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. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey enriched our society with a vibrant array of customs, cuisines, arts and festivals\u2026 from Deepavali and Pongal to Thaipusam,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
As a result, Indian influences are deeply woven into the Republic, from the flavours that Singaporeans enjoy to the words spoken here, he added.<\/p>\n
Like the Indian community, the city-state is a tapestry woven from many threads \u2013 multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur diversity need not and must not divide us. Instead, when we respect one another, when we celebrate one another\u2019s culture, our diversity becomes a tremendous source of strength and unity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you are not just Indians in Singapore; you are Singaporean Indians,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The IHC was set up to tell this story, and in just 10 years it has done this admirably, he said.<\/p>\n
He noted that the IHC \u2013 which was established in 2015 in conjunction with Singapore\u2019s 50th anniversary celebrations \u2013 has curated rich and engaging exhibitions that showcased the diversity of the community, and its many contributions to Singapore\u2019s development and success.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s first foreign minister S. Rajaratnam, who penned the National Pledge, which envisioned Singapore as \u201cone united people, regardless of race, language, or religion\u201d, PM Wong said.<\/p>\n
Importantly, the IHC has reached out to Singaporeans of all backgrounds and has welcomed almost 1.8 million visitors through its doors. The centre has collaborated with the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and the Malay Heritage Centre to highlight the common ground among different communities, he added.<\/p>\n
To mark its anniversary and Singapore\u2019s diamond jubilee, IHC has embarked on its first major artefact rotation at its permanent galleries, with 60 artefacts being showcased in two phases.<\/p>\n