Causes of the Little India Riots

Causes of the gnomish India RiotsIntroductionIn celestial latitude 2013, an alarming accompanying hit capital of capital of Singapore and shocked the entire world. intelligence informationpaper, reports on it spread crossways the globe. This incident is no other than the miniscule Indias Riot. The severity of this thing had sent different messages to the different communities in Singapore. For instance, the government realized the train to reflexion into the issue of migrator workers, Singaporeans preconceived stereotype of these migratory workers slump and migrator workers possibly losing a model where they can get to make love the find homeliness that they missed dearly.Hence as a entrust of this highly discussed incident in elfin India, I fool fixed to take a closer look at bantam India and the focus that was built up among the residents and the migrant workers there. Prior to this incident, establish on a research by T.C. Chang (2000), most of the initial displ easures came from the non-Indian community living in minor India. (Chang, 2000) However, the result of the riot had sparked off increase concerns from the Indian residents as well. The riot did not occur due to the tightness built up but it certainly did amplify the concerns residents develop on the migrant workers and their existence. In this paper, we will look at the history of olive-sized India and the present situation, come aftered by the reasons for the migrant workers gatherings and finally the cause of these tension built up to grant a better picture on how the co- presence of migrant workers and residents created tension. However, prior to that, I would like to introduce certain geographical terms that will be used through step forward this paper which argon mainly, office, pop and identity. spot in geography is very much used in doing spatial analysis. There are many definitions of outer space available in the different literatures. However, in the condition of this paper, we will be looking at Cognitive Space. Cognitive Space is often used when space is shaped by humans values and thinking. It is bounded by arrangetings which comprises the identities and relations people have with it. Hence, neither space nor situate can exist without bingle another. (Agnew, 2011 Furland, 2008 Mazr Urbnek, 1983 Horodniceanu, n.d) gibe to Edward Relphs book titled Place and Placelessness (1980), he defined plaza as fusions of human and nature order and are the significant centers of our nimble experiences of the world(p. 141). In order words, calculate is somewhere where an individual or group has a steady esthesis of attachment to, creating a sense of identity with the place. (Monnet, 2011 Hauge, 2007 Tuan, 2001 Seamon, 1996 Relph, 1980) In short, space, place and identity are often interlinked and superstar could not exist without another. Having said that, with a brief introduction to these draw terms, we will move on to take a closer look at the issue menti aned.History of slight India teeny India is not quite like how it is termed. It was never a designated ethnic enclave, dominated by cardinal particular community, unlike Chinatown. However, under the development of Singapore and the cattle calling application in the mid-1800s in Little India, it had attracted many Indian traders and laborers glide slope into Little India and eventually settling down there. The increasing motherth of the Indian macrocosm during the 19th and 20th century led to the numerous cultural and religious landmarks such as Hindu temples that can still be observed today. By then, Little India was dominated by the Tamil-speaking south Indians. The moneymaking(prenominal) and retail activities catered specifically to this specific community grew rapidly. tear down though it was preponderantly occupied by the Indians, there were Chinese and Eurasians inhabitants as well. Hence, Little India is considered have a multi-ethnicity populat ion and not just the Indian community. The diversity of population is showcased through the wide array of worship places in the area cater to the different communities and religions which can be found as architectural landmarks in Little India today. (Chang, 2000 URA, 1995 Wong, n.d)Present situationFast forward to todays context, it is undeniable there has been an increasing geld in the moment of migrant workers approach shot into Singapore seeking for job opportunities. Based on the statistics obtained from the Ministry of workforce Singapore, the number of work permits issued for the construction industry increased from 180,000 as of declination 2007 to 306,500 in June 2013 (Ministry of Man origin, 2013). The number of impertinent workers working in the construction industry had increased by close to 40% as of the figure in 2007. You might be wondering why the emphasis on migrant workers in the construction industry. This is because large percentage of them came from in t he south Asian and share a similar culture of the Indians. As such, Little India became a place where they gather during the weekends, converting public and private spaces in their own diaspora third spaces. (Yew, 2014) Their presence had also caused an undeniable change in the landscape of Little India. For instance, Bengali is now the second mostly widely seen and spoken language in Little India. There are also increasing numbers of Bengali restaurants selling Bengali cuisines and even retail shops selling Bengali products set up along the streets of Little India. The characteristics of a street in South Asian can be seen transported into the streets of Little India, replacing many of Little Indias very