India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on Sunday joined the elite club of Singapore christened ‘Friends to our Shore.' So far only four world personalities are members of the coveted club. The club is in memory of their contribution to shaping the contemporary world history and their strong connection to Singapore.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, now on a two-day bilateral visit to the city-state, formally unveiled a bust of Nehru at a special function on the banks of the Singapore river. Nehru visited Singapore thrice and the first was in May 1937 as part of his pan-Malayan tour.
A brain-child of the Singapore National Heritage Board, the marker reinforces the historic Indian connection in Singapore where the Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose took birth.
The other four markers are located in the name of Polish-English writer Joseph Conrad (2004); Father of modern Vietnam Ho Chi Minh (2008); Filipino revolutionary leader Jose Rizal (2008) and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (2010).
Chairperson of the National Heritage Board Ong Yey Huat said each of Nehru's three visits “contributed to the growing friendship between our two countries... We hope that with this marker, the longstanding friendship between our two nations and our heritage institutions will continue to grow from strength to strength.”
