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Racist posts target Indians in Singapore; home minister condemns 'snake, black magic, paratha' remarks
Singapore's home minister K Shanmugam noted that anti-Indian racist content surfaced online, including references to “snakes, curry, black magic, and parathas.”
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Singapore's top leadership, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, has issued strong statements following racist comments that reportedly surfaced online after the deadly Nepal-Tibet flash floods and the Singapore Airlines-Air India partnership.
Speaking to the media, Singapore's home minister K Shanmugam said, “There is news that Air India will seek fresh equity from shareholders like Singapore Airlines. That has given rise to anti-Indian racist ranting online. For example, references to snakes, curry, black magic and parathas.”
Furthermore, the minister emphasised that overseas social media accounts are fanning racism against Indians in Singapore.
"It is noticeable that of late, there have been more racist comments, particularly when it comes to Indians in Singapore. Some of them have originated and have been fanned from overseas," Shanmugam said.
"We are a very small, multiracial, multi-ethnic country. If we are divided along racial or religious lines, we will lose the unity that has made Singapore strong. There will be feelings of ill will, suspicion," he added.
Police investigation into racist comments online
This comes after Shanmugam had earlier said that officials are investigating "shameful" racist online comments about the Nepal-Tibet disaster and Singapore Airlines' (SIA) investment in Air India.
The senior minister condemned the remarks as "shameful, nasty, and totally unacceptable," noting that media outlets had to pull down several comments.
"The media tells me that they had to remove several comments because they were so nasty. I don't know if all the comments are all made by Singaporeans. But I will say this – the comments are shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable," Channel News Asia quoted Shanmugam as saying.
He added, “I have asked police to look into these comments.”
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‘Uglier side emerge online’ - What Singaporean PM said
In a post on Facebook, the Singaporean PM stressed that while robust debate is encouraged, legitimate discussions must never serve as a cover to fuel prejudice or hostility against any community or foreign nationals. He also highlighted that "an uglier side" of online discourse has surfaced.
Furthermore, Wong warned that these toxic sentiments cannot simply be dismissed as "harmless online chatter".
"Unfortunately, we have seen an uglier side emerge online. After the devastating floods in Nepal, racist comments were made about Singaporeans who remain missing. More recently, questions about SIA’s investment in Air India have been accompanied by anti-Indian abuse," Wong noted.
"We can and should have robust debates. But we should never use seemingly legitimate arguments as a cover to fuel prejudice against any community or hostility towards foreigners," he said.
"These views do not represent Singapore. But neither can we dismiss them as harmless online chatter. If such behaviour goes unchecked, it can become normalised, deepen mistrust between communities, and pull us apart," the leader added.
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'Deeply troubling': Lee on racist comments directed at our Indian community
Singapore's senior minister Lee Hsien Loong termed the anti-Indian abuse as "deeply troubling."
Extending his condolences to families grieving losses from the devastating floods, he stated that disasters call for compassion and solidarity.
The minister, in a Facebook post, urged Singaporeans to reject hatred and stand united across race, language, and religion.
"The recent floods in Nepal have left many families grieving. My deepest condolences go to all those who have lost loved ones, and to everyone affected by this tragedy. At times like this, our response should be compassion and solidarity. It is deeply troubling to see racist comments and hateful remarks directed at our Indian community in the wake of the tragedy," the post read.
"It is equally troubling when legitimate issues for public discussion — like Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India — are distorted or exploited to stir vicious racial, anti-Indian resentment," the leader added.
"Let us all reject hatred, support those who are mourning, and stand by one another regardless of race, language or religion. It is at times like this that we realise the full meaning of the words of the National Pledge, and how important it is for us to make every effort to live up to these ideals," he said.
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Demographic context in Singapore
Singapore has a population of over six million, comprising roughly 75 percent Chinese, 15 percent Malays, 9 percent Indians, and other nationalities, according to news agency PTI.
