India-Singapore Relations: Time to move beyond Infrastructure and Finance?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Singapore on the 23^rd November for a State Visit to Singapore in a longer follow up visit to earlier on this year when he visited the island city state to join other world leaders after the founding father of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew passed away. The general discourse around India-Singapore relations is a prosperous Singapore as an investor in a booming BRIC country market. This narrative driven by the business media is however under-nourished. The Singapore Model of Development pioneered by the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew which brought the city state global fame in transforming itself from ‘The Third World to First World’ has undoubtedly inspired the 100 Smart City program of the Modi Government. The new Greenfield capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amravati is being designed by Singaporean Urban Planners and has cemented the relationship of Singapore as a symbol of urban excellence¹. Singapore is the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment in India² and testament to this unique fact is the recent visit of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and a team of bankers including the Managing Director of the State Bank of India to lure institutional investors in to India. The commercial relationship is a deeply symbiotic one. State Bank of India and ICICI Bank along with others have retail banking licences in Singapore.

Many Indian Start Ups move to Singapore for easier access to capital and regulatory clarity. In the past Spice Group moved base to Singapore. Singaporean Water Technology Major Hyflux has picked up Desalination Projects in Modi’s Gujarat; Singaporean Banks and Sovereign Wealth Funds are increasing their investment footprint in India. Hyderabad based Environmental Infrastructure group Ramky maintains parking lots as a Facilities Management firm all over Singapore.

These examples are however fleeting reflection of the Singapore-India Relationship which shares a deep historical diasporic bond. Singapore is home to a large minority of people of Indian Decent with Deepawali a public holiday and Tamil an official language. There is a significant presence of minsters of Indian decent in the Singaporean Cabinet including Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanamugaratnam. The Indian expatriate community makes its presence felt from blue collared work to the heads of Multinational Corporations including the CEO of DBS Bank, Piyush Gupta, a former Indian National.

The truth is India does not give Singapore the same diplomatic attention as the USA, UK or Canada where there are similar large Indian diaspora communities. Singapore was the first country to embrace enthusiastically India’s ‘Look East Policy’ in the early 1990’s with then Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong visiting Narsimha Rao and his ministerial team.

Last week, the Chinese President visited Singapore to mark 25 years of diplomatic relations and signed a range of agreements including the third joint industrial park in western China and macroeconomic agreements³. Singapore is majority ethnic Chinese but its relationship with China is layered. Singapore has been an ally of the USA from the Cold War era and has hosted American Military Ships in the past. Pragmatic Singaporean policy has nurtured a close relationship with China from the 1970’s since Chairman Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore and opened up the economy after visiting it. The writer does not sense the same intensity in the relationship between India and Singapore at the diplomatic level. The gap however is more than adequately filled up by Indian community organizations and people to people contact. The same story is repeated in Oman, where I grew up.

The Narendra Modi visit has generated a lot of buzz among the Indian Community in Singapore, with community organizers taking the lead to arrange for the logistics for his ‘Madison Square Garden’ style address at the Singapore Expo⁴. However, only Indian Nationals are encouraged to attend the event as per media reports.

The major language in the Indian diaspora here in Singapore is Tamil and with Narendra Modi’s predisposition with Hindi, how much of it cut will ice with the same community that he is attempting to touch base with, is of question at the present juncture. There has also been a contradictory voice in the Singaporean media in the run up to the visit when Indian American Academic at the National University of Singapore Prof Mohan Jyoti Dutta wrote an opinion piece in the Straits Times on the contemporary politics of identity based on beef and the crackdown on activism in India in the present Modi regime⁵.

“The violence on the margins of Indian society is accompanied by the quick spread of a chilling climate, with a number of prominent rationalists being attacked and/or murdered, allegedly by right-wing religious groups.”

