| Singapore | 8 April 2016 | Asia Samachar |
The Sikh community has contributed much to Singapore and Sikh women here have made great strides and excelled in many walks of life, said Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah.
Speaking on Saturday at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Istri Sat Sang (ISS) Singapore, the Women’s Wing of the Sikh community, Indranee said the Sikh community may be relatively smaller than other communities in Singapore but it is a community that is extremely lively, vibrant and rich in culture, heritage and tradition.
“Having Sikhs among us has enriched our society, our culture and our heritage. The community has made tremendous progress over the decades and is an integral part of multi ethnic Singapore.”
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Congratulating the ISS on reaching an important milestone, Indranee noted these celebrations were important for several reasons.
“Firstly, it serves to celebrate the dedication and commitment of all the women who played an important role in the establishment and subsequent growth of ISS. Secondly, it is an important opportunity to share its history and development with the younger generation of Sikh women in particular and Sikhs in general. It will allow current and future generations to understand the important role played by Sikh women in the socio-cultural and religious realms of the Sikh community in Singapore.”
Jagir Kaur, chairwoman of the ISS, elaborated on the role of the organisation in her remarks: “Over the 70 years since its inception, ISS has played an important function to Sikh women in Singapore. It has organised numerous programmes in the pursuit of its mission.
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“Focusing on the religious, social, cultural and humanitarian realms, these programmes and initiatives have enabled ISS to establish itself as an important women-member group within and outside the Sikh community.
“As a platform for Sikh women to network, socialise, build social support structures and practice their religious and traditional values, ISS has been unprecedented in its reach and relevance to Sikh women here.”
Lauding the ISS for the central role it played as a social platform for Sikh women in the early days of Singapore’s modern history, Indranee acknowledged that like the rest of society, the role of Sikh women has changed over the last 50 years.
“Sikh women have greater access to education now and are participating more in the workforce than the generations before them, their networks and social circles are more diverse, and include many non-Sikhs… Against the backdrop of rapid economic development and a more educated younger generation, as more Singaporean Sikh women join the workforce, the profiles and needs of the younger Sikh women have also changed.”
Indranee also launched ISS’ logo at the gala dinner at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel and presented signed copies of the 70th anniversary tribute publication to sponsors.
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