own characteristics. (Yew, 2014) This process of place-making is also known as personalization. It refers to putting a distinctive mark on a place and it can be in the form of physical changes or attitudinal changes. In this case, we can see that the influence of these migrant wor kers had created both tangible and intangible forms of personalization on Little India. (Garcia, 2012) The touch of personalisation further entice them into visiting Little India as based on the article category away from firm by The Straits Times (2013), Little India provides them with the sense of homeliness, which they had left back tooth to seek job opportunities in Singapore. It is also estimated that the numbers of migrant workers liberation to Little India on Sundays can hit more than 30,000.ReasonsThis increasing trend had caused tension to build up among them and the residents creating an insider-outsider dichotomy in Little India. (Chang, 2000) An insider refers to someone that has a sense of social belonging and is adapted to cope with the space while an outsider, is someone who does not feel belonged and feels culturally out of place. According the Edward Relph (1980), there are different forms of insideness and outsideness. In the context of Little India, the resi dents themselves take up the identity as existential insiders. It is only executable for people who live in that place and had developed a strong sense of belonging and identity with it. The migrant workers on the other lead are incidental outsiders whereby the place was just a setting where they have their activities at. (Relph, 1980) As a result of the co-existence of these two communities in one place, one as an insider and the other as an outsider, a dichotomy will follow because of the different importance the place plays for them.Residents, as insiders, will value the place much more than the migrant workers as the place provides them with a sense of belonging, attachment and identity and played an important role in their day-to-day lives as it is the place where they live and play. The migrant workers on the other authorize may only refer Little India as a place for them to gather over the weekends as it provides them the sense of homeliness. (Chan et al., 2013) Therefor e, because of different importance Little India plays for the different community, certain behaviors or actions carried out by the outsiders in it may be deemed as unacceptable by the insiders. The unacceptance of the actions hence creates a tension build up amongst the two.In addition, the sense of insideness and belonging the residents had of Little India also portrayed an implicit sense that they entitled more rights to the space compared to the outsiders and that these public spaces should not be owned by the outsiders during the weekends. However, no one actually legally owns these public spaces. (Yew, 2014) Hence, as a result of these disfavour ownership of rights of the residents and the tension built up overtime, these common spaces where these migrant workers unravel to frequent in large numbers were constructed into social problems as their attempts in reclaiming of public spaces. (Yew, 2014 Chang, 2014 Berlenger et al. 2012 Garcia, 2012)The increasing trend of tension build up could be seen from the increasing numbers of reports on the complaints residents had lodged on the migrant workers because of their misconduct. Most of the residents interviewed cushy that the presence of these migrant workers was a major issue that should be looked at. umteen complained of their rowdiness under void decks, loitering and even claimed to feel unsafe. This is especially so after the recent riot that occurred in Little India in celestial latitude 2013. (Yahoo, 2013 Lee, 2013 Gan, 2011 Chang, 2014)However, I feel that besides the insider-outsider dichotomy inside Little India between the residents and migrant workers, the concept of othering, the marginalization of migrant workers in Singapore is highly applicable to the reason for tension build up as well. (Rubdy Mckay, 2013 Vincent et al., 2006) unsettled workers coming into Singapore has always been seen as an other on Singapore landscapes and were marginalized by hunting lodge. The preconceived stereoty pe the general public had of the migrant workers often associate it with the 3Ds which are dirty, difficult and dangerous. (Yew, 2014 Rubdy Mckay, 2013 Vincent et al., 2006) Hence, because of the jobs they are conglomerate in, mostly construction, they are often seen as the foreign, lowly and othered pariahs in society (Rosanow, n.d). These perceptions could be due to the lack of exposure to these workers or even hearsay. Even though there were efforts made by the government, it is still not realistic to erase the fundamental relationship between Singaporeans and the migrant workers that had built up for a long time. Hence, due to the preconceived stereotypes the general public had of migrant workers and the increasing numbers of migrant workers, it amplified the anxieties of alterity residents had of the migrant workers in Little India. This increasing sense of alterity is also one of the possible causes of insider-outsider dichotomy in the area, thereof creating tension due to unacceptability. Hence, we can say that the issue of marginalization of foreign workers in general among Singaporeans had played a part in bring to the formation of the insider-outsider dichotomy.ConclusionIn conclusion, the increasing number of migrant workers coming into Singapore had created tension between the locals and them. Tension built up could be due to the preconceived idea people have of these workers and hence