50 Years of Indian Community in Singapore

From Tamils to Malayalees to Bengalis to Punjabis, the diverse Indian community in Singapore has played a large part in building the country. To understand the Indian community, one has to understand certain basic facts about them. First is their love for culture which transcends religious and linguistic differences. Some of the best classical Hindustani singers are Muslims. The best Malayalam singer of Hindu religious songs is a Christian. Second is their love of debates. Argument is part of Indian tradition because of the belief that truth can only be arrived at only by vigorous debate. The third characteristic is the community's respect for education. Hindus, who form the largest group among the Indians, perhaps have the only surviving "Goddess of Knowledge" in their pantheon of deities. The fourth characteristic of the Indians is their religiocity: they take their religious duties and seriously and perform them regularly. This celebratory volume highlights the progress, the contributions and the challenges of the community for the past 50 years since Singapore's independence in 1965. While the community is now in a secure and happy position, there are challenges going forward. The next phase of growth will be knowledge based, and the focus will be on education and training, particularly training in the latest technology.