Lessons from the citystate’s thoughtfully designed and inclusive social care initiatives for the differently abled

It is a wellworn stereotype that because Singapore, with a population of a little over five million, is scarcely the demographic size of a municipality in India, it is easy to “get things done” in the citystate.

To an extent, it is true that “diseconomies” of scale — exacerbated by corruption and discrimination — in the subcontinental behemoth of a nation that is India make it harder for even wellintentioned government policies to work effectively. But there is something to be learned from the sheer focus and exceptional institutional design of social care policies in Singapore, especially when they serve as examples of creating sustainable social impact by harnessing the power of technological innovations.

On a recent visit to Singapore, I met with representatives of a range of social care institutions that seek to bring material, practical improvements to the lives of the most vulnerable communities there, including the differently abled; and organisations that think long and hard about how to adapt to the changes and challenges of the 21st century.

Some of these are backed by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), an institution supported by the government but with an independent mandate to manage projects in the arts, entrepreneurship, public health, and sustainability spaces across 28 countries and tapping into a support base of over 5,500 volunteers from Singapore across the public and private sectors.

Tech for inclusivity

Consider, for example, the case of an incredible support community for the differently abled, situated in the heart of Singapore, called

Enabling Village. SG Enable, a focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, works in this thoughtfully designed, technologyenabled setting to ensure that persons with disabilities can live, learn, work, and play in an inclusive society.

From wheelchairs that resemble miniature spacecrafts and offer a mindboggling range of technological enhancements to sensitively curated ambiences for libraries, cafes and other common areas keeping in mind the needs of persons with neurodivergence, Enabling Village creates equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Take the case of Edric Wong, a participant of SG Enable’s Institutes of Higher Learning Internship Programme. To him, the agency was among his university life’s “biggest cheerleaders and mentors”. “It has helped me unlock many opportunities in my career and upgrade. Gaining experience from three internships was the biggest testament to that,” he says.

Confidence via art

The campaign to give everyone, including the differently abled, a fair chance to experience a decent quality of life doesn’t end with the basics of mobility and access in Singapore. Rather, the goal is to facilitate their enjoyment of the arts, leisure and sport.

This is where an organisation such as ART:DIS, formerly known as Very Special Arts Singapore, comes in. ART:DIS is a leading nonprofit dedicated to creating learning and livelihood opportunities for persons

The electoral bond, like yoga and zero, is one of the great innovations of Indic genius — it’s our gift to human civilisation. Sadly, the judiciary and the media have turned it into a joke.

The other day, for instance, we were driving through Lutyens’ Delhi on our way to dropping a visiting friend at his hotel. As we turned into a treelined avenue with beautiful mansions on either side, Kattabomman piped up. “Papa, who lives in these houses?”

“Rich people with tonnes of money,” I said.

“You mean, people who buy electoral bonds?”

“What?” I was zapped. “Who told you about electoral bonds?”

He wouldn’t answer. I looked at his mother, and found her diligently avoiding my eyes. My suspicion was confirmed soon enough.

Spreading disaffection

As we approached Janpath, we saw barricades. I slowed down and asked one of the constables why they had blocked the road.

“Koi foreign prime minister aa raha hai,” he said.

“You are going to catch him?” our friend wanted to know.

As the cop gaped at him, Wife quipped from the backseat, “Don’t let him leave India until he buys electoral bonds.”

“Both of you, stop it!” I said. “If this was America, the cop would have asked you to step out of the vehicle and lie flat on the ground before arresting you and putting you in cuffs.”

“Really?” Wife said. “On what charges?”

“Spreading disaffection by mocking electoral bonds,” I said.

Seriously, it’s appalling to find all kinds of busybodies — people with no idea of India’s ancient traditions of extortion and bribery — pontificating on electoral bonds. What’s galling is that none of them could even tell you the difference between bribery and extortion.

Subject of Vedic debates

In fact, who has a right to bribe and extort, and who doesn’t, was one of the hottest debates among Vedic jurists. According to Jaitleyashastra, the canonical with disabilities in the arts, by organising art programmes, projects, collaborations, exhibitions and performances.

During a visit to the brightlycoloured and meticulously organised studios of ART:DIS, I witnessed the profound impact art can have on those with autism, for example. Engaging with art can help mitigate some of the more complex personal and emotional challenges that they face. A particularly inspiring moment was when a group of students from neurodivergent backgrounds taught some of us visitors special artistic techniques they had perfected even as they worked collaboratively and as a community supporting one another.

