Establishing strong buy-in from small minority communities by building cohesive state and minority Identity: the Singaporean Sikh

Abstract

Unlike many countries, Singapore is a rarity for having developed closely linked minority and national identity. This paper will study the Singaporean Sikh community to uncover how the state has crafted a strong buy-in from minority communities. The paper will explore reasons behind Singaporean Sikhs strong ethnic identity that complements their national identity. It will first account for the reasons behind the strong identification of ethnic and national identity by the Sikh community. Thereafter, the paper will use the ‘model minority’ narrative to display how the state has carefully used it to create a link between both identities and craft a complementary ethnic and national identity amongst Sikh Singaporeans. Such complementary identity creates strong minority buy-in. Importantly, the paper will compare the above to the case of Sikhs in Britian to highlight the importance of a cohesive national identity built on shared historical contributions. Through a study of secondary research and qualitative interviews, this paper adds on to the limited literature of Sikhs in Singapore and provides a comprehensive understanding of identity within the community.