Little India, Rochor 5.48

Little India is an ethnic district in Singapore. It is located east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north of Kampong Glam. Both areas are part of the urban planning area of Rochor. Little India is commonly known as Tekka in the Indian Singaporean community.HistoryLittle India is distinct from the Chulia Kampong area, which, under the Raffles Plan of Singapore, was originally a division of colonial Singapore where ethnic Indian immigrants would reside under the British policy of ethnic segregation. However, as Chulia Kampong became more crowded and competition for land escalated, many ethnic Indians moved into what is now known as Little India. (The Chulia Kampong district no longer exists as a distinct area.)The Little India area is reported to have developed around a former settlement for Indian convicts. Its location along the Serangoon River originally made it attractive for raising cattle, and trade in livestock was once prominent in the area. Eventually, other economic activity developed, and by the turn of the 20th century, the area began to look like an ethnic Indian neighbourhood.Little India was the site of a two-hour-long riot that occurred on 8 December 2013, after a man was killed in a traffic accident. 27 people were injured, and 40 people were arrested.