“I am given the opportunity to create pieces I never thought I legal treatise dating back to 2017 BCE, it is prohibited for commoners to offer or receive bribes, and the punishments prescribed include freezing of their bank accounts to 27 degrees. But the king, however, has the right to seek bribes as well as extort donations. The Chanda Purana states categorically that it is part of a businessman’s dharma to donate regularly to the king. would make. The things taught during foundation class are being applied to open studio and vice versa,” says Nurul Natasya, ceramic artist at ART:DIS. It is that opportunity to be a member of the mainstream of Singapore’s art community that is truly valued by ART:DIS students, including Annette Soh, who says it has helped her gain “recognition to be a trainable person [and] more confident as a potter”.

Reimagining waste

Innovation at an institutional level in Singapore focuses not just on improving the lives of people directly at the micro level but also includes macro environmental concerns — seen as critical to the very survival of an island nation, at risk of the deleterious effects of

Any businessman or trader who fails to voluntarily make generous donations is subject to raids by the ED wing of the King’s Guard.

It is, however, the 6,000yearold Hafta Samhita that first distinguished between bribery and extortion — a distinction that is still followed in modern jurisprudence.

Bribery, according to the Hafta Samhita, is when someone pays

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A teacher at ART:DIS with a student; and (far left) a young artist with Down Syndrome assists with a hip-hop workshop for children.

global warming and rising sea levels.

The guiding philosophy is that every action, no matter how small, matters to the big picture. Consider, for instance, the waste sector, particularly food waste. Singapore’s cost of living is notoriously high in part because most retail food products are imported, though social enterprises such as City Sprouts work on rejuvenating urban communities by nurturing green oases amidst the glassandconcrete jungle.

An organisation called MoNo seeks to bring about a fundamental change in consumer mindsets regarding foods past their bestbefore dates that are still safe for consumption. It does so by diverting food from the bin or incinerator and redistributing it to a community supporting the vulnerable, including migrant workers, students, the elderly, and lowerincome families.

In India, where there is an unmeasured amount of food waste on a daily basis, such innovations could bring about a dramatic reduction in waste. I can vouch that neither the taste nor the quality of products such as the chocolate cookies from MoNo was any less than what would be available off a “normal” store rack.

There is much by way of institutional learning that Singapore’s experience could offer to other countries. Already some of these learnings are being transmitted to partner organisations in India in joint projects with the

SIF. After all, what counts most at the end of the day in assessing the global potential and prowess of a nation is the way it treats its most vulnerable. a king’s official for preferential or “better than fair” treatment. The giver and the taker are equal participants. Extortion is when a king’s official seeks a donation using the threat of harm or unfair treatment. Here, the king’s official is the active agent while the payer is a coerced respondent — classified as ‘victim’ in today’s jurisprudence. Significantly, all the three — Jaitleyashastra, Chanda Purana and Hafta Samhita — are clear that bribery and extortion are legal so long as they fall within the dharmic morality of the parties involved. That’s why they are immoral practices for ordinary people like you and me but kosher for our rulers — be they politicians or businessmen.

As the great Indic text on good governance, The Bond Sutra, puts it, “O Partha, happy are the businessmen for whom purchase of electoral bonds comes naturally, opening the doors to heavenly riches. If, however, thou doth not performeth thine religious duty of donating to the king, then wilt thou incur the wrath of the central agencies and people shall speaketh of thine infamy.” (Vol 2, Chapter 4, verse 27, translated by Monika).

Given the weight of historical and textual evidence that points to extortion and bribery being a part of our parampara, it’s astonishing how deeply — and uncritically — we have imbibed western prejudices about them. I still have fond memories of my school days in Kolkata when, around Durga Puja, gangs of hooligans from The Party would aggressively knock on our doors and demand chanda for Durga Ma. We would happily donate — who wouldn’t, for their beloved deity?

Electoral bonds are nothing but an avenue — duly anonymised for the shy ones — to express one’s love for the king, who is but an instrument of god on earth. Those who have money buy electoral bonds; those who don’t, vote.

Sure, this means the king might listen more to the moneygivers than the votegivers, but who said

the world is fair?

the author of this satire, is Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

G. Sampath,