Singapore’s Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle (IRRC), which publishes an annual calendar reflecting the religious diversity in Singapore, missed out mention of Sikh gurdwara in its 2014 calendar, according to a letter to Singapore’s Straits Times.
“The IRRC Calendar 2015, in conjunction with SG50 celebrations, showcases the ethnic foods of the various communities in Singapore. For the month of April when Sikhs celebrate Vesakhi, the food featured is hot cross buns,” Manmohan Singh said in a letter to the Singapore newspaper.
The date in the calendar for Vesakhi was also wrongly indicated as April 15, 2015, he added.
“Such misunderstandings at the IRRC level should elicit a serious review at the ministerial level; a survey should be done to identify the level of inter-racial understanding among Singaporeans and an action plan proposed to address the issues identified,” he wrote in the letter published on Dec 29, 2014.
SG50 is a nationwide effort to celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday this year. The republic gained independence when it left Malaysia in 1965, just two years after joining the federation.
TO READ THE LETTER IN FULL, GO HERE.
