Riot in Little India

[Steve1960]

Feels like London in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Immigration tension, racial tension, riots, Government unable to deal with the issues.

I don't think this will be the only incident we see and the Government's backlash will not doubt affect us all as foreign workers here

[Wd40]

My guess is the 1st thing they are gonna do is stop so many construction workers congrete in Little India on sundays. It is the right thing to do. I am surprised they allow so many people there on sundays, its really scary to walk on Serangoon road on sundays, I never felt so scared in any part of India.

So you'd have sort of internal immigration checks and barriers to stop Indians going to Little India? Hmmm ...

I can't say I've ever felt scared in the slightest, anywhere in Singapore, and certainly not in Little India, where I spent a month+ in a Serviced Apartment right by Mustafa.

[In India itself, yes once or twice. Three times in fact, Varanasi, Calcutta, and Bombay where in each we got attempts to entrap us in scams or drugs etc. In the rest of our 3.5 month sub-continental circumnavigation I don't recall any notable issues at all. Probably no different experience for a couple of teenagers roving around any other continent, I'd have thought. ].

p.s. @SMS's previous. That's it precisely, and the government ignore, minimise it, or gloss over it at their peril.

By scared I mean, being surrounded by a huge crowd of poor, frustrated and drunk, predomninantly males. I wont be scared walking alone. But with my wife and daughter, I would be very scared. In India, its rare you see such big similar crowd. You might see big crowds at events but there will be a better mix of people from different stratas of society.

[JR8]

I wonder if it will lead to the enforced break up of Little India, in the same way the Malay riots (1960's?) led to the enforced break up of Kampong Glam and the Malay 'concentration' in that area.

[Wd40]

I wonder if it will lead to the enforced break up of Little India, in the same way the Malay riots (1960's?) led to the enforced break up of Kampong Glam and the Malay 'concentration' in that area.

I hope that doesnt happen, because the 1960's incident involved Singaporeans. Whereas this one was almost entirely foreigners doing what they would have done if it was in their country. Its the foreigners that they will clamp down on.

[PNGMK]

I've never once felt concerned about my welfare in little India and I regularly stagger out of the POW into the gutter. I've found almost all workers there to be peaceful guys just relaxing. My only concern has been traffic - it's hard to haul a 230kg H-D to a dead stop when a pissed Indian walks out in front of you.

I support the rights of workers in Singapore to assemble and congregate and relax. I would be very sad to see little India shut down but a few more traffic patrols would be appreciated.

Those 27 guys are going to need some pro-bono lawyers.

[PNGMK]

I wonder if it will lead to the enforced break up of Little India, in the same way the Malay riots (1960's?) led to the enforced break up of Kampong Glam and the Malay 'concentration' in that area.

I hope not. That was a pretty bad event; my ex wifes family lost their inheritance in that.

[hairy legs]

Wd40, they already do that. I work smack in the middle of an industrial estate and am surrounded by FW dormatories. Monday mornings the number of Kingfisher bottles by the curbs are astounding, but even though I've work late on Saturdays and often on Sundays, I've never had a problem with any of them. The problem isn't the workers, per se, but the way they have been treated. Now all they need are triggers.

Singaporeans are fixin' to reap what they have sown if they aren't careful. Instigators? Nah. Just people who are fed up with being treated like subhumans. I can't blame them. Add a little alcohol to dull the senses and add a trigger, voila! Riot.

SMS, you have been living in Spore for so many years I would have hoped that your views are more balanced...

If you are to speak with any Locals, they will tell you that this is the result of too liberal a Foreign Worker policy such that the Govt loses its grip on them.

And if you are to speak with a boss, he will tell you that the cost of employment is so high that he cannot affortf to put all his workers in a bus.

So we are all speculating and there are many views to it. Yours is only one aspect..

[zzm9980]

SMS, you have been living in Singapore for so many years I would have hoped that your views are more balanced...

You say more balanced, but then give a very myopic and unbalanced opinion of your own.

We're Westerns mostly, we've traveled about and seen a lot and dealt with this shit in our own countries. Your argument for the locals pretty much amounts to blaming the government for brining in too many foreigners, not the fact that Singapore as a whole (government and the locals) treats said foreigners like shit.