Increase the Soft Power Lens

Singapore is a major mercantile port hub in Asia and a few months back an Indian Coast Guard Vessel on a South East Asia goodwill tour docked at Changi Naval Base, with many of the young sailors in white seen shopping in the Little India Area in Singapore. India competes for influence in the South East Asia region with Asia, where China has a natural advantage with influential diaspora communities who are better connected to structures of power. India’s engagement with Singapore and the region is more effective at an informal business and community level. The overseas Indian Intelligentsia is based here in Singapore with plenty of think tanks at the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University focused on research themes based on India such as Institute of South Asian Studies. Thousands of Indian Students study in Singapore, and some of them will head back to India to work with the knowledge imbibed in Singapore. Indian Films and TV series have been shot in Singapore since the 1960’s including the Hrithik Roshan starrer ‘Krrish’ which had frames shot in the Business District in Singapore. Indian films both Tamil and Hindi are screened in theatres here as soon as they are released in India, and run to packed houses. The extent of cultural inter-weaving is dense, and the key pillar in the Singapore-India relationship.

The writer hopes that this state visit by Prime Minister Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi would take the Singapore-India Relationship deeper by engaging the non-elite diaspora who send back remittances and leveraging common areas of strength such as a shared understanding of culture missing from the realpolitik world of diplomacy.

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‘Singapore: A Portrait in Diversity Photo Book Launch’ – a Slice of Multiculturalism in Singapore

Tom Soper and Ethos Books Publisher

AKM Mohsin, Tom Soper and Manishankar (Right to Left)

In keeping with the ongoing SG50 Spirit, a Photo Book by British Photographer Tom Soper was released last evening at the National Library Building on Level 16 at The Pod, with glitz and glamour. The Photo Book features 50 distinct portraits of expatriates from 50 distinct countries who call Singapore home. The contributors featured were as diverse from a Danish Triathlete cum Lawyer to a Kazakh Harpist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The expatriates were from very small countries to India. The photo book was alphabetically nomenclature from A to Z and neatly packed in 50 amazing human narratives. The spectrum of profiles was rich and effort was put by the author was intense in order to capture stories, not easily seen or heard in the mainstream media. One such story was my friend Mr. AKM Mohsin, the Editor and Publisher of Banglar Kantha, representing Bangladesh. Banglar Kantha is the only Bengali Language Newspaper in South East Asia and serves as a platform for migrant literature and culture tucked away at a prominent intersection in the Little India area.

The evening was rainy and humid in Bugis when the evening kicked off as we moved in the elevator to Level 16 escorted by a Ethos Book Staff (the publishing company) who was rather curious to know in which language I was chatting away. I was speaking in Bengali. We entered The Pod and to our surprise,welcomed with a goody bag, and some bruschetta and white wine, which confirmed the comfy, high society milieu of the book launch.

Tom Soper, the author was smartly dressed in a suit despite his jet lag from London, having landed in Singapore the same afternoon. He seemed to be chatty, trying his best not to show nerves. A few of the guests, purchased copies and I was delighted to have it autographed by Tom addressed to my wife and me.

There were a few contributors of the book present at the Book launch, making the setting for this rarified evening rather cozy affair. After a few rounds of drinks, the packed seminar room aggregated to fill the seats as the formal event kicked off with the Publisher of Ethos Books introducing the concept and the struggles of printing such a novel work. Tom spoke after that thanking everyone behind the book and explaining his side of the creative challenges and the vision behind the book. He thanked his house help for helping out his family so that he could have the time to dedicate to the book project. A rare moment of humility in the rather narcissistic world of competitive art.

The Q&A session was lively as it touched upon issues of artistic dissonance.

One of the audience was pertinent; Why are all the portraits of the same socioeconomic strata?

Tom, acknowledged that there is a paucity in the diversity as far as the socioeconomic strata in general in the book, but he had featured a domestic help from the Philippines.

Mr. AKM Mohsin was specially mentioned for his activism with the Bangladeshi Migrant Community in Singapore.