rejecting them placing their footsteps on Singapores landscape or becoming part of their space. This rejection can be seen through the insider-outsider dichotomy as mentioned above. These signs of tension between residents and migrant workers are not only observed in Little India. Places such as Lucky Plaza in Orchard route and Golden Mile are areas that face similar issues like those in Little India where there is a constant build-up of tension because of the increasing number of migrant workers gathering in these areas. This tension will continue to grow if ne ither Singaporeans nor migrant workers are willing to change their mindsets. Singaporeans ought to keep an discourteous mind about these migrant workers while the workers become more responsive to their environment and the feelings of the residents. Singaporeans have to learn to appreciate their existence on Singapore landscapes, the role they play in our society and not judge them based on the work they are involved in. It is the only way to interrupt continual build-up of tension as it is an undeniable fact that Singapore ineluctably these workers to sustain its development.BibliographyBerlenger, H., Cameron, S., Mora, C. d. (2012). Place Identity and the experience of Public Space Revitalisation. Restorativeness, and Transformation. In H. Casakin, F. Bernando, Role of Place Identity in the Perception, Understanding, and Design of strengthened Environments (pp. 47-91). SAIF Zone, Sharjah, UAE Bentham erudition Publishers.Chang, R. (2014, January 26). Supper Club Denise Phu a Put ourselves in Little India residents shoes, The Straits Times Singa political sympathies. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http//www.singapolitics.sg/supperclub/denise-phua-put-ourselves-little-india-residents-shoesChang, R., Mokhtar, M., Yong, C. (2013, December 17). Little India Home Away From Home, The Straits Times. Retrieved from http//www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/case-you-missed-it/story/little-india-home-away-home-20131217Chang, T. C. (2000). Singapores Little India A Tourist Attraction as a Contested Landscape, urban Studies. 37(2), 343-366.Furland, E. B. (2008). The found of development in Little India and Chinatown, Singapore, from third to first world country. Norse University of Technology and Science, Department of Geography. Trondheim.Gan, L. K. (2011, June 20). The New Paper Little India Residents Woes, AsiaOne News. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http//news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110620-285089.html.Garcia, J. H. (2012 ). Open Spaces in Informal Settlements in Bogota, Expressions of accessory and Identity. In H. Casakin, F. Bernardo, Role of Place Identity in the Perception, Understanding, and Design of Built Environments (pp. 92-106). SAIF Zone, Sharjah, UAE Bentham Science Publishers .Hage, G. (2006). Insiders and Outsiders. Sociology place, time and division.Hauge, A. L. (2007, March 1). Identity and place a tiny comparison of three, Architectural Science Review. 2-6.Horodniceanu, O. (n.d). Space, Place, Idenity, Geographical ApproachesLee, K. L. (2013, December 10). Safety of Little Indias residents can be improved, Today Online Voices. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http//www.todayonline.com/voices/safety-little-indias-residents-can-be-improvedMazr, E., Urbnek, J. (1983). Space in Geography. GeoJournal, 7(2), 139-143.Ministry of Manpower. (2013, June). impertinent Workforce Numbers, Ministy of Manpower. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http//www.mom.gov.sg/statistics-publications/oth ers/statistics/Pages/ForeignWorkforceNumbers.aspxsthash.vIDdObHR.dpbsMonnet, J. (2011). The symbolism of place a geography of relationships between space, power and identity (Vols. (1278-3366)). Cybergeodo.Relph, E. (1980). Place and Placelessness. London Pion Limited.Rosanow, G. A. (n.d). Home Away from Home Social Support Network for Migrant Workers , Kitakyushu Forum for Women.Rubdy, R., Mckay, S. L. (2013). Foreign Workers in Singapore Conflicting discourses, language politics and the negotiation of immigrant identities. De Gruyter Mouton.Seamon, D. (1996). A rum Impact Edward Relphs Place and Placelessness. In Environmental and Architectural Phenomenology Newsletter (Vol. 7, pp. 5-8).Selten, M., Zandt, F. v. (2012, folk 19). Space vs Place. Human Geography Knowledge Base Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http//geography.ruhosting.nl/geography/index.php?title=Space_vs._placeTuan, Y.-F. (2001). Space and Place The Perspective Experience. Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press .Urban Redevelopemnt Authority. (n.d). Conservation-Little India, Urban Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http//www.ura.gov.sg/uol/conservation/conservation-xml.aspx?id=LTINUrban Redevelopment Authority. (1995). Little India- Historic District. Singapore.Vincent, J. A., Shiuan, O. S., Subto, S. F., Manhong, Y., Jing, Y. Y. (2008). The Attitudes of tertiary Students toward Foreign Construction Workers. Ngee Ann Polytechnic.Wong, S. Y. (n.d). Not such a Little India, recover Land. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http//reclaimland.sg/rl/?p=30Yahoo News Shopkeepers,residents,visitors responds to Little Indias riot. (2013, December 9). Retrieved from http//sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-charge-24-indian-workers-rioting-044957734.htmlYew, L. (2014). Asianism and the Politics of Regional Consciousness in Singapore. In L. Yew, Asianised Landscapes and the transculturation of Singapore (pp. 174-205). United States of the States Routledge.