[Barnsley]

And if you are to speak with a boss, he will tell you that the cost of employment is so high that he cannot affortf to put all his workers in a bus.

That tells me that the employer has bid for the tender on the cheap if they cant afford to move their staff around in anything other than cattle trucks.

[Wd40]

And if you are to speak with a boss, he will tell you that the cost of employment is so high that he cannot affortf to put all his workers in a bus.

That tells me that the employer has bid for the tender on the cheap if they cant afford to move their staff around in anything other than cattle trucks.

+1. If the costs goes up, it goes up for everyone and the cost will get passed on to the customer.

[PNGMK]

I just hope the xenophobic, younger, violent gang members (Singaporeans) stay home at not go looking for trouble in little India.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Wd40, they already do that. I work smack in the middle of an industrial estate and am surrounded by FW dormatories. Monday mornings the number of Kingfisher bottles by the curbs are astounding, but even though I've work late on Saturdays and often on Sundays, I've never had a problem with any of them. The problem isn't the workers, per se, but the way they have been treated. Now all they need are triggers.

Singaporeans are fixin' to reap what they have sown if they aren't careful. Instigators? Nah. Just people who are fed up with being treated like subhumans. I can't blame them. Add a little alcohol to dull the senses and add a trigger, voila! Riot.

SMS, you have been living in Singapore for so many years I would have hoped that your views are more balanced...

If you are to speak with any Locals, they will tell you that this is the result of too liberal a Foreign Worker policy such that the Govt loses its grip on them.

And if you are to speak with a boss, he will tell you that the cost of employment is so high that he cannot affortf to put all his workers in a bus.

So we are all speculating and there are many views to it. Yours is only one aspect..

Fortunately, I don't, even after 30 years, have the tiny immature mindset of a local. I hope the hell I never get their mindset. Sadly, yours is typically local. Going international hasn't done a thing for you either. You are still the same as you were in YOUR own country as well. Ironic, neh?

[hairy legs]

Fortunately, I don't, even after 30 years, have the tiny immature mindset of a local. I hope the hell I never get their mindset. Sadly, yours is typically local. Going international hasn't done a thing for you either. You are still the same as you were in YOUR own country as well. Ironic, neh?

You are right. Wherever I have been, I am still a Singaporean / local. But having lived in a few countries, I have learnt to be respectful of the host country no matter how superior I feel.

I am in a certain country because I need to make a living and not because I was forced to come here. Likewise, I musty accept that each country / culture is different, so I do make comparisons, but never judge, because at the end of the day, nobody force us to come here.

[PNGMK]

Wd40, they already do that. I work smack in the middle of an industrial estate and am surrounded by FW dormatories. Monday mornings the number of Kingfisher bottles by the curbs are astounding, but even though I've work late on Saturdays and often on Sundays, I've never had a problem with any of them. The problem isn't the workers, per se, but the way they have been treated. Now all they need are triggers.

Singaporeans are fixin' to reap what they have sown if they aren't careful. Instigators? Nah. Just people who are fed up with being treated like subhumans. I can't blame them. Add a little alcohol to dull the senses and add a trigger, voila! Riot.

SMS, you have been living in Singapore for so many years I would have hoped that your views are more balanced...

If you are to speak with any Locals, they will tell you that this is the result of too liberal a Foreign Worker policy such that the Govt loses its grip on them.

And if you are to speak with a boss, he will tell you that the cost of employment is so high that he cannot affortf to put all his workers in a bus.

So we are all speculating and there are many views to it. Yours is only one aspect..

"Loses it's grip"? WTF? They're human beings! No bloody working animals. And yes, they aren't correct in attacking a bus driver but I damn well agree with their sentiments and admire their collective spirit.

[hairy legs]

You say more balanced, but then give a very myopic and unbalanced opinion of your own.

We're Westerns mostly, we've traveled about and seen a lot and dealt with this shit in our own countries. Your argument for the locals pretty much amounts to blaming the government for brining in too many foreigners, not the fact that Singapore as a whole (government and the locals) treats said foreigners like shit.

I am trying to share what / how each party will view this episode.... Many factors lead to this blow up. Not just because Foreign Workers being ill treated. Thats what I am saying.