Tom has since moved back to the UK where is exploring a similar work in England celebrating the diversity of his forty thousand strong town in this zeitgeist of anti-migrant sentiment. As he said “Watch the Space”

An initiative which commends diversity in Singapore is simply worth acknowledging as Singapore has been a migration magnet over the centuries with people coming to this island to find their fortunes.As a migrant myself I can second the sentiment as Singapore has given me a voice, an identity to vouch for.

Photos Courtesy : Lopamudra Chakraborty Prasad

Conversations with Cabbies: Social Policy Insights

Cabbies or Auto rickshaw drivers from Mumbai to Singapore are the most politically aware and erudite socio-political commentators that one can find as they truly have their ears to the heartbeat of the communities they drive in and unfortunately they are the most undervalued group in the urban ecosystem.

The point of contact/interface between infrastructure and transport policy, local law and order and the community, the entrepreneurial cabbie is a business on wheels. The chatty cabbie is usually interested in a good conversation and passing on his contact details (old school business development ) at least in India and the Gulf, in order to source for a long term ‘Bhada’ or a ride-rent in Mumbai Taxi wala lingo so that he does not have to seek out the retail costumer.

The well informed cabbie with tabs on the pulse on the ground is usually the person with the accurate grapevine regarding illicit activities, election trends or everyday activities in an area. I wonder sometimes, why does not the transport and urban planners of the world, not elicit feedback from these smart men regarding traffic density and other cues while designing, evaluating and planning urban infrastructure. Well, they are a tribe that are highly adaptable as any transport policy change and business model disruption (Think Uber and Radio Cabs) impacts these folks the hardest. The radio cabs have crippled the traditional Black and Yellow Cab (the legendary Kala-Peela) service that is unionized to a former shadow of past, a past where they ruled the roads of Mumbai. Or maybe the Mumbai Taxi wala did not change to the wind of the times. The newer radio cabs are more comfortable than the older ones.

About two years back, I had written two inspiring conversations with two cabbies and one auto rickshaw driver in Mumbai, regarding developmental politics and education as a social elevator. One of the Taxi Uncles I interviewed had a son who went to IIT Kanpur and then IIM Ahmedabad, and ran a private cab service, in addition to driving one himself.

Entrepreneurial cabbies cab earn more than hand to mouth as one Taxi Uncle in Singapore quipped because of the various peak hour, midnight and city area surcharges, but for that a cabbie has to drive for twelve to fourteen hours a day. Older cabbies can’t earn that much as it does not physically permit them to drive that long hours. In Singapore, driving a cab is often a post retirement job (or when you are out of work to pay the bills), and it takes time for the Uncle to learn the ropes, as I recently met a Taxi Uncle who retired a few months back. Recently, a wise 62 year old ex-business owner Taxi Uncle a few days back discussed Singaporean resilience over the next 50 years in the ride back to Clementi from the central part of the island city:

“Singapore money very strong; Hospitals also run like company. All Indonesian Chinese go to Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Got lot of money. Mount Elizabeth Hospital aka MEH is also called the ‘Most Expensive Hospital’. Singapore General Hospital or Super Good Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital as ‘Ticket to Heaven’ Hospital.”

The cost of Healthcare and Living is an undercurrent in the conversations here. A lot of educated folks drive cabs in both cities, which give an insight in to the kind of elitism which excludes people from white collared work. A similar emotion is articulated even in Mumbai. Human experiences have a universal connect concerning survival and aspirations. The same socio-economic strata often migrate overseas to do blue collared labour in the Middle East and South East Asia. A fortunate few drive cabs in Dubai and New York, if they can find visa sponsorship.

I have had the most interesting conversations about the September 11^th Singapore Elections with Taxi Uncles. I am always asked where I am from and what do I do here, and do I plan to settle down here. An important concern of the times we reside in, I understand.

