Senior Singapore minister lauds contributions of Sikh community

Singapore: Singapore's senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has praised the contributions made by the Sikh community in Singapore as he visited the 10th edition of the largest Sikh religious event in South East Asia here.

The Coordinating Minister for Social Policies visited the biennial Naam Ras Kirtan Darbar which was held from December 23 to 26 after a four-year hiatus at the Singapore Expo.

During his visit to the event on December 24, Shanmugaratnam said, “The Sikh community is a minority within a minority, but that makes its place even more special because how it is accommodated and its culture celebrated within our society is how we know we are all together in Singapore." "The continued vibrance of the Sikh community demonstrates that very well," the minister added.

The event was attended by over 40,000 people.

He toured the volunteer-driven event, partaking in the community kitchen (langar), and meeting with and addressing the Sikh community. Sikh celebrities from India, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States participated in the Kirtan Darbar.

Amandeep Singh, an Indian-origin calligraphy artist, based in the United Kingdom exhibited his paintings of Sikh Gurus at the event.

Singh, who goes by the pseudonym @Inkquisitive said, “It is the first time the whole community has come together along with the presence of members of the multinational community.” This year’s event celebrates the lives of Sikh Gurus and eminent historical personalities, who embodied the values of universalism and respect for different faiths and in doing so, enshrined this in the Sikh way of life too, a spokesperson for the Naam Ras said.

Non-Sikhs from the multinational Singapore society attended the four-day Kirtan Darbar as well.

"Through this event, we showcase the unique Singapore brand of strong interreligious and inter-ethnic faith values to other Sikhs from around the world,” the spokesperson added.

The event was supported by Sikh institutions, Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Constellar Holdings, the operator of the Expo Centre.