'I want to do it full justice,' says young Hindu picked to engage pontiff

It is not unusual to find a Catholic getting excited about Pope Francis' upcoming visit to Singapore, but one Hindu - 28-year-old Shukul Raaj Kumar also cannot wait to create a beautiful moment with the pontiff.

- Wong Pei Ting

His opportunity will come on Sept 13, when he shares the stage with the Pope. Mr Shukul was handpicked to be part of a small panel of young people who will engage the Pope at an inter-religious meeting at Catholic Junior College.

The event, which takes place on the final day of the Pope's 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, has been described by some observers as the most unusual item on his threeday Singapore itinerary. It will be attended by more than 600 participants, with the majority being young people from more than 50 schools and interfaith and religious organisations.

Mr Shukul understands he was picked because of his contributions to interfaith dialogue in Singapore and abroad. Now serving as the chief coordinator of the InterReligious Organisation's youth wing, which has 134 young people from 10 religions, he continues to advocate for interfaith engagement and understanding.

Mr Shukul- an assistant manager in SGTech, a trade association for Singapore's tech industry - recalled the moment in late July when he received news about the opportunity. First came shock, a rush of gratitude, then pressure. "It is a huge honour and, of course, I want to do it full justice," he told The Straits Times.

Behind this pressure is also a quiet knowing that no amount of preparation will be enough for a moment like this.