Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Professor Tommy Koh launching the book, ‘India on our Minds’.  They are joined by Professor Tan Eng Chye (extreme left), Mr Max Phua (second from right), and Mr Hernaikh Singh (extreme right).

Photo: Courtesy of NUS

Singapore looks forward to working closely with India at the bilateral and India-ASEAN levels. “As Singapore commences our term as coordinator of ASEAN-India dialogue relations next year, we look
forward to deepening the partnership between ASEAN and India.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made these comments during the launch of the publication, India on Our Minds, at the University Cultural Centre at the National University of Singapore on 7 December 2020.

“Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Act East’ policy expresses his intention to unlock India’s full potential through greater openness and integration with the region … We held the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, and adopted the Delhi Declaration”, said Mr Lee.

PM Lee also expressed his hope that India will revisit the merits of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He stated, “India was on the minds of all the negotiators throughout the RCEP process, right till the very completion.” He added that the door will always be open to India.

On the publication, PM Lee stated that the “… collection of essays offers readers insights into India’s history, culture and future, from the lens of a small country that has a vested interest in India’s success.”

Published by homegrown international publisher World Scientific, the book documents the reflections of 51 of Singapore’s thought leaders on India and India-Singapore relations. One of the writers is Singapore’s Senior Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a person who is admired both in Singapore and in India. Said Mr Max Phua, Managing Director of World Scientific,

“It is World Scientific’s great honour to be the publisher of India on our Minds … This volume of essays on various aspects of Singapore’s relations with India – past, present and future, and our reflections on India, shows how closely interlinked both countries are and the deep respect we have for each other.”

The book also includes a foreword by Emeritus Senior Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, and essays on Nalanda University, Amaravati, India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

The Prime Minister stated that the “book is a timely reminder that to Singapore, India will always
remain a valued friend and partner”, adding that these sentiments are reciprocated by the Indian side.

India on Our Minds retails for S$28 in paperback and S$39 in hardback (before GST) at major bookstores, distributors and online. eBooks of the publication are available on Kindle, Kobo, GooglePlay, and eBooks.com, To know more about the book visit https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/11944.

Article credit:  ISAS (Institute of South Asian Studies)