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The Singapore government is forming a new Indian Engagement and Development Initiative (INEI) committee to strengthen the Singapore-Indian identity, coordinate community upliftment efforts and develop youth leadership over the next five years.
This follows a series of engagements and focus group discussions with various stakeholders and community groups, including representatives from more than 150 Singapore-Indian organisations and more than 240 Singapore-Indian youth leaders aged 35 and below, according to a Channel News Asia report on Friday (March 6, 2026).
The INEI committee will be chaired by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai, as well as Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh Vasu Dash, both of whom are of Indian origin.
It will comprise leaders and representatives from Indian community organisations and promising youth leaders, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
“This will be a committee by the community, and for the community,” said Mr. Dinesh, elaborating, “Its aim is to build strong networks across the Indian community, bringing together partners who are already doing good work on the ground.”
An annual INEI forum will be established, with the first dialogue next month, said Mr. Dinesh.
Separately, Baey Yam Keng, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, announced a new Multicultural Arts Programme Grant, saying SGD 20 million will be available over the next five years to support practitioners and organisations developing traditional and multicultural art forms, and promoting cross-cultural engagement through the arts.
The grant will support artists and projects blending elements from different cultures, traditions and disciplines in multi-national Singapore, where Chinese constitute the majority (75% of the six million population), followed by Malays at 15% and Indians at over seven per cent, while the rest are from around the world.
According to the report, the grant could support artists who interweave elements from different cultures and those who wish to develop mastery in art forms beyond their own cultural traditions.
It will also support ecosystem-building activities that strengthen the multicultural arts landscape.
Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo expressed his concern about the decline in cultural activities in parliament on Thursday as he laid out his ministry’s spending plans for the year.
“When I speak with practitioners from our arts and culture groups, they tell me they are starting to notice declining interest among the young to engage in traditional arts. Some youths are trading traditional dance co-curricular activities for contemporary dance styles such as K-pop,” the Channel quoted Neo as saying.
“While I understand the allure of K-pop and K-drama, we also need to retain our diverse traditional art forms and culture that form the foundation of our multicultural identity, and we need to pass these on to the next generation,” he stressed.
After 60 years of nationhood, multiculturalism has become Singapore’s defining trait — but not without some house rules, the report said.
In line with this multiculturalism push, the National Arts Council (NAC), supported by the Ministry of Education, will launch an Ethnic Fusion Dance Programme for all secondary schools from March 2026 to August 2027.
A recent example of cultural fusion was a lion dance performance at a Hindu temple’s inner sanctum as part of a Chinese New Year celebration.
Devotees witnessed an unusual sight at the Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple in the Toa Payoh housing estate last week.
Two pairs of lion dance performers entered the temple to the sound of drums and cymbals and danced before the deities. Shortly after, an ‘abishekam’ (ceremonial bath) was performed on the statue of Lord Murugan. A performer dressed as Caishen, the Chinese God of Wealth, also appeared alongside the lions and handed out sweets to children.
The event was organised by the temple, Lian Shan Shuang Lin Buddhist Monastery, Toa Payoh East Community Club’s Indian Activity Executive Committee (IAEC) and Harmony Circle, as reported by Friday weekly Tabla!
Published – March 06, 2026 01:37 pm IST
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Singapore announces new committee to strengthen Indian community identity
