பிப்ரவரி 14 ,
2015 , சிங்கப்பூர் இன் மெமரி ......Dalam Ingatan Feb 14, 2015 ,
Singapura
Three men were charged in court over the recent incident at Thaipusam 2015 in Singapore . The three men were part of a group which hired drummers for a kavadi carrier during the Thaipusam procession. A scuffle broke out when the drummers were asked to stop playing by the police. A video of the scuffle sparked an online outcry not only among the Tamil / Hindu community but also among Singaporeans of other races from all walks of life . Netizens were upset & especially questioned the behaviour of the officers and their use of excessive force on the 3 men. Videos uploaded on Youtube showed one policeman shouting at at the public in an uncalled for manner . Social media was flooded with forums, petitions and Facebook pages initiated by Singaporeans to vent their frustrations against an absurd law that bans the playing of drums & other musical instruments at Thaipusam while it is permitted at other festivals.
It didnt help when it was publicised on social media that a foot procession like Saint Patrick's Day was allowed where one of the main attractions is marching using musical instruments & drums & where dancing and heavy drinking is the norm . Not that Singaporeans had anything against this foreign festival, but where is the acknowledgment and respect for Singaporean identity and history?
Nowhere in the free world except in Singapore can the playing of a musical instrument be considered illegal. It must be pointed out that the ban on playing musical instruments at Thaipusam are not actually a law. No one has broken any law by playing music at Thaipusam . It is important to note this .The ban are police regulations, supported by the Hindu Endowment Board - an organization that is supposed to look after the interests of the Hindu community !
As if that wasnt bad enough, the Singapore Police Force ( SPF issued a statement saying that : All three men were believed to have been drinking earlier as they smelt strongly of alcohol. "Smelt
of alcohol". Really? Where is the real proof from breathalyzer tests results ? . For a professional body like the SPF to
issue such a statement without proof, using words like
"believed" is totally unacceptable. That is merely an assumption - one that tarnishes the image of the 3 arrested in the eyes of fellow Singaporeans and discriminates against the Tamil / Hindu community . It must be pointed out that one of the 3 accused, Ramachandra Chandramohan is a teetotlaler ie, a person who abstains totally from intoxicating drinks. The 3 men were portrayed as drunkards & law breakers from the outset & causing them great distress.
In his article ' Thoughts Of A Victim ' one of the three accused in the Thaipusam incident, Mr Jayakumar wrote after he was arrested : One week has passed since Thaipusam. Usually at this time, I'll be sharing photos & videos of a successful prayer journey. ( But) A turn of events has portrayed me as a drunkard and criminal . Every day prior to the actual day, I spent hours fabricating and decorating the kavadi till wee hours in the morning. That didn't deter me from my early morning work nor made me tired n exhausted. I only thought of my brother fulfilling his vow and his prayers being answered. What happened at the junction of Desker Road has seriously burdened every single person and their families whom partook in the fulfillment of a holy journey.
The authorities have displayed a basic lack of understanding about the role of music and dance in religious expression. During Thaipusam, music and dance are meant to lift the spirits of devotees who are engaged in a painful and arduous journey barefooted under the sun.
There are other religious practices in Singapore that are not welcomed by others. In fact, it has been proven that joss stick & paper burning is detrimental to one's health . This is an expression of religiosity that is actually harmful. Yet the govt allows this practice to be carried out all over the island & especially in residential areas where it causes the most harm & damage. Doctors too agree that this act is a health problem. Yet the govt does nothing about it even though many have raised this issue with the relevant authorities including this author.
Could the authorities in co-operation with the HEB have allowed the playing of musical instruments at Thaipusam without compromising on safety to devotees, pedestrians and traffic ? We need answers. Singaporeans are tired of the authorities' regular approach of imposing a fine, a ban, threat of imprisonment or litigation as a solution to solve all problems . We need change.
In Memory of Feb 14, 2015, Singapore..,,,,,,,在2015年2月14日，新加坡记忆...
Three men were charged in court over the recent incident at Thaipusam 2015 in Singapore . The three men were part of a group which hired drummers for a kavadi carrier during the Thaipusam procession. A scuffle broke out when the drummers were asked to stop playing by the police. A video of the scuffle sparked an online outcry not only among the Tamil / Hindu community but also among Singaporeans of other races from all walks of life . Netizens were upset & especially questioned the behaviour of the officers and their use of excessive force on the 3 men. Videos uploaded on Youtube showed one policeman shouting at at the public in an uncalled for manner . Social media was flooded with forums, petitions and Facebook pages initiated by Singaporeans to vent their frustrations against an absurd law that bans the playing of drums & other musical instruments at Thaipusam while it is permitted at other festivals.
