The Sikh community in Singapore may number just in thousands, but it is by no means obscure, thanks to the several high-profile Sikh professionals, businessmen, sportsmen and armed forces personnel who have made a name for themselves and contribute meaningfully to the island nation.
Among the earliest recorded Sikhs in Singapore was Bhai Maharaj Singh, who, along with his disciple Khurruck Singh, had been deported to Singapore as a state prisoner in 1850 for his role in the Anglo-Sikh wars. It was in 1881, after the setting up of the Sikh Police contingent in Singapore, that Sikh migrants started arriving in large numbers. The importance and presence of the Sikh community in the country can be imagined with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam joining the Sikh community recently to commemorate the centennial celebration of the Silat Road Sikh Temple (SRST), highlighting its “special place” in Singapore’s history.
Tharman unveiled a mural that depicts the history of the gurdwara and the Bhai Maharaj Singh Memorial over the years, capturing its links with the Straits Settlement Police Force. He said the gurdwara was founded to serve the first wave of Sikhs who were brought to Singapore by the British colonial government in the early 1880s to serve as policemen.
“Since its founding a century ago, the temple has been a steadfast symbol of the Sikh faith and culture,” the president said in his speech.
“It has also long had special significance as home to the memorial for Bhai Maharaj Singh, the revered Sikh freedom fighter against British colonialism in India who was exiled to Singapore as a prisoner and died in captivity here. Yet it is a matter of pride not just for Sikhs, but for all of us as Singaporeans, that the faith and culture of the Sikhs – a minority within the Indian minority – continues to thrive in our country,” he said.
“We are a place where people of all races and religions can practice what they hold, while interacting freely with each other and contributing to Singapore’s progress. Where the majority community does not seek to dominate over the minorities, or elbow them out of public life… where the minorities do not merely see themselves as minorities, or live in their own spheres, but seek to contribute to the broader Singapore community,” the president added.
The temple has a storied history. It officially opened in 1924, two years after the purchase of the land where it currently stands at Jalan Bukit Merah. It was the first gurdwara in Singapore, and its architecture included a traditional Sikh dome.
The temple continues to provide religious activities to the devotees and runs a significant community kitchen that operates seven days a week. It was particularly active during the Covid-19 lockdowns, serving thousands of meals a day to people of all races.
“Over the years, the temple has been instrumental in fostering understanding of the Sikh community and its traditions, promoting interfaith harmony and serving as a conduit between the Sikh community and the wider Singapore community, thereby making an indelible contribution to inter-religious harmony and nation-building,” said Gurdip Singh Usma, the president of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board.
