Singapore Hindi Society founder passes away at 83

Singapore, Jan 21 (PTI) Shriniwas Rai, a founding member of the Hindi Society in Singapore and a steadfast champion of Gandhian values, passed away at his home on Sunday at the age of 83, according to a media report on Tuesday.

The former nominated Member of Parliament arrived in Singapore at the age of 10 and went on to study law at the then University of Singapore and built a distinguished legal career that spanned over five decades.

One of Rai’s most enduring contributions was his role in founding the Hindi Society (Singapore) in 1988, and he worked with fellow community leaders to have Hindi recognised as a second language in Singapore’s national education system.

In recognition of his lifelong devotion to the language, Rai was awarded the Hindi Society’s highest honour, the Hindi Ratna, in 2024.

Remarkably, he continued practising law until his final days – never officially retiring, according to an online Indian weekly tabloid.

Born in March 1943 in Kanaicha, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district, Rai’s contributions to the Indian community were far-reaching.

He played a key role in the formative years of the state-supported Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), serving as its secretary and helping lay strong institutional foundations.

Rai also served on the Hindu Advisory Board and other civic organisations.

Appointed as a nominated Member of Parliament (1997–1999), he brought to Parliament a voice of reason, compassion and cultural insight.

He was instrumental in raising issues concerning minority communities, education and cultural preservation.

“I had the privilege of meeting Rai Sahib on many occasions, and was consistently impressed by his impassioned yet objective approach, his forward-looking perspectives and his thoughtful insights,” said Mahendra Prasad Rai, president of The Hindi Society (Singapore).

“These qualities left a lasting impression on all who interacted with him.” “Despite his many leadership roles and professional achievements, Rai remained a simple, humble and unassuming person, deeply respected for his sincerity and quiet grace. A steadfast champion of Hindi, he devoted himself to preserving and promoting the language as a vital expression of cultural identity,” the weekly had MP Rai as saying in a report on Tuesday.

As chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, Rai was instrumental in preserving and revitalising the iconic Race Course Lane site.

Working closely with the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), he helped transform the building into the SIFAS Annexe – ensuring the Mahatma’s ideals of service and non-violence lived on.

K V Rao, president of SIFAS, said: “He was a true Gandhian in thought and action. He quietly slipped a donation cheque into my pocket and said, ‘You all are doing a good job.’ That was Shriniwas Rai – always kind, always generous, always helpful.” Friends and colleagues remember him as calm, thoughtful, and deeply wise – a “statesman without pretence” and a “scholar with humility”.

His scholarship extended to his love for the Hindi language and his cultural curiosity. One of his proudest works was a book exploring the linguistic connections between Hindi and Malay – a testament to his belief that languages are bridges between communities.

Rai is survived by his wife Ratneshwari Devi, son Satish Rai, daughter Suchitra Rai, son-in-law Dhruv Jain, and granddaughter Dishani Rai Jain.

His son Satish, himself a lawyer, described his father as “a wonderful father and teacher… always there for us, and always helping the downtrodden”.

In the words of former civil servant, diplomat, businessman, and community leader Haider Sithawalla: “Shriniwas Rai was dedicated and humble. He lived by Gandhian ideals and was always ready to talk to people – especially the underprivileged.” PTI GS GSP GSP