Tycoon and philanthropist Hardial Singh Bajaj was posthumously awarded the lifetime achievement honour and inducted into the Indian Hall of Fame Singapore (IHFS), alongside 17 others at the Singapore Recreation Club on May 25.
Mr Hardial, who died in 1967 at the age of 62, was a renowned merchant and community leader in Singapore during the country’s formative years.
Award organiser S.A. Nathan, who is also a former editor of the Indian Movie News magazine, said Mr Hardial’s legacy remains influential within the Indian community.
“Our community still benefits from Mr Hardial’s hard work and charitable nature. It is due to his efforts that we have a building (Indian Association in Balestier Road) for all Indians, regardless of linguistic or religious identity,” he said. “It was, and still is, an association for Indians to join without needing any other identity marker.”
The IHFS, established in 2019, recognises Singapore Indians who have made significant contributions across various fields. To date, the council has held three rounds of selections for its hall of fame, inducting 120 people.
The inaugural batch was announced in 2020, when former President S.R. Nathan was posthumously inducted. Selections are made every two years.
Born in Khangadogran, a village near Lahore in present-day Pakistan, Mr Hardial came to Malaya in 1911 at the age of six, when his father opened a provision shop in Kuala Lumpur.
In 1934, he ventured to Singapore with his brother, and set up a business dealing in textiles and food items. Their firm, Gian Singh and Company, located in Battery Road, served as a departmental store and living quarters.
Supporting the battle for independence from colonial rule, Mr Hardial served as minister for trade and supplies in freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose’s shadow cabinet. He endured torture from the Japanese occupiers for supplying essentials to British prisoners in Changi Jail.
Institutions that benefited from Mr Hardial’s philanthropy over the years include the Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Guru Nanak Sat-Sang Sabha and the then-Nanyang University.
“When asked for the keys to his success, he often said everything comes from serving pious individuals,” Mr Hardial’s great-grandson A.J. Singh Bajaj said in his speech.
Bodybuilder S.K. Ramachandran was another posthumous award recipient during the event.
Having mentored athletes such as Tan Howe Liang, who won a silver medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Mr Ramachandran died in 2017 at the age of 90.
“Eager to empower youths, he trained me and several others during my time in wrestling,” said IHFS committee member M. Letchmanan.
Other inductees on the night included current and former athletes Shanti Pereira, U.K Shyam and Roy Krishnan, along with healthcare pioneers Dr Uma Rajan and Dr V.P. Nair.
A former director of eldercare at the Ministry of Health, Dr Rajan, 84, is also known for implementing the health booklet (record system) for students in the 1980s.
She said: “Many of us are not spurred by awards to do good work in society. Nonetheless, I’m elated to be honoured among great achievers from the Indian community.”