It didnt help when it was publicised on social media that a foot procession like Saint Patrick's Day was allowed where one of the main attractions is marching using musical instruments & drums & where dancing and heavy drinking is the norm . Not that Singaporeans had anything against this foreign festival, but where is the acknowledgment and respect for Singaporean identity and history?
Nowhere in the free world except in Singapore can the playing of a musical instrument be considered illegal. It must be pointed out that the ban on playing musical instruments at Thaipusam are not actually a law. No one has broken any law by playing music at Thaipusam . It is important to note this .The ban are police regulations, supported by the Hindu Endowment Board - an organization that is supposed to look after the interests of the Hindu community !
As if that wasnt bad enough, the Singapore Police Force ( SPF issued a statement saying that : All three men were believed to have been drinking earlier as they smelt strongly of alcohol. "Smelt
of alcohol". Really? Where is the real proof from breathalyzer tests results ? . For a professional body like the SPF to
issue such a statement without proof, using words like
"believed" is totally unacceptable. That is merely an assumption - one that tarnishes the image of the 3 arrested in the eyes of fellow Singaporeans and discriminates against the Tamil / Hindu community . It must be pointed out that one of the 3 accused, Ramachandra Chandramohan is a teetotlaler ie, a person who abstains totally from intoxicating drinks. The 3 men were portrayed as drunkards & law breakers from the outset & causing them great distress. In his article ' Thoughts Of A Victim ' one of the three accused in the Thaipusam incident, Mr Jayakumar wrote after he was arrested : One week has passed since Thaipusam. Usually at this time, I'll be sharing photos & videos of a successful prayer journey. ( But) A turn of events has portrayed me as a drunkard and criminal . Every day prior to the actual day, I spent hours fabricating and decorating the kavadi till wee hours in the morning. That didn't deter me from my early morning work nor made me tired n exhausted. I only thought of my brother fulfilling his vow and his prayers being answered. What happened at the junction of Desker Road has seriously burdened every single person and their families whom partook in the fulfillment of a holy journey.
The authorities have displayed a basic lack of understanding about the role of music and dance in religious expression. During Thaipusam, music and dance are meant to lift the spirits of devotees who are engaged in a painful and arduous journey barefooted under the sun.
There are other religious practices in Singapore that are not welcomed by others. In fact, it has been proven that joss stick & paper burning is detrimental to one's health . This is an expression of religiosity that is actually harmful. Yet the govt allows this practice to be carried out all over the island & especially in residential areas where it causes the most harm & damage. Doctors too agree that this act is a health problem. Yet the govt does nothing about it even though many have raised this issue with the relevant authorities including this author.
Could the authorities in co-operation with the HEB have allowed the playing of musical instruments at Thaipusam without compromising on safety to devotees, pedestrians and traffic ? We need answers. Singaporeans are tired of the authorities' regular approach of imposing a fine, a ban, threat of imprisonment or litigation as a solution to solve all problems . We need change.
Music is integrated with religion and cannot be separated. Studies have shown not only the roots of music in any religion from the beginning of time but also the therapeutic component of it. Also, it transcends from healing to a spiritual connection with God. The cries of many participants and devotees have seemed to have fallen on deaf ears who continues to belittle the ordeal that one painstakingly endure during Thaipusam, when piercing is especially involved. The days of preparation prior to Thaipusam should be marked with a celebration of “The Kavadi attam”. The Kavadi attam itself emphasises debt bondage (giving thanks and paying penance) and thus that is a crucial component during the entire Thaipusam foot procession. Can we then have Kavadi attam without music? The entire journey should be one of deep spiritual connection with God. Restricting music in religious festival is ridiculing the religion itself undermining the beliefs and faith of many. When said it not necessary, it is equivalent to saying that a particular religion itself is not necessary. Don’t forget that many do not even belief in religion, so shall we go there? The point is if we respect the faith and belief of a particular religious group, the natural thing to do here is respect and follow through it by supporting how we can create a meaningful experience for the believers. Banning is certainly not the answer but perhaps the easy way out. It serves shorter term objectives but will not address for the longer term as the displeasures are being constantly brought up. That shows the flaw in the system. Restriction of music obviously restricts the spiritual freedom of the devotees. Music being the heart of a religion, when taken away presents many internal struggle within an individual and community. This suppression is not only an infringement to basic human rights and freedom but also threatens functioning of social beings in some sort of communal bindings such as religion. Posing challenges to the practice of faith by imposing bans and restrictions will stir displeasures and also animosity among the different races when inevitably one will question the injustice and fairness felt. The efforts to prevent disorderly behaviours has not been successful as people can only be supressed for so long and this have been evident. People are expressing displeasures over and over again, meaning the current method has not addressed the matter adequately and it is not working. The restriction of music apparently is only for Thaipusam and the reasons given shows the lack of faith in the Hindu population, hence exemplifying serious stereotyping. ~ Jessica HR
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