A public reception for Narendra Modi hosted by Singapore’s Indian communities may not get the fawning razzle-dazzle treatment that his other shindigs abroad have received. The prime minister is visiting the city-state early next week to deliver a lecture and sign a document of strategic partnership.

“We are here to welcome the Indian prime minister who is a guest of the government of Singapore,” said Satya Murthy Vamaraju, spokesperson of the Singapore NRI Forum, local organiser of the event. “We would like to clarify that this is not a political event in support of Modi or for the Bharatiya Janata Party.”

The leaders of the Indian diaspora are known for their success in orchestrating public relations extravaganzas around Modi’s various foreign trips. But there might be some restraint at the public reception organised for Modi on November 24 at the Singapore Expo, a sprawling convention centre located near the airport in the eastern part of the city.

The local organisers, many of whom are Singaporean citizens of Indian origin, seem to be following a very cautious line on the subject of welcoming a prime minister from a foreign country even though they claim that no restrictions have been imposed by the local government.

“Both Singaporeans and non-resident Indians are excited about Modi’s visit,” said Biren S Desai, president of Singapore Gujarati Society. “Such excitement is reserved for any foreign dignitary. We hope for better ties between India and Singapore. The Indian prime minister’s visit also marks 50 years of bilateral ties between the two countries.”

Speculation about restrictions

Earlier this month a media report had said that the government of Singapore sought to informally regulate the participation of its citizens of Indian origin at the “Namo In Singapore” event – as the reception for Modi is titled. However, according to a later report, informal restrictions on citizens were reportedly withdrawn recently, with Singapore authorities being persuaded by valued dignitaries of Indian ancestry who held senior positions within the government.

“There has never been any restriction on us by the government regarding the participation of Singaporean citizens,” said Vamaraju. “Both non-resident Indians and Singaporean citizens are also registered as volunteers.”

The website of the Namo In Singapore event earlier indicated that only “non-resident Indians” – that is Indian passport holders, currently living in Singapore under different visa categories – could register online for the event. Online registration is currently closed.

“The website didn’t allow Singaporean citizens to directly register online because of technological issues,” said Desai. “The personal information that was needed for online registration was specific only to Indian citizens. This was addressed later on and online registration was open for citizens as well.”

The particulars of all prospective attendees, including Singaporean citizens of Indian origin, who registered online through the website of NaMo In Singapore were reportedly shared with government authorities by Singapore NRI Forum, said a representative of an Indian association who is also registered as a volunteer at the event.

“The government has laid down certain guidelines that are being followed by organisers,” added Desai. “But these guidelines don’t call for blanket restrictions regarding the participation of citizens.”

Indians in Singapore

The organisers of Singapore NRI Forum said that 13,400 people registered online till November 9. The latest figures were unavailable. The venue has a capacity of 16,000-18,000 people, said Vamaraju.

“More than 500 people registered through us [till early this month],” said a representative of Maharashtra Mandal Singapore, who refuses to be named. “Most of them are permanent residents or employment pass holders in Singapore. Only very few of those registered are Singaporeans.”

Many of India’s regional associations have Indian-born, new citizens of Singapore as key office bearers. Maharashtra Mandal Singapore, for instance, has 700-900 members at any given time, out of whom 10% are said to be citizens of Singapore.

The number of ethnic Indians in Singapore stands at 350,000 out of a total population of 5.54 million, according to the website of the High Commission of India in Singapore. There are another 350,000 Indian passport holders who live in the country under different visa categories, working primarily in software and financial sectors. This figure excludes low wage workers from India.

Singapore’s risk-averse Indians

More than 70 Indian communities have come together with the Singapore NRI Forum to host the November 24 public reception. But none of the associations are willing to advertise their association with the event publicly through their websites. Singapore Telugu Samajam and Global Indian International School are some of these partnering associations of overseas Indians.

“Our role was to share the information about the [Namo In Singapore] event with our members,” said a member of the Singapore Telugu Samajam on condition of anonymity. “We just helped NRI Forum convey their message.”

James Gomez, professor at Bangkok University and a former member of two of Singapore’s main opposition political parties, observed, “The Indian community, in particular new Indian Singapore citizens and permanent residents, are extremely risk averse. They understand they are an extreme minority in Singapore. They enjoy no real political influence vis-a-vis the Chinese political majority.”

The Singapore Telugu Samajam and the Bengali Association Singapore, for instance, reiterated on their respective Facebook pages that “participants [of the event] need to strictly adhere to the local laws and the guidelines issued by the organisers”.

In August, the authorities of Singapore warned overseas Malaysians against organising protests in Singapore to demand the resignation of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Such demonstrations were held across multiple cities in Malaysia, located right across the Singaporean borders.

The Indian prime minister’s hyped global visits have not been without dissent. A coalition of anti-Modi campaigners, called Awaaz Network, recently caught the attention of the world by projecting a massive “Modi Not Welcome” message on the Houses of Parliament in London in the run-up to the prime minister’s visit to the UK. But any controversy surrounding Modi’s visit would be less welcome in Singapore, known for its restrictive laws on free speech and public assembly.