Someone should do an ethnographic study of the taxi driver community. It will surely lead to some interesting insights. I love the music they play in the cab. Once a taxi driver Punjabi aunty was playing the latest Bollywood tracks, and I felt emotionally transported as if I was in Delhi.

With the era of driverless cars dawning in the next few years, will a huge swathe of people already disenfranchised by the service economy lose their jobs? A point to ponder upon indeed.

Paris, Mumbai, New York….. : Lives Lost and Lessons not Learnt

People die, become heartbreaks

People mourn, the next tragedy occurs

the past incident, the casualties become statistics

Academics and analysts research it in to a case study

All the Parties, invisible or visible

‘Non State Actors’ or Terrorists, boils down to suffering on both sides

And the media waits for the next news cycle

The politicos for the next election

The kin of the deceased the next meal……

New York. Mumbai and now Paris; violence has no geography. Let us not vent our anger due to the fear of small numbers now. Peace, Empathy and Understanding is what we need now. Prayers with Paris. Violence spills from the Levant to the streets of Paris. Occupation of Grozny leads to massacres in Moscow, and similarly the Kashmir Valley leads to blood spilt in South Bombay. Destruction of Iraq and Syria led to the migration crisis. Facebook launches a empathy filter. Where was the filter for Beirut, Baghdad or Lagos?

Where is this heading to? Inevitably, to the next round of drone attacks.

The Subaltern speaks to the Cultural Elite: Migrant Poetry at SWF 2015

Yesterday (8th November 2015) was a watershed afternoon for migrant literature in Singapore and South East Asia. The afternoon kicked off by Banglar Kantha Poets practicing by reciting poetry at Dibashram-Banglar Kantha premises. Then, as a cavalcade the Banglar Kantha Poets and volunteers with the community pioneer Mr. AKM Mohsin, the panelist for the Migrant Poetry Event at the Singapore Writers Festival started for the Arts House. The man who started Banglar Kantha a decade back, is the catalyst for many cultural interventions in the Singaporean Literary Landscape. The crew took the 147 bus, alighted four steps later from Rowell Road next to the Parliament and the Supreme Court, walked in to the august environment of the Arts House, in to the seminar room where we settled in. Mr. Shivaji Das, travel literateur and co-panelist in the event and esteemed debate moderator Mr. Alvin Pang, made the seminar room a cultural space to contend with.

The Singapore Writers Festival lending a voice to the cultural aspirations of the Bangladeshi Migrant Worker Community, is a recognition that the marginalized are finally gaining a foothold in the mainstream. The event yesterday afternoon started with five migrant poets (nurtured with Banglar Kantha Literary Forum support and resources) reciting their poetry of migrant angst and experiences.

Babu Bhai, Shihab Bhai, Mohar, Liton and Mahbub performed their poetry to the applause of the over flowing seminar room. The theme resonated with the refined crowd of intellectuals. After the performances, there was a panel discussion probing myriad aspects on poetry written by the migrant community with Mohsin Da and Mr. Shivaji Das, moderated by Singaporean Poet Mr. Alvin Pang.

The panel discussion focused on the motivations of migration poetry of the workers and the Migrant Workers Poetry Competition last year and also the upcoming event on December 13th. Both Mohsin Da and Mr. Shivaji are co-organizers of the event, which has expanded its footprint to various languages this year.

The audience questions touched upon critical themes of the Little India Liquor Ban and who is defined as a migrant? The cross-sectional audience raised the bar of the conversation to a different level. Many uncomfortable issues were broached; due to which the space for holistic understanding expands. The privilege which poetry as an literary art form accords.

This event expanded the discursive space for the migrant in Singapore by bringing forth the migrant voice in the discourse on ideas. This initiative fosters greater understanding and integration with the Singaporean core, a term popularized with the recent elections . This is indeed

The Panel Discussion on Migrant Poetry with Mohsin Da and Mr. Shivaji Das on Migrant Poetry

Mohsin Da’s and Banglar Kantha’s contribution to the Singaporean core.

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