Eight decades is not merely a measure of time. It is a testament to resilience, faith and the enduring spirit of seva (selfless service), noted the Mayor of Central Singapore District and Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC Denise Phua.
Ms Phua, who was the Guest of Honour at the Istri Sat Sang Singapore’s (ISS) 80th anniversary celebration held at the Singapore Khalsa Association on May 2, added that it is a significant milestone. “Many can start, but few can sustain such an endeavour for so many years,” she said.
ISS is the only formally registered women-led Sikh society in Singapore, which continues to be a space for Sikh women to socialise, learn new skills, and perform prayers as a collective.
The celebratory event drew around 200 attendees, and paid tribute to “the generations of ladies who have lived the principles of seva, sadh sangat and spirituality as a community bound by ekta (unity),” said ISS president Hardip Kaur Gill, 75.
In particular, five former ISS presidents were each honoured with a token of appreciation: Mdm Bilmajeet Kaur, 82, (2003-2005), Mdm Gurnam Kaur, 90, (2007-2009), Mdm Jagir Kaur, 79, (2009-2011 & 2015-2017), Mdm Dalip Kaur, 89, (2011-2013), and Mdm Gurmail Kaur, 84, (2019-2021).
Mdm Bilmajeet’s love for music and musical instruments like the dholki and harmonium led her to join ISS over 50 years ago. She eventually learnt how to play the instruments from the ladies at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara at Wilkie Road.
It was under Mdm Bilmajeet’s leadership that the idea of rotating the executive committee every two years was introduced. Before her, the late Mdm Dyal Kaur served as the ISS president from 1963 to 1980.
“I wanted everyone to get a chance to lead and learn new things,” Mdm Bilmajeet explained.
She also helped to organise community outreach programmes, where ISS members would come together and prepare langar (community kitchen) meals at the gurdwara and then distribute them to the underprivileged.
Such acts of seva were carried forward by her successors, including Mdm Jagir, who was the ISS president during the society’s 70th anniversary in 2016 – another monumental year in which the society’s distinctive pink and blue logo was launched for use on the organisation’s letterheads and other official touchpoints.
“Before the formation of ISS, the ladies were all in the house. They only knew how to make food, feed the family, take care of the kids, and that’s it,” Mdm Jagir said. “Then they got together to share things so each of them could learn from each other.”
ISS secretary, Professor Berinderjeet Kaur, 70, hopes that more young Sikh women will come forward to serve their community through the society.
As a younger member of the congregation, Ms Sharanjit Kaur, 53, a lawyer and chairperson of the Sikh Welfare Council, attributes ISS’s longevity to the women’s camaraderie and community spirit.
“They are a source of inspiration to many of us. They have picnics, and they actually celebrate each other’s birthdays in the gurdwara. They are very young at heart,” Ms Sharanjit said.
