SINGAPORE – Since the earliest days of modern Singapore, people from the Indian sub-continent have come to the island, bringing with them their skills, beliefs and hopes for a better life.
These early Indian immigrants came from different regions, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra. They spoke different languages, practised different faiths and carried with them the rich diversity of Indian civilisation.
“They enriched our society with a vibrant array of customs, cuisines, arts and festivals… from Deepavali and Pongal to Thaipusam,” said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at a dinner on Nov 14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC), which is located in Little India.
As a result, Indian influences are deeply woven into the Republic, from the flavours that Singaporeans enjoy to the words spoken here, he added.
Like the Indian community, the city-state is a tapestry woven from many threads – multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural, he said.
“Our diversity need not and must not divide us. Instead, when we respect one another, when we celebrate one another’s culture, our diversity becomes a tremendous source of strength and unity,” he said.
PM Wong noted that the efforts of successive generations of immigrants from India have helped the Singapore Indian community to flourish, keeping alive its rich heritage while embracing a shared and distinctive sense of national identity.
“So you are not just Indians in Singapore; you are Singaporean Indians,” he said.
“We are Singaporeans first. We are rooted in our respective cultures, respective roots, yet deeply woven into the fabric of our nation. And you, all of you, our Indian community, are a proud and vital part of our Singapore story.”
The IHC was set up to tell this story, and in just 10 years it has done this admirably, he said.
He noted that the IHC – which was established in 2015 in conjunction with Singapore’s 50th anniversary celebrations – has curated rich and engaging exhibitions that showcased the diversity of the community, and its many contributions to Singapore’s development and success.
Pioneers of the community include entrepreneur and philanthropist P. Govindasamy Pillai; the followers of Sree Narayana Guru, who set up a mission to serve the less privileged; and Singapore’s first foreign minister S. Rajaratnam, who penned the National Pledge, which envisioned Singapore as “one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion”, PM Wong said.
