Gujarati footprint in Singapore’s 200-year journey. ahmedabad news
Ahmedabad: It is believed that the first Gujarati-speaking people to set foot in today’s Singapore were traders who accompanied British officer Stamford Raffles, who wrested Singapore from local rulers and laid the foundation of the city-state in 1819. Parul Trivedi-Shah, in her recently published book, “A Legacy in the Lion City: History of the Gujarati Community in Singapore”, writes that these traders were Parsi employees of Jumsetji Jijibhoy & Company, whose ships plied the Maritime Silk Road.As the book, supported by Singapore’s National Heritage Board, carefully chronicles more than 200 years of the community’s footprint on the city-state, what impresses is the tenacity of the early residents who built businesses, weathered the Japanese invasion of the island, and yet maintained a presence not only in business – their primary specialty – but also in the arts and literature, politics and public life, and education and philanthropy, which are closely linked with Singapore’s history.“I met with elderly community members, acquired historical records, correspondence and old documents to piece together the experiences of early residents – for example, Nagaradas Purushottamdas is believed to be the first known Gujarati Hindu to migrate to Singapore in the mid-1880s. His brothers Vadilal and Ojamshi also joined him in 1894,” says Trivedi-Shah.
200 years of Gujarati heritage in Singapore
Harakhchand Shah’s handwritten notes of 1894 describe the steamer’s route from the east coast of India to Penang in Malaysia and eventually to Singapore, strategically located on the straits linking the ‘spice islands’ to international maritime trade.History also shows that the enterprise transcended the boundaries of religion or caste: from Gujarati Sunni Muslims who arrived in Singapore in 1837 to Dawoodi Bohras in the 1860s and Banias in the 1880s, every community had a role. The Parsis, Muslims, Hindus and Jains who made the island their home base, and the Gujarati community of 4,000–5,000 members today, are a testament to the vibrancy of the culture, celebrate Diwali and Navratri and actively participate in Singapore’s social and political affairs.
200 years of Gujarati heritage in Singapore
Trivedi-Shah says, “Singapore has seen businessman Neil Parekh and academician Professor Kalyani Mehta nominated to Parliament, in addition to a number of prominent doctors, businessmen, artists and professionals, who are gaining prominence in Singapore society. The Singapore Gujarati Society serves as a hub of activities, including organizing community and social activities, while the Singapore Gujarati School teaches the Gujarati language to children.” “Gujarat is the land of lions, and Singapore is known as the City of Lions. Thus, it is a unique blend of beliefs and identities.”
200 years of Gujarati heritage in Singapore