have to be thankful (yes be thankful in turbulent times like this) that this riot was sparked off by disgruntled foreign workers and not caused by our locals due to racial discord.
The Little India Riots is not a time for us to point fingers at each others and to criticise the government for their incapability to prevent the tragedy from happening. Rather, it is a time for us to stay united in order to maintain the peace of our homeland, Singapore.
I do hope that we can still be ONE People, ONE Nation, ONE SINGAPORE! Majulah Singapura (means "Onward Singapore" in Malay)!
P.S.
Find this post amusing?? Please stay tuned to my future musings by clicking the icons below:
Find this post amusing?? Please stay tuned to my future musings by clicking the icons below:
