http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/452…
All eyes now on Lunar New Year celebrations
Monday, 24 January 2011
Singapore Democrats
The Government, through the Hindu Endowments Board, declared
that Thaipusam participants, after a few decades of traditional
practice, cannot play musical instruments, including beating drums,
gongs and cymbals during the procession.
The police promptly stepped in and ensured that the policy was
strictly enforced. The usual festivity of the occasion was
inevitably killed off and the once noisy and colourful parade was
no more.
Spin as he might, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam cannot
deflect the criticism that the restrictions on Thaipusam are new
and selectively applied to this religious activity.
Mr Shanmugam defended the ruling, saying that the regulations on
musical instruments have been in place for the last 38 years. But
unless Singaporeans have been all deaf and biind, we are certain
that participants of Thaipusam have been banging their drums and
playing musical instruments for the last 37.
But like everything else in Singapore, the Minister got what he
wanted. Save for a couple of isolated incidents, Thaipusam
celebrants largely kept to orders to remain silent. Enforcing rules
in an autocratic state, no matter how ridiculous these rules are,
is not a difficult thing to do. It’s the easy part.
Here’s what the PAP will find more
difficult to control: public sentiment.
All eyes will now turn to the Chinese New Year which will take
place next week. Will we see a similar enforcement of the
no-drum-no-gong policy?
If Mr Shanmugam applies the law even-handedly, he would also
have to ban the lion-dance troupes from playing their musical
instruments as he did those celebrating Thaipusam. Will he do
it?
Of course not. The Government will not dare to announce a ban on
the ubiquitous lion dance and raise the ire of those who celebrate
the biggest and most auspicious occasion of the year for Chinese
Singaporeans. After all, what’s the Lunar New Year without the
lion, Mr Big-Head, the angpows on a bamboo stick and the
tangerines?
Unless, that is, the PAP for some strange
reason decides to press the Self-Destruct button.
The lion dance and everything that accompanies it – tung tung
chiang and all – will go on.
And then what?
How will the Hindus look upon this? Why are their musical
instruments banned while the Chinese ones are not? Their
celebrations take place over the course of one day; Chinese New
Year lasts for all of 15. Their procession courses mainly through
non-residential areas of the island with the noise affecting few
households; lion dances are conducted right smack in the middle of
HDB estates.
Think before legislating
This is the problem with autocrats who enforce policies before
they think. They choose the expedient route of prohibition rather
than education. They ban because they can. It’s the easy thing to
do.
Yes, the Hindus have obeyed the ruling not to play musical
instruments during Thaipusam. But how will they feel when they see
and hear the Chinese gongs and cymbals going full blast just days
after theirs were banned?
Is the PAP not setting up society for
friction and conflict? This is the kind of arbitrary policy-making
that divides the people.
But don’t we have the Religious Harmony Act to prevent
individuals or organisations from speaking on such matters? And the
SPH can always suppress public discussion (as
it is doing now) so that sentiment is controlled and everyone can
go about his/her own business pretending that all is swell.
The law and the forced silence will simply drive resentment
inwards and underground. Sooner or later, the pent-up pressure will
erupt. And it will erupt with a vengeance.
If there is a textbook on how not to go about making policies
that would tear apart a society, Mr Shanmugam’s ‘ban’ on religious
musical instruments will be right up there on the first paragraph
of chapter one.
Talk about duds.