Essay Question:Why should we remember the early 1950s and 1960s today?

Why should we remember the early 1950s and 1960s today?

The 1950s and 1960s are a thing of the past. Compared to the Singapore today, it seems almost irrelevant to study what has already been done. Why, then, should we still remember the 1950s and 1960s today? How is it relevant to today's context?

The 1950s and 1960s was a period when Singapore was ruled by the British after the Japanese fell due to the Allied Powers. Still a struggling nation under the British, some conflicts and struggles were bound to arise. Our group chose to write this essay on the Maria Hertogh Riots. This is one of many events, and there are many lessons to be learnt from it. We learn from the past, so that history will not repeat itself and every day will be an improvement of the previous.

Maria Hertogh Riots

The Maria Hertogh riots was a series of riots that came about because of one girl, Maria Bretha Hertogh over who were her parents, which later transformed into a religious and racial issue which caused millions in property damage and irreplacable lives lost. In the paragraphs below, I will talk in brief about two major parties that were involved in the riots, and where their error was.

British Government

The British Government was unaware with regards to the sensitivity and the intensity of the issue. They made some very crucial mistake which could have been said to the main catalyst for the riots that followed later, which in turn resulted in much hurt and damage. While waiting for the court to make the final decision in December, the Dutch-Consul General sent Maria to a girl's home run by a Catholic church. The main issue with this was that with the intention of trying to please the crowd by showing Maria was happy, moving Maria to a place that was strongly associated with one religion (Catholicism) gave the crowd the impression that the British were against the Muslims by sending her to a Catholic-associated place. This quickly blew up the issue- from a custody battle to a full blown riot of racial tensions. Had they not made that mistake, things could have been different. 

Media Influence

The media another very major player in the riots, mainly by adding fuel to fire. Due to the media's ability to get their news out to large amounts of people throughout the country, the different newspapers- The Singapore Standard and Melayu Raya, just to name a few. When the Singapore Standard printed photos which appeared to show Maria "all smiles" at a convent, the Melayu Raya retaliated by posting photos of Maria crying and looking dejected at a convent. This created mass confusion across the island, and made the issue very emotional for many people, especially Malays, which led to the attacks on people who looked like Eurasians and British on sight, even if they were actaully Singaporeans or of other races.

Conclusion

The Maria Hertogh riots is a stark reminder of the importance of racial and religious harmony not just in Singapore, but around the world. It also shows us the importance of responsible media and a sensitive government, and shows us what happens if we do not pay heed.