We have gotten away with it till now...

Recently an Indian worker was accidentally hit and killed by bus. Almost instantly a riot broke out with nearly 400 strong mob, smashing and torching police vans, ambulances and cars. It took quite a while for the police force to quell the mob and make some arrests. Now on first glance it would have seem like a daily occurrence here in the country - after all these kinds of flash mobs indulging in violence at the drop of a hat are common. The only difference was that this incident happened in Singapore and was reported as one of the largest riots in 40 years. It took place in the Little India part of the city.

It got me thinking - I have been to the Little India part of Singapore just once and truly the place does transport you back to India. The pristine clean roads of Singapore do seem to look a tad bit shabby here. There are street hawkers, Indian restaurants and the of course the massive Mustafa Mall. Do you think perhaps the mob forgot for an instance that they were not in their own country where such forms of senseless violent protest carry strict punishment?

In India, its pretty common to see an entire horde of auto rickshaw drivers descend on a hapless chap who may have nicked the vehicle by mistake. Or for a BMTC bus driver to be pounded silly for applying the brakes a little too early and causing an accident. Almost always in the case of an accident where there is a grievous injury caused by an accident, the driver flees the spot for fear of being thrashed by the mob. I have never understood the sense in that. How does thrashing the driver, whether he is at fault or not going to help the situation? Isn't this just a form of mob justice?

Or perhaps it is considered justified in our country where the legal system takes its own sweet time to do its job, that we take to meting out justice ourselves. Or do we think just because our justice system is laid-back so too the rest of the world when it comes to situations like this?

Despite the damage caused, Singaporeans have come forward with financial support for the Indian worker whose death triggered the incident. There is no denying that Indian workers may not be very well off in the region, but surely that is not a frustration that is to be taken out in this manner?

I just wonder... why do we think we can get away with it anywhere in the world, is it because we have gotten away with it most of the times till now?