Singapore’s Little India is a miniscule of the vast Indian Sub-continent.
The pattern of living here resembles that of modern India and yet significantly different from the squalid Indian ‘ethnic’ kampung (village) of the colonial days.
‘Little India’ is a diminutive term designed to preserve and contain its Indian ethnic past, treated by the state as a multicultural public space catering to the gaze of tourists and Singaporeans of all ethnicities.
In reality, it is a shopping precinct on Serangoon Road, where one can find a wide range of shops and businesses dealing in all kinds of Indian products, flowers, spices and foods. The area also accounts for Temples, Gurdwaras and Mosques.
This is where most of the migrants from India lived in the early colonial days.
Significant role
The Indian community has played a significant role in the historical, economic, cultural and political development of modern Singapore. From plantation workers and construction labourers, moneylenders and merchants to businessmen, teachers and professionals, Indians who have carved out their niche since 19th Century.
With an Indian population of about 500,000, Singapore is one of the most popular destinations for Indian tourists and businesspersons.
There has therefore been a need to showcase the origins, trades, culture and heritage of the Indian community.
Foundation ceremony
Construction of the Indian Heritage Centre and the foundation ceremony held on April 10 received enthusiastic and warm response from all the communities in Singapore
Speaking at the Ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said, “The Centre will offer an immersive and interactive experience for all visitors, through multimedia displays which contain images and interviews, guiding devices tracing key migration patterns.
Located at the junction of Campbell Lane and Clive Street Heritage Centre will be a four-storey structure, covering about 3000 Square metres.
Estimated to cost S$12 million, it would account for five permanent galleries, small-scale museum facilities, space for various activities and a rooftop garden.
Silver Jubilee
Mr Shanmugaratnam said that the Centre will be inaugurated in 2015, as a part of Singapore’s 50th anniversary.
“It will look like a shining jewel in the day and a welcoming glowing lantern in the night. The Location will give visitors an insight before venturing into the distinctively charming streets of Little India to experience a living culture, tangible and intangible,” he said.
The Centre will showcase trades and culture of early Indian settlers and their links to the global Indian Diaspora. It will feature a mixture of modern and traditional Indian architectural elements, an educational component and exhibitions focusing on community participation.
Undoubtedly, the Centre will add to the expansive tourism infrastructure in Singapore, providing another iconic heritage location, which tourists can use as a reference point to understand better the cultural milieu of the Indians and the heritage of Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious society.
Dr V Subramaniam is our Singapore Correspondent. He is seen here at a flower stall. The other picture depicts an Indian Spice Shop in Little India, Singapore.
