ISS-Magazine_v7

Over time, an increasing number of Sikhs made the decision to settle in Singapore. This resulted in the arrival of their
spouses in Singapore. Hailing from India, these women found themselves in a foreign country where they could not
speak the language and had few or no friends and acquaintances. Their boundary was primarily their homes where they
spent time tending to household chores. Many of the male folks took on more than one job, thus being away from home
for much of the day and even night. As such, the women had little or no social interaction with the rest of the community.
After the Second World War, a group of concerned Sikh women came together to form Istri
Sat Sang Singapore (ISS). They wanted to create a platform to bring Sikh women together so
that they could meet and interact with one another. At the same time, they could participate in
religious, social and cultural activities. Oral history reveals that ISS was established at CST on 26
March 1946. It is believed that Mdm Rattan Kaur (mother of Dr Bhagwant Singh, now residing in
Adelaide, Australia) was its first president.
ISS was the only known Sikh-women platform at that time. It naturally became an important
Mdm Rattan Kaur
channel for Sikh women to meet, interact and participate in religious and social activities. Like
Sikh men using the gurdwaras as meeting points to discuss Punjab affairs, among others, Sikh
women also saw ISS as an important platform to meet other Sikh women and to exchange news and developments in
their homeland.
Formalisation and Inauguration
Since its establishment, ISS functioned as an informal organisation. On 17 July 1963, its members held a meeting and
decided to elect an Executive Council. Eleven Executive Council members were elected. This marked the formalisation
of ISS, some 17 years after its establishment.
The members then drew up the constitution and ISS was formally registered as a society on 2 March 1964. The key
appointment holders were:
Mdm Dyal Kaur
President
Mdm Gurcharan Kaur
Vice President
Mdm Kartar Kaur
Secretary
Mdm Surjit Kaur
Treasurer
Its key objectives were:
• To provide religious and educational advancement.
• To provide social and religious activities.
• To hold prayer meetings and organise religious programmes, for example, Sukhmani Sahib (Treasure of Peace).
• To participate and selflessly contribute to gurpurabs (celebration of an anniversary related to the Sikh Gurus’ lives)
at CST.
• To contribute to fundraising efforts in supporting building renovation initiatives not only at CST and Sikh institutions in
Singapore but also at other gurdwaras across the Causeway.
Following its formalisation, ISS became more organised, with regular meetings and election of Executive Council
members, as well as the organisation of a regular slate of programmes and activities.
Mission, Vision and Activities
In an effort to provide meaning and direction, ISS developed the vision of propagating Sikhism and being an active player
in providing support to initiatives at CST and the Central Sikh Coordinating Council.
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