Singapore declared its 200-year-old iconic green open space Padang, as its 75th national monument as the city-state celebrates its 57th National Day. Padang is a site of countless events in the country’s history and from where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave his ‘Delhi Chalo’ slogan in 1943.
Located in the heart of Singapore’s civic district, the 4.3 hectare Padang is the first green, open space on Singapore’s list of national monuments – the highest form of recognition for a structure or site’s significance.
The large field – popular for sporting events such as cricket, football, hockey, tennis and lawn bowling – is one of the oldest open spaces continuously used since the 1800s.
In view of its strong national, historical and social significance, the Padang is now preserved and accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore under the Preservation of Monuments Act, said the National Heritage Board (NHB).
Netaji delivered several speeches to the tens of thousands of INA soldiers and the local Indian population. It was here that he gave the Delhi Chalo slogan, set up the Rani of Jhansi regiment, and called for the total mobilisation of Indian resources to free India from British rule. Just before the war ended Bose established the INA memorial at the southern edge of the Padang.
The 200-year-old Padang joins 74 other National Monuments in Singapore, seven of which are related to the Indian community in the multinational city-state.