Indian-origin Singapore Hindi Society founder Shriniwas Rai passes away at 83

Shriniwas Rai a founding member of the Hindi Society in Singapore and a steadfast champion of Gandhian values passed away at his home on Sunday at the age of 83 according to a media report on Tuesday January 20The former nominated Member of Parliament arrived in Singapore at the age of 10 and went on to study law at the then University of Singapore and built a distinguished legal career that spanned over five decadesOne of Rais most enduring contributions was his role in founding the Hindi Society Singapore in 1988 and he worked with fellow community leaders to have Hindi recognised as a second language in Singapores national education systemIn recognition of his lifelong devotion to the language Rai was awarded the Hindi Societys highest honour the Hindi Ratna in 2024Remarkably he continued practising law until his final days never officially retiring according to an online Indian weekly tabloidBorn in March 1943 in Kanaicha a village in Uttar Pradeshs Gorakhpur district Rais contributions to the Indian community were farreachingHe played a key role in the formative years of the statesupported Singapore Indian Development Association SINDA serving as its secretary and helping lay strong institutional foundationsRai also served on the Hindu Advisory Board and other civic organisationsAppointed as a nominated Member of Parliament 19971999 he brought to Parliament a voice of reason compassion and cultural insightHe was instrumental in raising issues concerning minority communities education and cultural preservationI had the privilege of meeting Rai Sahib on many occasions and was consistently impressed by his impassioned yet objective approach his forwardlooking perspectives and his thoughtful insights said Mahendra Prasad Rai president of The Hindi Society Singapore These qualities left a lasting impression on all who interacted with himDespite his many leadership roles and professional achievements Rai remained a simple humble and unassuming person deeply respected for his sincerity and quiet grace A steadfast champion of Hindi he devoted himself to preserving and promoting the language as a vital expression of cultural identity the weekly had MP Rai as saying in a report on TuesdayAs chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Rai was instrumental in preserving and revitalising the iconic Race Course Lane siteWorking closely with the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society SIFAS he helped transform the building into the SIFAS Annexe ensuring the Mahatmas ideals of service and nonviolence lived onK V Rao president of SIFAS said He was a true Gandhian in thought and action He quietly slipped a donation cheque into my pocket and said You all are doing a good job That was Shriniwas Rai always kind always generous always helpfulFriends and colleagues remember him as calm thoughtful and deeply wise statesman without pretence and a scholar with humilityHis scholarship extended to his love for the Hindi language and his cultural curiosity One of his proudest works was a book exploring the linguistic connections between Hindi and Malay a testament to his belief that languages are bridges between communitiesRai is survived by his wife Ratneshwari Devi son Satish Rai daughter Suchitra Rai soninlaw Dhruv Jain and granddaughter Dishani Rai JainHis son Satish himself a lawyer described his father as a wonderful father and teacher always there for us and always helping the downtroddenIn the words of former civil servant diplomat businessman and community leader Haider Sithawalla Shriniwas Rai was dedicated and humble He lived by Gandhian ideals and was always ready to talk to people especially the underprivilegedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever