The Indian Weekender - Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Special - 07 October 2022

Friday, 7 October 2022 

Volume 14 / Issue 29 

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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 7 October, 2022 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan in 

Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 

IWK BUREAU 

New Zealand’s first ever 

electorally elected 

Member of Parliament 

and Minister of Indian origin, 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan is the 

Indian Weekender Hall of Fame 

inductee in 2022. 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan is 

the Minister for the Community 

& Voluntary Sector, Minister 

for Diversity, Inclusion and 

Ethnic Communities, Minister 

for Youth, as well as Associate 

Minister for Social Development 

and Employment, and Associate 

Minister for Workplace Relations 

and Safety. 

She has lived and worked 

overseas, and in Aotearoa. Born 

in Chennai, India, to Malayali 

parents, she went to school in 

Singapore, and then moved to 

NZ to further her education. She 

has a Master of Development 

Studies from Victoria University 

and chose to make Aotearoa 

her home. 

After 

graduating, 

Radhakrishnan worked as a 

social worker among the Indian 

community in Auckland. 

She has spent her work 

life advocating on behalf of 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

people whose voices are often 

unheard – survivors of domestic 

violence, and migrant workers 

who have been exploited. She 

has also worked as a policy 

advisor to former Labour MP, 

and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff. 

Radhakrishnan has worked 

with diverse communities across 

Aotearoa. She is committed to 

ensuring that their voices are 

heard in Parliament and that 

they’re supported to thrive. 

For her, politics is about 

choices. She believes that 

decision-making should be 

community-led and should 

lead to better outcomes 

for everyone, not just the 

privileged few. 

On 2 November 2020, she 

was appointed as Minister 

for the Community and 

Voluntary Sector, Minister for 

Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic 

Communities, Minister for 

Youth and Associate Minister 

for Social Development and 

Employment, making her NZ's 

first Minister of Indian origin. 

In a June 2022, she was 

promoted to the cabinet as 

well as appointed as associate 

Minister for Workplace Relations 

and Safety by Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern. 

Radhakrishnan strongly 

believes that everyone – 

regardless of ethnicity, gender, 

sexuality or socio-economic 

status – should have the 

opportunity to live with dignity. 

That means equitable 

access to affordable housing, 

quality education and decent, 

secure work. It also means 

that everyone should feel 

safe both in their homes 

and on the streets. 

In January 2021, 

Radhakrishnan was conferred 

On 2 November 2020, she was appointed as 

Minister for the Community and Voluntary 

Sector, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and 

Ethnic Communities, Minister for Youth and 

Associate Minister for Social Development and 

Employment, making her NZ's first Minister 

of Indian origin. In a June 2022, she was 

promoted to the cabinet as well as appointed 

as associate Minister for Workplace Relations 

and Safety by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 

a Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 

award for public service, by the 

then President of India Ram Nath 

Kovind in a virtual ceremony. 

She is a member of the Asia 

New Zealand Foundation 

Leadership Network, National 

Council of Women (Auckland) 

and UN Women. 

Living in Auckland with 

her husband and two lovely 

rescue dogs, she holds issues 

concerning animal welfare close 

to her heart and she’s a strong 

supporter of dog-friendly 

spaces. She is a proud union 

member.

4 

NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, 7 October, 2022 

Making a difference 

Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

to vulnerable lives 

IWK BUREAU 

social inequities and family violence. 

“With a belief that mass media can 

their ethnicity, age and gender. 

She has also set up a language and 

This year’s Community Service make a huge difference in spreading cultural school at Bhartiya Mandir in 

Excellence Awardee is well awareness, I started my journey of Auckland. “For 13 years, I served as 

known community leader Roopa community development in New Zealand the Education Chairperson of Bhartiya 

Suchdev. 

Speaking to Indian Weekender, 

by hosting Hindi radio and television 

shows some 26 years ago,” she says. 

Mandir,” she says. She runs the weekend 

school as the Education Chairperson of 

Suchdev said, “From India to Auckland, I 

have been keeping my passion to serve 

the community alive following my Indian 

culture and values to give back to the 

society.” 

As a co-founder of Bhartiya Samaj 

Charitable Trust, she has been working 

with communities for more than 25 

years, making a meaningful difference 

in the lives of people of different 

This led to the establishment of Roopa 

Aur Aap (RAA) Charitable Trust, a notfor-profit 

organisation in 2008 that 

fights against domestic violence and 

urge every silent sufferer to break the 

chain of violence and live without fear. 

The organisation worked with a vision to 

restore and enhance the quality of life of 

victims while working to prevent family 

harm in the community. 

Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust. 

She is President of the Urdu Hindi 

Cultural Association and aspires to use 

the two great languages – Urdu and Hindi 

– to bring together diverse communities 

of the Indian Subcontinent. 

Suchdev has been honoured with the 

Queen Service Medal (QSM) and the 

India International Friendship Society’s 

Bharat Gaurav Award in 2016. 

backgrounds in New Zealand. 

RAA has been facilitating mediation, “My vision is to continue to be the 

In her role as a radio and TV host, crisis intervention, legal aid, and carried change in the life of people with my focus commitment to keep serving individuals 

journalist, teacher and community out hundreds of awareness campaigns on the grass roots practice. The impact and communities with the values of 

worker she has strived to serve people in and networking opportunities for people of work carried out by Bhartiya Samaj social justice, inclusion, equality and 

distress –especially those suffering from in crisis and distress, irrespective of Charitable Trust and RAA drives my empowerment,” she adds. 

Staying relevant and vibrant a century later 

DEV NADKARNI 

Auckland 

Indian 

Association Inc (AIAI) is 

this year’s winner of the 

Indian Weekender Community 

Organisation of the Year 2022. 

AIAI is New Zealand’s oldest 

Indian organisation. Formed in 

1920 in the home of an early 

Indian immigrant in Auckland, 

the organisation has grown to 

become the largest among 

Indian organisations in NZ 

with its headquarters, the 

Mahatma Gandhi Centre 

complex in Auckland’s prime 

Eden Terrace precinct, often 

referred to as the “Home of 

the Indian diaspora”. 

The organisation has a 

long and respected history 

of good governance that 

has resulted not only in 

building a strong foundation 

for the organisation with 

excellent infrastructure and 

initiatives for its members but 

also the wherewithal to serve 

the larger community well for a 

long time to come. 

Most recently, during the 

Covid-19 pandemic, AIAI was 

at the centre of community 

service in offering its premises 

and its selfless volunteers to 

distribute food and essential 

goods to the needy in the 

community. 

Run by a large team of eager 

volunteers with an equally 

tireless leadership, AIAI is a fine 

instance of how even a centuryold 

community organisation can 

continue to grow and become 

even more relevant to the 

community it serves. 

Indian Weekender interviewed 

community leader, long-time 

AIAI life-member and current 

President Dhansukh Lal about 

AIAI’s past and plans for the 

future. 

IWK: How has AIAI evolved in 

its involvement with the Indian 

community in New Zealand 

over the past 100 years? 

Dhansukh Lal: Auckland 

Indian Association was formed 

in 1920 with the aim to raise 

issues about discrimination 

against Indians in NZ. 

The aim was also to preserve, 

protect and promote the Indian 

culture, language, arts and 

music in NZ. This still remains 

our main Focus. Our forefathers 

laid the foundations and it is our 

aim to build on that whilst also 

evolving in line with the times. 

One major change from the 

original constitution was that 

in 1971, Mahila Samaj was 

recognised and embedded in 

our constitution. This gave all 

our female members a platform 

to come together, discuss 

issues, have cooking classes, 

women wellbeing and Women 

Empowerment. 

This was a major change 

from the male dominated 

Organisation. 

Today we also have various 

subcommittees such as Senior 

Citizens, Health & Fitness, 

Gujarati School, Catering, 

Mandir Committee, Youth, 

Business and Public Relations. 

We are always working with 

various government agencies 

to bring awareness of issues 

affecting our people such as the 

Ministry of Ethnic Communities, 

Ministry of Immigration, and the 

Police. 

IWK: How has the organisation 

moved with the times to 

stay relevant? 

Dhansukh Lal: We are now 

focusing on giving incoming 

generations a sense of 

belonging and a platform to 

stay connected to their culture 

while being away from their 

motherland. We organise various 

events which brings awareness 

about, Mental Health, Suicide 

Prevention, various health 

related seminars and Women 

Empowerment. Our Mahila 

Samaj also has fundraising 

dinners annually in support of a 

chosen charity. Our Association 

has held various events where 

we have invited dignitaries to 

showcase our culture, language 

and heritage and this has given 

us the leverage to include local 

talents within our membership. 

IWK: How is AIAI changing to 

accommodate the changing 

nature of demographics of 

Indians in NZ? 

Dhansukh Lal: Auckland Indian 

Association was instrumental 

in forming the Auckland Indian 

Diaspora and uniting about 29 

other Indian organisations. 

The aim of this Auckland Indian 

Diaspora was to come together 

for three national events 

annually, which are Republic 

Day of India, International 

Yoga Day and Independence 

Day of India. 

During the Pandemic, with 

the help of the Indian High 

Commission and the Wider 

Indian Diaspora Organisations 

we organised two food 

parcel distributions. We also 

distributed masks and RAT 

kits to the wider community. 

Our Constitution allows anyone 

from Indian Origin to join the 

membership and we already 

have members from quite a few 

different ethnic communities 

actively serving the Association. 

How does AIAI's offering to 

the community differ from 

NZICA's? 

Dhansukh Lal: Auckland 

Indian Association is more 

directly involved with the Indian 

community while NZICA is the 

umbrella organisation which 

supports our activities. 

NZICA is looking at ways 

to get all other community 

organisations to join so that 

they can have a united voice for 

the Indian Community. 

IWK: As President, what are 

your priorities and what initiatives 

will you drive in your 

tenure for AIAI to stay relevant 

to NZ-born youngsters 

of ethnic Indian origin? 

Dhansukh Lal: I endeavour to 

increase youth involvement by 

hosting events that appeal to 

the younger generation. 

With the formation of the 

Centre for Indian Performing 

Arts (CIPA), I aim to showcase 

the Indian traditional and 

classical performing arts by 

tapping into the local talent and 

hosting quality programmes 

for our audience to enjoy. 

This organisation and our 

collaboration with the Mohan 

Nadkarni Foundation, allows us 

to connect with the wider Indian 

community at these events. 

We want to digitalise our 

membership records and 

take better advantage of 

technology to make our 

processes more efficient. 

We are also in the process of 

upgrading our website which 

will also allow members to pay 

their subscription and other 

payments online via the website. 

I am proud to have been given 

this opportunity to lead this 

prestigious Organisation and 

although we were also affected 

by the Pandemic, we still 

carried out the objectives of 

this Association. 

This Pandemic taught us new 

ways of communicating with 

our Communities. 

Our Priest performed All 

our religious activities in our 

Temple and he got this Live 

on our Facebook pages so that 

members could view and take 

part in the various Religious 

activities during the lockdown. 

This shows that our 

membership is embracing the 

changes with the times. We are 

now sending all our newsletters 

via emails rather than physically 

posting the envelopes.


NEW ZEALAND 5 

Dr S Jaishankar attends Indian 

Weekender Hall of Fame 

DEV NADKARNI 

is visiting New Zealand. The 

visit assumes significance as 

India’s engagement in the Indo- 

Pacific continues to grow and 

comes close on the heels of a 

just-concluded successful trade 

delegation to India led by the 

India-New Zealand Business 

Council which included New 

Zealand trade Minister Damien 

O’Connor. 

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, 

India’s much acclaimed 

Minister of External 

Affairs, is in New Zealand this 

week on a five-day visit. As well 

as bilateral meetings with New 

Zealand ministers and officials, 

he will formally inaugurate the 

new Chancery building at the 

High Commission of India in 

Wellington on 9 October and 

attended the Indian Weekender 

Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame in 

Auckland on 6 October. 

Indian Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi has always 

emphasised the important 

role that the Indian diaspora 

plays in strengthening India’s 

international relationships. 

Globally, there are more than 30 

million people of Indian origin, 

with nearly 300,000 of them 

in New Zealand, forming one of 

the largest ethnic minorities in 

the country. 

It is therefore significant 

that External Affairs Minister 

Jaishankar was the guest of 

honour at the Indian Weekender 

Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame, where 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 

was the chief guest, to honour 

and celebrate the contributions 

of Kiwi-Indians to New Zealand 

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian Minister of External Affairs, is in New Zealand 

society. The newly appointed 

High Commissioner of India, 

Neeta Bhushan, also attended 

the invitation-only event, as 

were Mayor of Auckland Phil 

Goff, several government 

ministers and members of 

parliament. 

Speaking to the Indian 

Weekender, Honorary Consul of 

India Bhav Dhillon, who is also 

the founder of the Kiwi-Indian 

Hall of Fame initiative said, 

“I had the opportunity meet 

the Honourable Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi at his residence 

in New Delhi on April 29 this 

year, which is when I requested 

him to attend the Hall of Fame 

and the books launch. It is truly 

wonderful that Honourable 

Minister Jaishankar attended 

it along with his other official 

engagements.” 

A special feature of this 

year’s Indian Weekender Kiwi- 

Indian Hall of Fame event 

is the launch of a couple of 

books about Prime Minister 

Modi’s deep connections to 

communities of people of Indian 

origin around the world. Senior 

officials involved in the launch 

of these books are also here to 

be part of this leading Indian 

diaspora event. 

It is after 31 long years that 

India’s external affairs Minister 

It is truly 

wonderful that 

Honourable Minister 

Jaishankar attended 

Kiwi Indian Hall of 

Fame along with 

his other official 

engagements.” 

- Bhav Dhillon 

The delegation had several 

high-level meetings with 

officials in New Delhi. 

Dr Jaishankar has making 

global headlines in recent 

times for his astute diplomacy 

and leadership. In his long and 

distinguished diplomatic career, 

he has been India’s ambassador 

to the United States, China, the 

Czech Republic as well as High 

Commissioner to Singapore 

and India’s Foreign Secretary 

in New Delhi. He holds an M. 

Phil and Ph.D. in international 

relations specialising in 

nuclear diplomacy. 

He has contributed 

significantly to India’s strategic 

security and economic 

interests and to building the 

country’s standing as a global 

superpower, especially by 

navigating India’s foreign policy 

and international relations 

through serious geopolitical 

challenges in different parts of 

the world. 

Dr Jaishankar speaks English, 

Russian, Tamil, Hindi, Japanese, 

Mandarin and some Hungarian. 

He was conferred Padma Shri, 

India’s fourth highest civilian 

award, for his contribution to 

the country’s international 

affairs. Since 2019, he has been 

India’s External Affairs Minister 

and his work is making a global 

impact reflecting a brave, new, 

confident, India. 

Other than his attendance 

at the Indian Weekender 

Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame, Dr 

Jaishankar also attended a 

breakfast meeting hosted by 

the Auckland Business Chamber 

at the Park Hyatt Hotel and 

bilateral meetings with New 

Zealand ministers and officials. 

Warm welcome to EAM Dr S. Jaishankar and 

High Commissioner of India Mrs Neeta Bhushan 

Your no. 1 choice for over 18 years 

021 686 474

6 

NEW ZEALAND 



‘Made in India’ ship will berth in NZ: Naval Chief 

VENU MENON 

“It is said that oceans 

don’t divide, they unite. 

So, as far as the oceans 

are concerned, India and New 

Zealand are neigbours because 

it is the same waters that wash 

our shores. 

My visit here was to meet 

the NZ Navy personnel, interact 

with them and see how we can 

take the cooperation forward 

in the aspects of keeping the 

maritime domain safe, secure 

and free for everyone to use,” 

said Admiral R. Hari Kumar, 

India’s Chief of Naval Staff. 

Admiral Hari Kumar was 

speaking at a reception hosted 

by the High Commission of 

India at the residence of Bhav 

Dhillon, the Honorary Consul in 

Auckland, on October 1. 

The last Indian ship to 

visit NZ was in 2016, the 

Admiral noted. 

“After that, we also had a sail 

ship visiting Lyttleton, which 

was manned by [two] ladies. 

We couldn’t send a ship this 

year because we had a tight 

programme. But I promise 

you, we’ll have a ship [visiting 

NZ] next year. It will be a ship 

made in India, as part of the 

Atmanirbhar Bharat [Selfreliant 

India scheme] of the 

Prime Minister. 

“We intend to send a ship, 

not just to visit Auckland, but 

Wellington as well, where NZ’s 

Hindi Divas celebrated with full enthusiasm 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

Mahatma Gandhi once said, 

“Hindi ke bina main gunga 

hoon” (Without Hindi, I am 

voiceless). 

And seemingly taking a cue from the 

same, Hindi and Shikshak Diwas was 

celebrated in NZ will full fervour on the 

occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). 

The event was organised by Roopa 

Aur Aap Charitable trust in collaboration 

with Bhartiya Samaj Charitable trust with 

the support of the High Commission of 

India and Urdu Hindi Cultural Association 

of New Zealand at Bhartiya Samaj 

Charitable Trust Hall, Mount Roskill, 

Auckland, on Sunday (October 2). 

The event’s theme was to promote 

Hindi as a language and centred around 

what role a teacher plays as a tutor. 

The event commenced with the 

welcome of chief guest Bhav Dhillon, 

Hon Consul of India in Auckland, who was 

accompanied by his wife, Ruby Dhillon. 

The event saw the presence of 

many distinguished guests, including 

community leaders, scholars, and 

teachers, who came together to mark 

the celebration. 

The event saw guests reciting 

ghazals, shayaris, and poetry that 

was appreciated by one and all. Those 

in attendance included Founder and 

Chairperson of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable 

Trust, Jeet Suchdev; poetess and 

author Dr. Sunita Sharma; community 

leader Roshni Chadha; community 

leader and Justice of Peace Indu Bajwa 

and immigration advisor Nimi Bedi, 

among others. 

Sharing her experience, Bajwa, who 

seat of government is,” Admiral 

Hari Kumar added. 

Welcoming the move, Mr 

Dhillon said: “Events like that 

broaden and deepen the 

relationship we have between 

India and NZ. These visits are 

very important and add to the 

people-to-people friendship 

recited a poem at the event, told Indian 

Weekender, “I liked the idea of having 

such small events which can promote 

the language. 

"They also mentioned publishing a book 

in Hindi with local talent. As a teacher 

and a parent, I believe it’s a collective 

effort to promote the language.” 

She added, “ As parents, we should 

encourage our mother tongue and have a 

language teacher guide creative writing.” 

Another guest Somnath Gupta recited 

his poem, ‘Chehre,’ which was much 

we already have in our 

300,000-strong diaspora.” 

Picking up on the powhiri 

(Maori welcome) accorded 

to Admiral Hari Kumar on 

his arrival in NZ, Minister of 

Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic 

Communities and Youth 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan said: 

“I’m pleased that you had a 

traditional powhiri or welcome, 

and were welcomed into 

Maori culture, because that 

means a fair bit here. There 

are values that link us as well, 

values around Manaakitanga 

or hospitality, as is said in Te 

Reo Maori and Atithi Devo 

Bhava in India. 

“The oceans, as you 

“We are a small 

country. We have 

small military forces. 

We rely on our friends, 

and India is one of 

those friends… NZ is 

a small player, we are 

a small country. But 

I think everyone here 

will agree [that] we 

have big hearts. And 

we share the same 

values that India does, 

and we value that 

relationship,” 

mentioned, connect us. And 

above all, I feel, it’s our people. 

Because we have five per cent 

of NZ that’s made up of New 

Zealanders of Indian origin, all 

of us. And I feel that, above 

everything, is the incredibly 

strong connection between our 

two countries.” 

appreciated by those in attendance. 

Regarding the event, Roopa Suchdev, 

CEO of Roopa Aur Aap Charitable Trust, 

said, “The event was to promote and 

acknowledge our mother tongue Hindi. 

Agar hamari bhasha nahi to hum nahi or 

matrabhasha nahi to hamara astitva hi 

nahi. Hum ek bejan pathar hai. 

"If we do not have a language, we can’t 

survive, and if we don’t have our mother 

tongue, we have no existence. We are 

like stone.) Therefore, it is imperative 

to have such events and keep our Hindi 

language alive and thriving.” 

One of the guests, Naresh Kumar, 

called the event ‘absolutely amazing.’ 

Since the event was held on Gandhi 

Jayanti, it also acknowledged Mahatma 

Gandhi’s birthday and Lal Bahadur 

Shastri’s birthday and paid tribute to 

them for their sacrifices for the country. 

The event concluded with a delectable 

dinner and guests mingling with each 

other in a relaxed set-up. 

There is much in terms of 

Indo-Pacific security that the 

two countries have in common, 

the minister noted. 

Mr Dhillon then informed 

the gathering that the Indian 

High Commission Second 

Secretary, Mr Manoj Kumar 

Sahu, bore greetings from the 

High Commissioner, Smt Neeta 

Bhushan, who had “touched 

down in NZ” barely hours ago. 

Simon O’Connor, National 

Member of Parliament 

from Tamaki, was then 

invited to speak. 

“We are a small country. We 

have small military forces. We 

rely on our friends, and India 

is one of those friends… NZ is 

a small player, we are a small 

country. But I think everyone 

here will agree [that] we have 

big hearts. And we share the 

same values that India does, 

and we value that relationship,” 

O’Connor said. 

The evening closed with 

Akhilesh Menon, Defence 

Adviser of the Government of 

India for NZ (based in Canberra), 

requesting Admiral Hari Kumar 

to hand over souvenirs to the 

hosts, Mr and Mrs Dhillon, as well 

as to Minister Radhakrishnan 

and MP O’Connor. 

The event was to promote 

and acknowledge our mother 

tongue Hindi. Agar hamari 

bhasha nahi to hum nahi 

or matrabhasha nahi to 

hamara astitva hi nahi. Hum 

ek bejan pathar hai. If we 

do not have a language, we 

can’t survive, and if we don’t 

have our mother tongue, 

we have no existence. We 

are like stone.) Therefore, it 

is imperative to have such 

events and keep our Hindi 

language alive and thriving.”


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Seeking divine blessings 


The Bengali community in Auckland 

came in huge numbers to 

participate in the grand Durga 

Puja celebrations in Onehunga. 

Probasee Bengali Association of New 

Zealand organised the three-day event 

from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, 

October 2, at NZ Athia Trust Hall. 

The décor and ambience of the do truly 

transported one back to the traditional 

Kolkata-style celebration of the biggest 

festival of the Bengali community. 

The 31st NZ Sarbojonin Durgotsav 

saw more than numerous community 

members gracing the event. Interestingly, 

in the last 31 years that Probasee has 

been organising Durga Puja, there has 

been one common factor: the same 

priest named Debes Bhattacharyya has 

been conducting it successfully, and this 

year was no different. 

“Probasee welcomed Maa Durga 

with utmost love, frolic and 

devotion. Our three-day event began 

with our quintessential Agomoni 

(awakening) programme, which was 

based on ‘Akaal Bodhon’. 

This signifies the worship of Durga Maa 

in the month of Ashwin, an uncustomary 

time for commencement of the worship, 

“said Probasee’s General Secretary, 

Shopan Dasgupta. 

On Friday evening, ladies dressed in 

their ethnic best took up their rolling pins 

to dish out ‘Luchis’ (puri) for the crowd. 

Saturday evening saw kids performing 

energetic performances, which were 

enjoyed by one and all. 

The final morning consisted of little 

ones honing in on their artistic abilities 

through traditional activities to celebrate 

Durga puja back home. Another highlight 

of the last day was a glamorous 

fashion walk where participants of 

all ages showcased their exquisite 

traditional attires. 

“We ended our event with the 

Dashami Puja followed by a traditional 

‘Dhunuchi Naach’ - Flashmob by us 

and our sister organisation, which was 

an absolute delight for everyone in the 

crowd,” said Dasgupta. 

He added, “After two years of 

everyone’s life having changed 

permanently due to the pandemic, 

it was indeed very challenging yet 

refreshing and rejuvenating to organise 

and celebrate Durga Puja this year with 

our members together.” 

The event was also graced by many 

dignitaries, including Hon Consul of 

India in Auckland Bhav Dhillon, Swami 

Tadananda of Sri Rama Krishna Vedanta 

Centre and Jeet Suchdev of Bharatiya 

Samaj, among others. 

Mr Suchdev, who has been visiting 

Durgapuja for Puspanjali for the last 

two decades, felt nostalgic. He said, 

“It makes him feel nostalgic, as he 

remembers his past in West Bengal.” 

Mr Dhillon mentioned that he loved the 

energy around and was seen relishing the 

Prasadam. He tweeted, “Blessed to be 

invited for auspicious divine celebrations 

and partook traditional Bengali lunch in 

Onehunga Auckland.” Even the guests 

couldn’t stop gushing about the event 

and how it was organised. 

“Coming to such cultural 

events is a great way to keep 

our children in touch with 

their culture. It is incredible 

to see them continue 

this tradition of a great 

celebration even away from 

our home country, “says 

Sriparna Mitra, a guest. 

“It was great to be part of such a 

celebration. The idea of hosting such a 

big show is to ensure the community 

enjoys the same enthusiasm for Durga 

Puja as it is celebrated in Kolkata, West 

Bengal, India. I felt truly blessed,” said 

Debasmita Ghosh, one of the attendees. 

Another enthusiastic performer said, 

“Coming to such cultural events is a 

great way to keep our children in touch 

with their culture. It is incredible to see 

them continue this tradition of a great 

celebration even away from our home 

country, “says Sriparna Mitra, a Kiwi 

Indian who attended the event with her 

two sons, aged six and eight.

8 

NEW ZEALAND 

Homage paid to 

Gandhi at iconic 

statue site in 

Wellington 



VENU MENON IN WELLINGTON 

Braving inclement weather, 

dignitaries and community 

members gathered under a 

tent to commemorate the 153rd birth 

anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and paid 

tribute to the apostle of non-violence in 

the shadow of his statue in Wellington 

on October 2. 

The statue, that was installed outside 

the Wellington Train Station in 2007, 

was garlanded and flowers were placed 

at its foot. 

Welcoming the assembly, Indian High 

Commission Charge d’Affairs Mukesh 

Ghiya acknowledged the role of the 

Wellington City Council in co-hosting the 

event as well as the support extended 

by universities, Indian community 

associations and various charitable 

groups. 

The United Nations acknowledged the 

relevance of Gandhi’s contribution by 

declaring October 2 as an International 

Day of Non-violence, Ghiya noted. 

He recalled Gandhi’s call for peaceful 

resistance against discrimination 

and injustice at a public meeting in 

Johannesburg in South Africa in 1906. 

Satyagraha became a powerful tool 

of civil disobedience and non-violent 

resistance in India’s struggle for 

Independence. It had a profound impact 

on other political leaders such as Martin 

Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela. 

Ghiya referred to New Zealand Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern’s tribute 

to Gandhi at the recent UN General 

Assembly. “For me, there are three 

aspects of Gandhi’s message that carry 

particular weight: tolerance, equality and 

the sanctity of non-violence,” he quoted 

Ardern as saying. 

In 2007, then Governor General Anand 

Satyanand joined Wellington Mayor 

Kerry Prendergast and Indian High 

Commissioner K.P. Ernest in unveiling 

the bronze statue of Gandhi, made by 

Indian sculptor Gautam Pal, which is now 

an adored landmark of Wellington, Ghiya 

added. Ghiya concluded his address 

with a reference to the newly-appointed 

Indian High Commissioner to New 

Zealand, Ms Neeta Bhushan, who will be 

presenting her credentials on October 4. 

"Mayor 

Andy Foster 

invoked Gandhi’s 

belief that “non-violence 

is the greatest force at 

the disposal of mankind. 

“Mahatma Gandhi told us 

that ‘You must be the 

change that you wish 

Mayor Andy Foster 

invoked Gandhi’s 

belief that “nonviolence 

is the 

greatest force at the 

disposal of mankind.” 

“Mahatma Gandhi 

told us that ‘You must 

be the change that you 

wish to see in the world’,” 

Foster added. 

Former Governor General 

Anand Satyanand highlighted the role 

of then Indian High Commissioner 

K. P. Ernest in installing the Gandhi 

statue in Wellington City in 2007. 

Anand, who originally hails from Fiji, 

noted the absence of a Gandhi statue 

in the Fijian capital of Suva, although Fiji 

had more people of Indian origin than did 

New Zealand. “[This] shows, I think, the 

special privilege that we have as New 

Zealanders in hosting the statue. I want 

to say, however, that Gandhi is revered 

in Fiji to a huge extent.” 

Satyanand recounted how, in the 

early 1900s, an indentured labourer 

named Totaram Sanadhya secured his 

freedom, went back to India and wrote 

a cogent account of the treatment that 

indentured labourers were subjected to. 

This came to the attention of Gandhi, 

who dispatched Reverend C F Andrews 

to Fiji. Andrew’s report was instrumental 

in introducing legislation in 1920 that 

ended indenture permanently. 

The former governor general hailed 

“Gandhi’s espousal of education”. 

Gandhi saw education as going beyond 

mere literacy. He viewed it as the “all 

round drawing out of the best in man, 

women and child, in body and spirit,” 

Satyanand said. 

Deputy Prime Minister Grant 

Robertson reminded the audience that 

the cause of peace and justice remained 

constantly under threat. He said the war 

in Ukraine “challenges us all deeply to 

uphold the spirit of peace and justice 

for all who lived anywhere on our planet. 

The Mahatma said war is not a morally 

legitimate means of achieving anything 

permanent.” 

Robertson said, quizzically, that “this 

week in New York, a quite remarkable 

thing occurred. And that was that the 

Mahatma spoke to the United Nations 

General Assembly.” It was done via a 

hologram, he explained. The hologram 

was developed in India using artificial 

intelligence (AI). 

to see in the 

world.” 

Robertson underlined the importance 

of incorporating Gandhi’s lessons 

of peace and non-violence in school 

education. Dean of Diplomatic Corps 

Ahmad Salem Alwehaib described 

Gandhi as an icon of peace. “We must 

agree that peace was the foundation 

of all cultures,” Alwehaib said. He 

expressed his admiration for Prime 

Minister Ardern as a role model of peace 

and harmony in the aftermath of the 

Christchurch mosque attack. He closed 

with a quotation from the Quran: “We 

have made you into nations and tribes 

that you might know one another.” 

Narendra Bhana, president of the NZ 

Indian Central Association, noted that 

Auckland was yet to succeed in installing 

a Gandhi statue similar to that in 

Wellington and requested Mayor Foster 

to put in a word with his counterpart 

in Auckland. Mahamandaleshwar 

Paramhans Swami Maheshwananda 

from Yoga in Daily Life emphasised the 

oneness of humankind. 

This was followed by a chanting of 

Gandhi’s favourite Gayathri Mantra, 

followed by a hymn, by Meena Ben 

Bhagwan Das from Gayathri Parivar. 

Delivering the vote of thanks, 

Naginbhai Patel, founder and honorary 

chairman of the Pujaya Mahatma Gandhi 

Birthday Commemoration Committee of 

New Zealand, traced the history, and his 

role, in how Wellington got its Gandhi 

statue. The dignitaries posed for a 

photoshoot in front of the statue before 

dispersing.


NEW ZEALAND 9 


Celebration of any Indian festival in 

a foreign land and trying to keep 

the authenticity is not easy. 

But Nandan NZ, a Bengali cultural and 

community organisation that recently 

held its three-day Durga Puja celebration 

in Auckland, managed to transport 

one back to the authentic Durga Puja 

celebration in India. 

The celebration of the largest festival 

of Bengalis took place from 30th 

September till 2nd October at the 

Blockhouse Bay Community Centre. The 

event hosted several activities, pujas, 

cultural programmes and lunch/dinner 

for the devotees. 

“It was a dream come true to 

celebrate Durga Puja in Auckland at a 

huge scale with such authenticity. For 

Bengalis especially, no matter where 

we are physically, the heart and mind 

always wander in our homeland during 

this time. Be it the sound of dhak as 

well as the fragrance of dhoop and 

dhuno...the entire aura beckons you to 

a completely different heavenly world,” 

says Swastika Ganguly, one of the 

General Secretaries of Nandan NZ. 

Since Durga Puja across the world 

is always incomplete without cultural 

performances. 

And that was also the case with this 

celebration. “Like previous years, we 

endeavour to ‘connect’ the Bengali 

and non-Bengali community socially 

and culturally on one platform on 

the occasion of Durga Puja with live 

singing, dance, recitation and drama 

performances. Our Puja was open to all. 

Revelling in the magic of Durga Puja 

Our stage was for the people, of people 

and by the people where there was no 

barrier of caste-creed, colours, religious 

or political ideologies,” says Ganguly. 

There was an about 500 people 

on each day of the celebration. The 

colourful traditional attire of the guests 

exhibited enthusiasm for the biggest 

festivals of the Bengali community. 

The highlight of the second-day 

cultural event was the staging of 

Nandan NZ’s annual drama Dampotti 

(the couple), which was enacted by 

several organisation members and 

directed by Ganguly. 

Day 3 culminated with a special offering 

of Ashtami Puja, where all the devotees 

had Flower-offerings (‘Pushpanjali’) as a 

traditional ritual. 

The PujaPuja continued during the 

day. In the evening, it was completed 

with a traditional send-off to Goddess 

Durga towards the abode at Kailash to 

her home by offering vermillion (‘Sindoor 

Daan’) by the ladies in beautiful Red 

Sarees. 

“The celebration was 

the reflection of the 

quintessential Bengali love 

of art, culture, music, dance 

and meeting people for 

fun and good times, with 

devotion and prayers to 

Goddess Durga. We had a 

great time.” 

The Bengali community in Auckland, 

too, relished the magic of Durga puja 

in a small yet significant manner last 

weekend. 

One of the attendees, Dyuti Banerjee, 

shared her sentiment, saying, “It was a 

lovely celebration. I had a lovely time at 

the Nandan Puja. The atmosphere was 

festive and colourful.” 

Another guest Amartya Sen said, 

“The celebration was the reflection 

of the quintessential Bengali love of 

art, culture, music, dance and meeting 

people for fun and good times, with 

devotion and prayers to Goddess Durga. 

We had a great time.” 

The visitors and members were 

treated to special meals and delicacies 

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10 

NEW ZEALAND 



Keeping diaspora healthy and fit 

VENU MENON 

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opportunities for its members who are 

keen to play hockey and cricket. 

Based in Kilbirnie, the club currently 

has 411 general members, with 

125 senior players and close to 

100 junior players. 

Next year, the club will host the 

NZ Indian Sports Association’s 

Queen’s Birthday hockey 

tournament in 

Wellington. 

Kiwi Indians from 

across NZ will converge 

in large numbers in 

Wellington to watch 

some of the best 

hockey in the country. 

The WISC gym, the 

club’s primary source 

of revenue, has been 

refurbished over 

the last two years, 

making it earthquake 

proof. Toilets and 

changing rooms have 

been overhauled 

and the old turf has 

been replaced with a 

brand new one. 

The club boasts 

a number of senior 

hockey teams this year, 

with five men’s teams 

and two women’s 

teams. The aim is to 

increase that number 

next year. 

Kishan Naran, 

WISC vice president, 

explained the club 

facilitated hockey 

Kishan Naran, 

playing in the local Wellington 

competition for 3- to 4-year-olds all the 

way up to seniors, as well as the “golden 

oldies” in the over-60 category. 

Over the years, the club has also 

fielded football, cricket and volleyball 

teams, Naran said. 

“At the moment, we have five senior 

men’s hockey teams, two senior women’s 

hockey teams, and we have about 100 

kids in our junior programme,” Naran 

told the Indian Weekender. 

The general members don’t specifically 

play a sport. 

The membership fee is $ 15. “It’s 

really affordable to be a member of our 

club,” Naran added. 

“The golden oldies meet on Saturdays. 

You can book our gym and play six-aside 

hockey,” Kishan pointed out. 

The club puts forward the teams 

to Wellington Hockey, which then 

administers the competition. “We 

normally play all our games at the 

Newtown complex.” 

Coaching is provided for the juniors, 

from 3-year-olds all the way up to 

13-year-olds. 

While the club’s core membership is 

Indian, other community members are 

also signing up to join. Any famous 

names coming out of the club? 

“ Umesh Parag, who was a Black Sticks, 

went to the 2004 Olympics. Mitesh Patel 

went to the 2004 Olympics and the 

2006 Commonwealth games. Husmukh 

Bhikha is another Olympian who played 

hockey at the 1984 Olympics. We also 

have Rajesh Ravji who represented NZ in 

Tae Kwon Do.” 

The club is gearing up to celebrate its 

90th anniversary in 2025.


NEW ZEALAND 11 

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NEW ZEALAND 



12 

Honouring the best of the best 

IWK BUREAU 

The Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame 

honours and recognises the 

achievements of individuals who 

contribute to the development and 

progress of the larger NZ community. 

It is undoubtedly the biggest formal 

event of the Indian diaspora in NZ. 

The Hall of Fame award began way 

back in 2013 and was introduced 

to recognise the efforts of eminent 

personalities in the Indian community 

and honour them. 

It celebrates a Kiwi-Indian who 

has immensely contributed to the 

development and progress of not only 

the Indian community but also NZ. 

Now in its tenth year, founded and 

hosted by The Indian Weekender, 

the most prominent news and media 

platform for the Kiwi-Indian community - 

is a way of saying our ‘thank you’ to the 

people who have striven hard to succeed 

in their chosen field of work. 

The award is constituted by an 

independent panel of experts/jury who 

invite nominations from the public and 

then select the inductee as per the 

guidelines set by the Jury. 

The list of former Hall of Fame 

inductees is illustrious and includes 

the likes of MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 

(2013), Judge Dr Ajit Swaran Singh 

(2014), Dr Kantilal Naranji Patel (2015) 

and Dr C.S. Benjamin (2016) and Sukhi 

Turner (2017), Dr Sharad Paul (2018), 

Sir Anand Satyanand (2019), Roshan 

Nauhria (2021). 

The Community Excellence Award came 

into existence in 2017, realising a longfelt 

expectation within the community 

of recognising and facilitating some 

of the most dedicated personalities 

who have worked incessantly in 

community service. 

The inaugural edition of this award 

went to Thakor Parbhu Singh, while in 

subsequent years went to well-known 

faces of the community Jeet Suchdev, 

Harshad Patel and Anjum Rahman. 

The red carpet gala event witnessed 

the crème de la crème of the country 

getting a first-hand experience of the 

energy and vibrancy that our Indian 

diaspora brings to Kiwi life. 

The glamour and entertainment 

quotient of this annual event has always 

been the talk of the town months after 

the awards night. 

In 2017, Bollywood heartthrob singers 

Armaan and Amaal Malik and seasoned 

stand-up comedian from India, Amit 

Tandon, had been able to create a truly 

memorable night for those who attended 

the event. 

This overseas star attraction was 

separate from the usual pool of talented 

local artists who delivered high-octane 

performances to keep guests glued to 

their seats. 

The event also has an envious tradition 

of having the country’s Prime Minister as 

the chief guest of the event, along with 

the presence of many key politicians, 

including the Leader of Opposition, 

Mayor of Auckland, Ministers of the 

Crown and Members of Parliament. 

Not to forget, major community 

organisations like New Zealand Indian 

Central Association (NZICA), Auckland 

Indian Association, Indian Association of 

NZ, Shanti Niwas, Bhartiya Samaj, Hindu 

Council, and Punjabi Cultural Association, 

among many others, have been gracing 

the occasion with their presence. 

Every year, the Indian Weekender 

endeavours to step up the benchmark 

for the achievements of the new 

inductees in the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame. 

There was a never-before-seen push 

for achieving high production standards 

of the actual event night with world-class 

audio-visual effects and entertainment 

packages to deliver a world-class event. 

Gujarati school celebrates Mahatma’s Jayanti 


The Gandhi Gruh Gujarati School, 

which is run by the Auckland 

Indian Association Inc (AIAI), 

recently celebrated Gandhi Jayanti with 

great zeal. 

With an audience of over 100 people, 

all the students of the Gujarati school 

performed bhajans, skits, mini-plays, 

and dances at the event that took 

place at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre on 

Sunday (October 2). 

Among the performance, the three 

monkey’s skit performed by the 

youngest children that highlighted 

Gandhiji’s proverb of ‘See no evil, 

Hear no evil and Speak no evil’ left the 

audience asking for more. 

A fantastic dance by the kids on the 

song Pyar Ki Ganga and another dance 

that espoused Gandhiji’s philosophy to 

lead a simple life also enthralled the 

audience. 

The five mini skits showcasing 

women freedom fighters - Jhansi ki 

Rani, Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asif Ali, 

Usha Mehta, and Kamla Devi - were 

amazingly performed by the kids and 

deserve a special mention. 

“The Auckland Indian Association 

has always supported the school to 

celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, and there is 

no better place to do this than at the 

Mahatma Gandhi Centre,” says AIAI 

President Dhansukh Lal. 

Earlier in the day, dignitaries such 

as Hon Consul of India in Auckland 

Bhav Dhillon (who was accompanied 

by his wife Ruby), Harshad Patel, one 

of the Kiwi-Indian community›s most 

dedicated volunteer workers, along 

with Dhansukh Patel and others, paid 

their tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. They 

garlanded the statue of the father of 

the nation situated at the Mahatma 

Gandhi Centre. 

“It was a privilege to pay tribute to the 

father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, 

on his birth anniversary celebrated by 

our diaspora at the Gandhi Centre in 

Auckland,” tweeted Mr Dhillon.



THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS KIWIIINDIAN 

EVENT OF THE YEAR IS HERE 

Thank Thursday, you all our 6 October sponsors 2022, for your 5:30 support pm • in Cordis making Auckland it a success 

S U P P O R T E D 

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14 

NEW ZEALAND 



Flashback of past mom 

Looking back on nine years of the bigg



ents of Pride and Glory 

est event on the Kiwi-Indian calendar

16 

WORLD 



Celebrating India in New Zealand 

India is macrocosm of a plethora of 

different cultures but with some very 

common threads running through 

them throughout the length and breadth 

of the subcontinent: our “Indianness” 

which binds us all as one people. While 

our distinctiveness comes from our 

deep cultural roots, our commonalities 

stem from our readiness to share our 

culture, cuisines and social mores freely 

– creating one great super-culture. 

We have lived with this unique unity in 

diversity for millennia, which is reflected 

in the ancient saying “Vasudhaiva 

Kutumbakam” – the world is but one 

family. In our special Indian Weekender 

kiwi Indian Hall of Fame issue this year, 

we proudly present the unity in diversity 

of Indian cultures and communities in our 

adopted country Aotearoa New Zealand. 

We present some of the Indian 

community organisations of the people 

of Indian origin, though there are 

several more in the country. The Indian 

Weekender editorial team comprising 

journalist Navdeep Kaur Marwah with 

Editor Dev Nadkarni have compiled this 

section over the past one year. 

AKKA celebrates Konkani culture, 

language in Aotearoa 

India is an extremely 

culturally diverse country 

and assimilates so many 

different cultures in itself. 

While some cultures such as 

Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and 

Tamil are more prominent given 

the larger geographical spread 

and the numbers of people who 

speak these languages, there 

are also several lesser-known 

cultures, such as the Konkani 

Culture which runs all along the 

western coastal strip of India. 

Konkani people are an 

Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic 

community who trace their 

history as far back as the 

fourth millennium BC. With 

their population concentrated 

in South coastal Maharashtra, 

Goa, Northern Karnataka, 

Mangalore and North coastal 

Kerala they share their name 

with the coastline and the 

language they speak. 

The Konkani language is 

spoken throughout the western 

coastal belt of India – from 

Maharashtra through Goa, 

Karnataka and Kerala, though in 

distinct regional flavours. 

And since many Indians have 

migrated to New Zealand, there 

is a small yet growing Konkani 

population in Aotearoa and the 

Association of Konkani Kiwis of 

Aotearoa (AKKA) endeavours 

to cater to them. AKKA, which 

is the only association of 

Konkani-speaking Kiwis - was 

established in late 2018. 

Interestingly, the idea to 

have this association was 

initiated way back in 2004. 

Nitin Kundapur, AKKA’s Vice- 

President, gives more details: 

“It all started in 2004 in 

Auckland where a small group 

came together mainly for 

Ganesh Utsav. 

That was the only time 

when families gathered. Most 

families are in Auckland, 

some in Wellington, and a 

handful in Christchurch. 

These gatherings went on 

for a while, and in 2016 a 

need was felt to expand the 

group and make it a formal 

organisation. That led to the 

formation of AKKA.” 

There is only one main wing 

of the organisation, and it has 

a family-based membership 

with a very nominal annual fee. 

What started with 15 families 

in 2016 is now over 40 families 

registered with AKKA. 

AKKA endeavours to keep 

the Konkani spirit alive and 

to pass it on to the younger 

generation. “Our main aim is to 

educate the younger generation 

and encourage them to speak 

and understand Konkani 

and its roots. 

The future generation is 

evolving fast, and knowledge 

of one’s cultural background 

Our main aim is to 

educate the younger 

generation and 

encourage them to 

speak and understand 

Konkani and its roots. 

is essential. India is diverse in 

many ways, and we need to 

provide all possible resources 

to the coming generations, so 

that ethnic fabric and identity 

stay for years to come,” 

says Kundapur. 

Translating their vision into 

action, AKKA organises regular 

community gatherings on key 

festivals such as Ganesh Pooja, 

Choodi Pooja and Diwali. “We 

also have our annual sports 

meet and family picnics. 

Programmes are mainly centred 

around Konkani culture, sports 

and recreation, performing 

arts, etc. The forum is open 

to non-members, and all are 

welcome/encouraged to join,” 

reveals Kundapur. 

Kundapur further reveals that 

they want more families to 

join AKKA and to engage the 

younger generation. 

“We plan to have more 

gatherings and some fun 

theme-based events – hiking 

trips, Bring a pet event and 

more outdoor activities. We 

also want to focus on social 

media to discuss AKKA and its 

work. We want more people to 

attend for the effort, and the 

expense put into events.” 

Lastly, talking about 

AKKA plans, Kundapur says 

they have reached out to 

some international Konkani 

organisations and had a very 

positive response from Tristate- 

US, UK, Dubai, Mangalore-India 

and Melbourne. 

Moreover, plans to have 

virtual Konkani culture classes 

are also under way. 

“We are also working on 

having our online Konkani 

School so that we can have a 

virtual classroom each month 

that will focus on Konkani 

speaking, a few songs, 

stories in Konkani for kids,” 

signs off Kundapur.



27-years-old Auckland Marathi 

Association sets new initiatives 

For any Indian cultural 

organisation in New 

Zealand, it is no small 

achievement to be able to keep 

bonding across the community 

for more than 25 years. But the 

Auckland Marathi Association 

(AMAI) has been successfully 

catering to the city’s Marathispeaking 

diaspora since 1995. 

“AMAI started as a home 

away from home for people 

of Marathi origin in NZ in 

1995. Twenty-seven years 

back, a few families from 

Maharashtra felt the 

need to bond around 

our shared culture and 

identity in a new land, 

NZ, which they were 

still learning to call 

home. 

"We aim to be an 

extended family for 

all Marathi people. It is a 

platform for all Marathi people 

to get together, celebrate 

talent, share culture and 

bond in different events (in 

person or virtual). 

This year we started our 

events with Jallosh- celebrating 

with community. This event was 

a get 

together 

of Marathi 

families 

in Auckland. 

This event gave 

platform for new Marathi families 

to connect, bond and make new 

friends. AMAI has more than 

500 members; however, in a 

true sense, it caters to more 

than 5000 Marathi people 

in and around Auckland. We 

provide an unbiased platform 

for people to propose and be 

part of any event that helps the 

community. 

Some of their Facebook events 

have more than 10000 views 

and visitors from Tauranga, 

Hamilton. Interestingly, they 

even ship their annual Diwali 

Anka (publication) to members 

in Hamilton. 

There are many events 

throughout the year that are 

celebrated with zest and zeal 

by AMAI, which has one of the 

youngest executive committees 

of any cultural association. 

This year, we celebrated 

our Ganapati Utsav is a 

very Grand way. 

The event was graced by 

dignitaries, and was attending 

by more than 350 people. 

This truly shows how much our 

people have missed celebrating 

our festivals together due to 

COVID. We are always working 

hard to bring many such events 

in new and innovative way to 

keep our community engaged 

and participate. 

Our aim for the 

next two years is 

to simplify our 

technology, be 

able to connect to 

more people, give 

opportunities at 

various events for our 

members to showcase 

their talent and 

overall inculcate our 

culture and tradition 

in today’s younger 

generation. 

Our aim for the next two years 

is to simplify our technology, 

be able to connect to more 

people, give opportunities at 

various events for our members 

to showcase their talent and 

overall inculcate our culture 

and tradition in today’s younger 

generation. 

Spreading the Malayali magic 

Auckland Malayali Samajam, have 

been playing a tremendous role 

in preserving the Indian culture, 

heritage and arts in Aotearoa for more 

than two decades. We spoke to Soby 

Bernard Thomas, President, Auckland 

Malayali Samajam, to learn more about 

the association, its history, and work. 

Can you elaborate on the history of 

Auckland Malayali Samajam? 

Our association was established on 

31 October 1999 to bring together 

all the Malayalis of Auckland to foster 

contacts, friendship and understanding 

to the extent possible for the wellbeing 

of the Malayali community and that of 

the NZ society. As we are celebrating 

our 23rd anniversary this year, we have 

been serving three generations (seniors, 

adults and youth) of our members 

from every section of our community 

spread across the boundary of Auckland 

Supercity. 

What is the aim and motivation behind 

this organisation? 

The Samajam aims to promote, 

preserve and nurture the unique culture 

and linguistic heritage of the Malayalis 

and foster contacts and friendship 

among the Malayalis in Auckland and 

other parts of NZ and enrich the diverse 

cultural fabric of New Zealand with the 

best Malayalee traditions. We also have 

Malayalam language classes to keep 

the younger generation of the diaspora 

living here abreast of our mother tongue. 

That’s because we feel it is imperative to 

pass on the cultural heritage, tradition 

and values while they are integrating 

into NZ’s culture. 

How many Malayali people does it 

cater to? 

We cater to around 400 families spread 

across the boundary of 

Auckland Super City. 

What activities/ programmes 

does the 

association conduct 

to keep the Malayali 

culture and language 

alive in NZ? 

We celebrate social 

and religious festivals 

traditionally celebrated in our 

homeland to keep our strong bond with 

Kerala alive. 

Last year, to preserve our language 

and culture, we launched our flagship 

project – Aadyakshara Malayalam 

Mission. This is a joint initiative between 

Kerala govt’s Malayalam Mission and 

Auckland Malayali Samajam. Our 

Malayalam language school is currently 

teaching the Malayalam language to 

more than 50 enrolled students. 

As part of our celebration of 

International Mother Language day 

on 21st February, we honoured and 

acknowledged the service of our 

Malayalam Mission coordinators and 

teachers. Priyanca Radhakrishnan, 

Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and 

Ethnic Communities was our chief guest 

for the award ceremony. She appreciated 

Samajam’s 

initiatives to 

preserve our mother 

language (Malayalam) 

and culture and stressed 

how it is vital for the 

social fabric of the 

community life in 

Aotearoa. 

What role do you 

think cultural 

organisations 

play in the kiwi 

Indian community 

in NZ? 

C u l t u r a l 

organisations 

play a vital 

role in making 

a multicultural, 

plural and diverse 

fabric of the 

wider inclusive 

society of Aotearoa. As a community 

and cultural organisation, we aim to 

add value to the organisation through 

meticulously organised cultural, social, 

educational, and sporting activities, 

thereby achieving a high level of social 

interaction and social awareness in the 

community. 

What are the future events planned by 

the organisation? 

We are planning an array of programmes 

and initiatives for youth, the general 

population, Women and seniors 

representing cultural, careeracademic, 

business-entrepreneurial 

and sports sectors. 

What are the biggest 

challenges you face regarding 

the running of this association? 

One of the biggest challenges in 

recent times has to be that we 

have had to cancel a number of our 

events in the last two years due 

to the pandemic. We know that 

the community is desperate to be 

back with social gatherings and 

activities. 

Another highlighting challenge 

is to draft up programmes/ 

initiatives to keep the vibes up 

for the community’s broader 

sectors, including kids/youth, the 

general population and seniors 

spanning three generations of our 

community members. 

What is the most satisfying part 

of your role as the association’s 

president? 

I am at peace and satisfied when 

I realise that our time and effort 

(as a team) contributed to making 

a difference in someone’s life and 

empowering them to succeed.

The Azadi Amrit Mahotsav means 

elixir of energy of independence; 

elixir of inspirations of the warriors 

of freedom struggle; elixir of new 

ideas and pledges; and elixir 

of Aatmanirbharta. Therefore, 

this Mahotsav is a festival of 

awakening of the nation; festival 

of fulfilling the dream of good 

governance; and the festival of global 

peace and development. 

www.hciwellington.gov.in 

IndiainNewZealand 

72 Pipitea Street, Thorndon 

Wellington 6011 

IndiainNewZealand 

IndiainNZ



Getting 

Bihar and 

Jharkhand 

closer 

The Auckland chapter of Bihar Jharkhand Sabha of 

Australia and New Zealand BJSM was created in 

2017 when non-residents from the Indian state 

of Bihar and Jharkhand (The state was formed in 2000 

from the territory that had previously been part of 

Bihar) congregated and launched it at Sangam Indian 

Restaurant Kumeu, Auckland. 

Giving the background of the organisation, BJSM’s 

General Secretary Bhrigu Bhaskar, who is based in 

Auckland, says, “The Auckland chapter was launched 

on Saturday 13 May 2017. The meeting was convened 

by prominent people from Auckland, Wellington, 

Tauranga, and Christchurch to connect their 

people in NZ. 

“Almost all chapters 

celebrate major festivals 

and organise at least 

three get-togethers - Holi 

Milan, Sharad Milan and 

Diwali Milan. It helps us 

showcase and promote 

the socio-cultural and 

linguistic heritage among 

youngsters and secondgeneration 

expatriates." 

The meeting 

was inaugurated 

by one of the 

community’s 

founding members 

from Bihar, Mr 

Nisheet and Mrs 

Sushma Prakash.” 

BJMS is a 

voluntary, notfor-profit 

social 

organisation of 

people in Australia 

and New Zealand 

having cultural 

roots from Bihar and Jharkhand, collectively working 

towards nurturing the cultural heritage of India in 

general and Bihar and Jharkhand in particular. 

It aims to preserve, uphold, foster and promote 

the lingo-socio-cultural heritage. Apart from that, it 

endeavours to facilitate better communication and 

networking and facilitate smooth settlement and 

assimilation of new immigrants. It maintains a cohesive 

network across Australia, New Zealand and other parts 

of the world. BJSM maintains a cohesive Australia 

and New Zealand-wide network of expatriates from 

Bihar and Jharkhand. BJSM actively conducts cultural 

programmes such as Chhath, Diwali, and Holi, as well 

as community events like plantation drives and dance 

classes, among others, to keep the people of Bihar and 

Jharkhand in NZ connected to their Indian roots. 

“Almost all chapters celebrate major festivals and 

organise at least three get-togethers - Holi Milan, 

Sharad Milan and Diwali Milan. It helps us showcase and 

promote the socio-cultural and linguistic heritage among 

youngsters and second-generation expatriates. It is 

imperative to connect community and stay connected 

with the roots of Indian culture. Bring people together 

and share and celebrate culture to keep it vital for the 

future generation. It also brings harmony across the 

community, and that’s what we at BJSM strive for,” 

explains Bhaskar. 

Lastly, discussing BJSM’S plans, Bhaskar reveals, 

“We want to take it to newer heights and do as 

much as we can for our community.”

20 

NEW ZEALAND 


Celebrating Tamilian ties 


The Tamil community 

in New Zealand has 

been doing its bit to 

preserve its rich Tamil culture 

and heritage in NZ. And that 

is why there are over 30 Tamil 

associations across NZ in cities 

such as Auckland, Wellington, 

Christchurch and Dunedin, 

among others, that cater to 

around 4000 strong Tamil 

community members in NZ. 

Christchurch-based 

Canterbury Tamil Society (CTS) 

represents Tamils living in 

the Canterbury region and is 

actively involved in promoting 

the Tamil language and its 

cultural values. 

Interestingly, CTS came into 

being back in the year 1995. 

Talking about its history, Suji 

Sabapathy, President of CTS, 

says, “In 1995 a group of 

Tamils lived in Christchurch 

region realised the need of 

formal representation of Tamils 

in the Canterbury region and 

CTS is a result of that. 

“As a result, the Canterbury 

Tamil Society was formed in 

1995. It was formed by Malathy 

Nagulaswaran, S.Ilanko, S. 

Naguleswaran and Tulsi Gopal.” 

CTS, which has over 100 

members, endeavours to 

promote Tamil language 

education, culture and 

“We mainly focus on 

promoting our Tamil language 

through our Tamil Language 

school, where classes 

take place every Saturday 

evening. We also make sure 

to celebrate special occasions 

such as festivals through 

traditional dances, 

dramas and songs. 

sports and foster improved 

relationships between the 

Tamil community and other 

communities in NZ. 

On being asked to talk about 

the activities/ programmes, 

CTS conducts to keep the 

Tamil culture and language 

alive in NZ? Suji says, “We 

mainly focus on promoting 

our Tamil language through 

our Tamil Language school, 

where classes take place every 

Saturday evening. We also 

make sure to celebrate special 

occasions such as festivals 

through traditional dances, 

dramas and songs. 

“Apart from that, we 

celebrate Tamil Cultural Events 

Such as Thaipongal, Tamil 

New Year and Theepavali, 

among other festivals, with 

full zeal and enthusiasm so 

the next generation can learn 

and continue our identity. 

Our upcoming events in the 

calendar are Diwali and our 

annual picnic.” 

On a parting note, Suji 

says that CTS is for whoever 

speaks Tamil from anywhere 

in the world. 

“We are Tamils; we speak 

Tamil, we belong to Tamil. 

It is important to pass our 

culture, our language… our 

identity to the next generation.” 

Being home to four great Hindu 

religious sites – Gangotri, 

Yamunotri, Badrinath and 

Kedarnath, Uttarakhand is perhaps one 

of the most divine states of India. 

Described by many as the land of 

the Gods, the land – that boasts of 

the towering Himalayas, scenic natural 

beauty, exotic flora and fauna – lures 

everyone from everywhere. 

Zealand, numbering some six thousand, 

are also doing their bit to ensure their 

culture is kept alive in Aotearoa. And 

one such organisation which endeavours 

to do the same is the Wellington-based 

Devbhoomi Association of New Zealand 

(DANZ), which has around 600 members 

and its body of work. 

Giving information about how DANZ 

came into being, its media in-charge, 

Manas Rawat, says, “Our organisation 

came into being in 2016 when some likeminded 

people got together who had a 

feeling of giving back to the community. 

Following the same, a constitution was 

drafted, and a non-profitable society 

was registered. The first AGM took place 

in April 2016.” 

Uttarakhand is a very young state but 

is a cradle of ancient civilisation, and 

each region in the state carries unique 

knowledge of art-forms, culture, history, 

language and literature. 

“The main motive was to preserve 

this culture and at the same time share 

and learn from others. We also aspire to 

spread awareness among our members 

to become productive members of our 

kiwi community. 

"We also work towards acting as a 

bridge between the New Zealanders and 

Indian diaspora, through finding common 

Spreading Uttarakhand’s uniqueness 

grounds and activities,” says Rawat. 

Apart from celebrating all important 

nationall festivals, DANZ holds regular 

gatherings to commemorate events 

unique to Uttarakhand, such as 

‘fool-dehi’, which is marked by kids 

collecting flowers and exchanging 

them for sweets from the elders. 

In 2019 DANZ hosted an event 

called ‘Baduli’ where one of the 

legendary singers from Uttarakhand 

(Padma Shree Awardee) Narendra Singh 

Negi performed along with some other 

famous artists in Wellington. 

The community members also hold 

language classes and storytelling 

sessions for the kids. 

The community members also have 

informal career workshops for youth and 

act as mentors. 

“We also regularly participate in city 

council events where we won a koha (Te 

reo for a gift) and are closely associated 

with the Indian High commission. We 

have continuously celebrated ‘Holi’ since 

2016, which has been celebrated not 

only with colours but also with unique 

food and dress from Uttrakhand,” says 

Rawat, who feels it is essential to have 

cultural organisations in the Kiwi-Indian 

community as it helps to preserve the 

uniqueness of diversity we hold. 

Considering the health situation, 

DANZ is planning social activities 

in the summer. They will start with 

the “master-chef Uttarakhand” 

competition, and Diwali celebration is 

“The main motive was to 

preserve this culture and 

at the same time share and 

learn from others. We also 

aspire to spread awareness 

among our members to 

become productive members 

of our kiwi community. We 

also work towards acting 

as a bridge between the 

New Zealanders and Indian 

diaspora, through finding 

common grounds and 

activities.” 

already on the way. 

On a parting note, when asked about 

the future of the DANZ, Rawat says, “We 

want to be involved more in community 

work. We want to make the informal 

activities we conduct for careers and 

other things more structured and 

regular. We are actively looking to 

make it a registered charitable society 

and look for funding from councils for 

assistance.”



Gujarati 

community 

goes strength 

to strength 

If we talk about ethnic Indian 

communities in New Zealand and 

their impact, then undoubtedly, 

the mention of the Gujarati community 

comes out instantly. 

Going by the historical references, 

the Gujaratis began to settle in 

Aotearoa shortly after the turn of the 

twentieth century. And from the 1930s 

onwards, they started establishing 

businesses and institutions. 

It is hardly surprising that retaining 

their culture is very important to 

Gujaratis. And therefore, there are 

several Gujarati associations across 

NZ, including Hamilton, Auckland, 

Christchurch, and Wellington, catering 

to the 26000 substantial Gujarati 

population in NZ. 

Gujarati Pariwar Waikato (GPW) – the 

Hamilton-based non-profit organisation 

intends to preserve the heritage and 

customs of Gujarati culture. 

Talking about the history of the 

association and the need to have one, 

Manish Thakkar, President of GPW, says, 

“As the number of Gujarati community 

members kept increasing in Hamilton, 

they were missing our culture and 

events. And that’s 

why to keep our 

Gujarati cultures 

alive in Hamilton, we 

decided to register 

our own Gujarati 

Group GPW in 2016. 

More than 350 

family members are 

presently part of the 

GPW.” 

Interestingly, the motto of GPW, 

“Sanskar, Sanskruti, Sahyog”, itself 

explains its vision and inspiration. 

Explaining it further, Thakkar says, “We 

aim to preserve the values and culture 

of our motherland and instil them in our 

future generations. We want to help the 

Gujarati community across NZ to prosper 

in life while still maintaining a positive 

focus on serving the community.” 

Moving on to the activities of GPW, 

the association celebrates most of the 

Gujarati and Indian Hindu festivals of 

India. 

They also organise Gujarati Drama, 

Yoga-Shivir, Bhajan-Sandhya, Sports 

Day and blood donation camps etc. 

Interestingly, GPW HAS also started 

a teaching program for the Gujarati 

language, which is very helpful for 

the younger generation to write, 

speak and understand their mother 

tongue Gujarati. 

Thakkar reveals that many Gujarati 

migrants and students who feel 

homesick in NZ are eager to join GPW as 

they find a platform to mix and mingle 

with like-minded people. 

“Our organisation provides support 

and confidence to migrants as and when 

required,” he says. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the 

organisation rescued Gujarati families 

stuck due to the lockdown in NZ. 

“We had provided full support to 

them during their stay till their safe 

return to their respective home in 

India,” says Thakkar. 

GPW also provided food kits for more 

than 500 families living in Gujarat. 

Thakkar also revealed that they 

would not like to adhere to activities 

associated with the Gujarati community 

only, but we will want to expand it in the 

next five years. 

Elaborating on that, Thakkar says, 

“At present, we feel that there is a dire 

requirement of our premises to organise 

more events regularly. We want to invite 

Gujarati speakers, artists and performing 

groups from India. 

"As one of our goals, we want to 

unite all Gujarati in a common group 

with a vision of knowing each other 

throughout NZ by way of contact details 

on one platform, and also to create a 

matrimonial platform for the South 

Pacific Gujarati group.”

22 

NEW ZEALAND 



Savouring the 

NZ-Gujarati 

connection 

When one talks about 

the Indian diaspora 

in New Zealand, the 

significant role of the Gujarati 

community can’t be ignored. 

It was in the late 1800s that 

Indians first started settling in 

NZ, and most of these early 

migrants came from the regions 

of Punjab and Gujarat. Since 

then, the Gujarati community in 

NZ (approx. 25000) has grown 

substantially. 

The Gujarati community in 

NZ has well preserved its rich 

traditions and customs that 

have deep roots in their past. 

The colourful mosaic of ageold 

traditions, along with a 

tinge of modernisation, best 

sums up the culture of Gujarat. 

Gujaratis wonderfully represent 

their vibrant culture even in 

Aotearoa, from their clothing 

and language to their enigmatic 

celebrations and delectable 

food, which explains why there 

are many Gujarati associations 

across NZ. 

Gujarati Sahitya Mandal New 

Zealand (GSMNZ) - a not-forprofit 

organisation aims to 

promote the preservation and 

development of the Gujarati 

language, literature, performing 

arts and culture in every form 

in NZ. 

GSMNZ was incorporated 

in May 2016 and has been 

promoting Gujarat’s cultural 

and social heritage since then. 

Giving details about the history 

of GSMNZ, Sonal Bhavsar-Joshi, 

one of the Core Committee 

Members of GSMNZ, says, 

“When likeminded people like 

Rupesh Parikh and Shailesh 

Prajapati often met in social 

gatherings, they eventually 

realised that Gujarati diaspora 

in NZ is in dire need of a cultural 

connection and that’s how 

Gujarati Sahitya Mandal came 

into being.” 

Sonal maintains that they are 

passionate people who aim to 

provide a comfort zone to the 

Gujarati diaspora, especially 

to the young generation who 

are desperately looking for a 

cultural connection and a sense 

of belonging. 

Interestingly, another prime 

motive of GSMNZ is to provide 

a platform to our community’s 

budding artists. “When we 

migrate to a new country, we 

work harder to carve out a 

future for ourselves and our 

family, but during this process, 

we make a lot of sacrifices. 

We forget the artists, poets, 

musicians, actors or Singers 

living within. 

At GSMNZ, we help you keep 

those artists alive in you and 

provide a platform to showcase 

it,” explains Sonal. 

Every year GSMNZ produces 

several community events 

where community members 

soak in Gujarati arts and culture, 

language, literature, heritage, 

and local talents get a platform 

to showcase their talents. 

“We have organised events, 

ranging from motivational 

talk show by popular Gujarati 

motivational speakers from 

India to theatrical play with the 

largest cast of 35 local artists. 

We also organise Gujarati 

talent shows, free Garba 

workshops, Gujarat Formation 

Day celebrations and our most 

popular yearly event, Let’s Go 

Garba (a Garba night with a 

local Live Band),” says Sonal. 

When asked about the 

organisation’s plans, Sonal 

says, “With a near future 

branch extension taking shape 

in Melbourne, Australia, we 

believe we’re in the right 

direction. We at GSMNZ aim 

to serve the community with 

more qualitative and inclusive 

community events every year. 

We strive to reach out to more 

people and connect with them. 

"We’re also planning a Web 

Series that showcases local 

talent again and a Gujarati 

Carnival (Melo) where we’ll 

be replicating and giving an 

overall experience of a Carnival 

originating from Gujarat.” 

Gujarati Samaj’s President 

Kiritkumar Keshavlal Thaker 

says, “GSNZ was established 

in May 2012 by a handful of visionary 

people having prudence and foresight to 

preserve the rich culture, heritage, and 

language of Gujarat in the community. 

It aims to provide a platform for people 

of Gujarati origin to showcase their 

creativity and talent. It is a social 

circle of Gujarati-speaking people. 

Today, we are proud that GSNZ is 

an assemblage of vibrant Gujarati 

people and has a membership of 

about 300 people and is growing 

exponentially. We have four wings 

- Senior Citizen Wing, Youth & 

Children Wing, Women Empowerment 

Wing and Migrant Support Wing.” 

Interestingly, unlike some other 

cultural associations, GSNZ is governed 

by a democratically elected committee 

of executives every two years. 

This executive committee elects a 

president, vice president, treasurer, 

secretary and joint secretary from them. 

This executive committee manages all 

the activities of GSNZ with the support 

of various sub-committees formed 

periodically with a group of dedicated 

volunteers. 

GSNZ aims to provide a platform 

where everyone from the Gujarati 

community and broader communities 

gets an opportunity to 

take part in the cultural 

programmes to show their 

talent, share ideas and have their say 

to keep Gujarati culture, language, 

traditions and values alive in today’s as 

well as next generation of Gujaratis. 

Explaining the activities of GSNZ, 

Thaker says, “The members of GSNZ 

meet every month on the first Saturday 

from 10 am to 1 pm at Friends 

Club Inc at 3063 Great North Road, 

New Lynn, Auckland. 

They celebrate birthdays, wedding 

anniversaries, and various festivals of 

India, particularly of Gujarat. Members 

sing, dance, play music, perform drama, 

Celebrating the Gujarati community in NZ 

Down the line, in the next 

five years, we are looking 

forward to growing our 

membership to 500 + as 

we are approaching more 

and more Gujarati families, 

especially youth and 

children, to join and take an 

active part in our activities. 

and invite other community groups 

to perform and entertain. During the 

summer months, the members go for 

outings on picnics and tours to places 

of interest. GSNZ members also go for 

movie shows and dramas.” 

He adds, “With increasing membership 

and most members being seniors, the 

biggest challenge to run the Samaj is that 

we are looking forward to bigger venue 

ideally around central Auckland (mainly 

with Bus/train connectivity).” 

Thaker believes that Indian cultural 

organisations play a significant part in 

preserving Indian culture in NZ. He says, 

“These multicultural organisations in 

NZ allow people from ethnic, cultural 

communities to showcase their talents 

amongst the wider community and 

promote their culture overseas.” 

On a parting note, Thaker says that 

he is hopeful to have the membership of 

GSNZ increase to more than 500 soon. 

“Down the line, in the next five 

years, we are looking forward to 

growing our membership to 500 + 

as we are approaching more and 

more Gujarati families, especially youth 

and children, to join and take an active 

part in our activities. Gujarati Samaj has 

now got an identity amongst the wider 

community 

“We are focused on the women’s wing 

to grow through lots of activities, youth 

and children to take active parts to 

strengthen Samaj and keep our culture 

alive. Our ultimate vision is to take 

Samaj to a new high.”



Kerala, with its lush green 

scenic landscapes and 

crystal-clear waters, 

is undoubtedly one of the 

most beautiful states in 

southern India. 

The heritage of Kerala, which 

is reflected in its various art 

forms, martial arts, dresses, 

and cuisines, holds a special 

place in Indian history. And 

talking about New Zealand and 

its Indian diaspora, the Malayali 

community forms an integral 

part of the same. 

Registered as an incorporated 

society on 1 February 2006, 

Hamilton Kerala Samajam 

(HKS) aims to preserve and 

promote the cultural identity 

of Malayalees (people of Kerala 

ancestry) living in Hamilton. 

It is the first democratically 

formed Malayalee organisation 

in Hamilton and is a registered 

charity under the Charities 

Commission of NZ. 

Giving details about the 

history of the association, Roy 

Vellara, the current President of 

HKS, says, “It started as a small 

group in the year 2003 with 

just 14 members. Later, it was 

registered as an Incorporated 

Society in 2006 and later, we 

got charity recognition in 2010. 

Now it is even registered in 

NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites 

Affairs), a Kerala Government 

organisation in Kerala as well.” 

The overarching purpose of 

the Samajam is community 

development in Hamilton 

Bringing God’s own country to ChCh 

by promoting cultural, 

educational and social 

activities of Malayalees. 

“The Samajam endeavours to 

promote communal harmony 

and to foster understanding 

between Malayalees and other 

cultures in NZ. 

"We want to preserve 

and nurture the Malayalee 

culture and to bring up 

the younger generation of 

members within the cultural 

heritage by organising and 

celebrating the traditional 

festivals,” says Vellara. 

The Samajam, which has 

1273 members, organises 

various sports and recreational 

activities, helps new Malayalee 

immigrants settle down in 

Hamilton, and promotes the 

Malayalam language in NZ. 

Festivals like Onam, Christmas 

and Vishu are celebrated with 

great enthusiasm by HKS 

and its members. “We will be 

planning for a big event called 

“The Samajam 

endeavours to 

promote communal 

harmony and to 

foster understanding 

between Malayalees 

and other cultures 

in NZ. We want to 

preserve and nurture 

the Malayalee culture 

and to bring up the 

younger generation 

of members within 

the cultural heritage 

by organising and 

celebrating the 

traditional festivals" 

“Keralosavam” on 22nd of 

October 2022 at Sacred heart 

Girls College, Hamilton at 5.30 

PM. It is a public event and all 

are welcome to this function.” 

reveals Vellara. 

Vellara believes that 

community organisations are 

the only ones that can preserve 

real Indian culture abroad. So 

what is the future plan for HKS? 

“We have a huge picture in your 

vision. We want to open the 

biggest Indian Community Old 

age home in NZ.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

We're seeing increasing use of ballistic missiles 

and testing coming from North Korea and we must 

continue to utterly condemn what is happening. It is a 

breach of international rules. - Jacinda Ardern. 

Editorial 

Kiwi-Indians hold 

key to building NZ- 

India trade 

India’s much-acclaimed External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, is in New 

Zealand on a five-day visit this week. This is significant not least because the 

previous such visit happened 31 long years ago. 

Following the global Indian diaspora-centric vision of India’s Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi, the visit is centred on the annual Indian Weekender Kiwi-Indian Hall 

of Fame awards, and a busy schedule of bilateral official engagements. 

Undoubtedly, the Kiwi-Indian diaspora is one of the biggest untapped economic 

assets we possess. Despite the fact that Kiwi-Indians are almost the largest migrant 

group, there’s a general lack of ‘India literacy’ in Aotearoa’s public and private 

discourse. Its potential in unleashing trade growth between our two countries 

needs urgent attention. 

Just as the world at large has done for some time, It is high time that Kiwis and 

the political establishment see India and Kiwi-Indians beyond the cliched ambit of 

Diwali, Bollywood, curry and cricket. 

At about 300k, Kiwi-Indians comprise some 6% of the population. With their 

median age here being 30 – NZ’s is 38 – this cohort is playing a significant role in 

the small business and service industry, the NZ economy’s backbone. It made its 

impact during Covid, as when most of us were locking ourselves up in the safety 

of our homes, they were nursing patients, driving buses, manning fuel stations, 

running grocery stores and driving trucks, maintaining critical supply chains. 

Kiwi-Indians’ growing influence in NZ is concomitant to the growth and reemergence 

of India on the global political and economic scene. As India celebrates 

75 years of independence, it has outpaced the UK to become the world’s fifth 

largest economy and is on track for the third spot. India now has the highest 

number of unicorns and is feted as the start-up and digital capital of the world, 

with high inflows of foreign direct investment. 

The world is beating a path to India, Australia included. Is India on top of NZ’s 

priority list of countries to engage with? If not, why not? 

Taking a leaf out of Australia’s India book 

Culturally, Indians develop strategic relationships first and then enter the 

transactional phase which results in trade. Australia has laid out a clear, successful 

model pathway for NZ to follow. 

Australia left no stone unturned in expending its political capital to develop 

and deepen strategic relationship with India. The warm friendship between the 

Indian and Australian prime ministers was palpable even over social media as they 

effectively engaged with each other almost on a weekly basis. 

The results are before us: Australia is reaping the benefits with the recently 

concluded India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement giving 

access to more than 90% of goods and services to each other’s markets. 

It is proven beyond doubt that this trade agreement came into play only after 

there was significant investment in the development and improvement of strategic 

relationship. It is a convergence of mutual interests, creating real win-win outcomes 

for both nations. 

Agreed, Australia has some heft due to its size and scale, but that is where we 

need to realise and accept that NZ has to work harder, as evidently in terms of 

trade there are more wins for NZ and less for India. 

Successive NZ governments have also failed to lobby hard for a direct flight 

between NZ and India, despite Auckland Airport presenting a case for the 

commercial viability of direct flights. Qantas now flies direct to three major Indian 

cities. 

While NZ remains steadfastly focused on transacting or selling its dairy and meat, 

India, on the other hand, maintains its long-held position that strategic relationship 

building will define future trade agreements. The result of this mismatch is that 

India is no where near the top as a trading partner and instead is at number 15 with 

bilateral trade languishing at a woefully sub-par $2 billion. 

NZ must ditch its unworkable trade-first approach and work to deepen and 

broaden its strategic relationship with India before it can expect any significant 

market access and trade agreements. 

India is a complex market but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is 

worth the effort. NZ has the wherewithal to navigate this complexity: the highly 

educated, experienced and entrepreneurial Kiwi-Indian diaspora. NZ companies 

should hire them to front their India strategy. Policy is made by governments but 

passion and action emanates from people. 

Despite the challenges, India and NZ are on the cusp of an exciting, meaningful 

and strategic phase of friendship and economic partnership, effectively fuelled by 

the existing people-to-people bridge. 

This piece appeared in the New Zealand Herald written by Bhav Dhillon Honorary 

Consul of India in Auckland, a well-known community leader and managing 

director of a major multi-site building products manufacturing company in 

New Zealand and Australia. 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

President of India Droupadi Murmu on Monday (October 3) paid 

tribute to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati 

Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

9 October 1967 

First day of ten o'clock closing 

Fifty years of six o’clock closing of pubs had ended two days earlier, after a 

referendum convinced the government to change the antiquated licensing law. 


Waitangi Tribunal created 

The Labour government created the Tribunal to hear Māori claims of breaches of 

the Treaty of Waitangi. It has evolved ever since, adapting to the demands of 

claimants, government and public. 


New Zealand's ‘blackest day’ at Passchendaele 

Ever since 1917, Passchendaele has been a byword for the horror of the Great 

War. In terms of lives lost in a single day, the failed attack on Bellevue Spur on 

12 October was probably the greatest disaster in New Zealand’s history. 


New Zealanders go to the polls in first MMP election 

In the first general election held under the new mixed-member proportional 

representation (MMP) voting system, New Zealand voters selected 120 members 

of Parliament through a mixture of electorate contests and party lists. 


Whina Cooper leads land march to Parliament 

About 5000 marchers arrived at Parliament and presented a petition signed by 

60,000 people to Prime Minister Bill Rowling. 


Silver Ferns beat Diamonds in Commonwealth Games 

Just how close the NZ and Australian netball teams were became clear as the 

match, the longest official game of netball ever played, stretched over 84 

pulsating minutes. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 14 Issue 29 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz 

Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz 

Multimedia Specialist: Karan Bhasin | 022 0772 156 | karan@indianweekender.co.nz 

Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz 

Auckland Reporter: Navdeep Kaur Marwah: | 021 952 246 | navdeep@indianweekender.co.nz 

Waikato Reporter: Sandeep Singh | 021 952 245 | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz 

Wellington Reporter: Venu Menon | 021 538 356 | venu@indianweekender.co.nz 

Christchurch Reporter: Mahesh Kumar | 021 952 218 | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz 

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher 

is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication 

Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent 

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. 

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland 

Copyright ® 2022. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. 

Send your suggestions and feedback to editor@indianweekender.co.nz



Hailing Haryana’s heritage 

Talking about Haryana’s 

heritage, Dr Hari Ram 

Gupta, an eminent 

historian, said, “Heaven and 

earth seldom combined, and 

God rarely agreed to create a 

better habitation for a man 

than ancient Haryana.” 

The Vedic land of Haryana 

has been the cradle of ancient 

Indian culture and civilisation. 

Popularly known as ‘The 

Home of Gods’, Haryana has 

a bountiful culture, heritage, 

festivals, folklores and a 

vibrant landscape. 

Haryana, which used to be 

characterised by charpoys, 

vivid fairs and swaying paddy 

fields, has become a name 

synonymous with development. 

While the city of Gurugram in 

Haryana is considered as one 

of the significant information 

technology and automobile 

hubs of India, Faridabad is a 

major industrial hub of Haryana. 

Whether Bollywood or sports, 

Haryanvis are making their 

presence felt. 

From wrestlers such as 

Sakshi Malik, Babita Kumari 

and Yogeshwar Dutt to boxer 

Vijendra Singh and cricketers 

Kapil Dev and Yuzvender Chahal 

and from Randeep Hooda to 

Manushi Chiilar and Mallika 

Making homesick Bengalis feel at home in NZ 

One of India’s most 

culturally prosperous 

states, West Bengal is 

home to some of our country’s 

greatest intellectuals, such 

as Rabindranath Tagore, Toru 

Dutt, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and 

many others. It is also a haven 

for foodies as it is globally 

famous for mouth-watering 

food such as Rosogullas, 

Chomchom and Sorshe Ilish. 

And Nandan NZ, a Bengali 

Indian cultural association, 

is working towards making 

Kiwi Bengalis feel at home 

even though they are located 

thousands of kilometres away 

from their motherland. It 

endeavours to make sure that 

Indian Bengalis spread the rich 

genetic inheritance the people 

of Bengal have in NZ. 

Swastika Ganguly, one of 

the General secretaries of the 

Auckland-based association 

formed in 2000, describes 

it “ as an all-inclusive familyoriented 

organisation whose 

primary motive is to provide 

the Indian Bengalis in Auckland 

a home away from home.” 

The organisation, with 

around 150 Bengali members, 

aims to promote Bengali 

culture and tradition across 

communities in NZ, especially 

targeting the youth. 

According to Ganguly, “The 

organisation has consistently 

preserved its Bengali heritage 

and promoted the Bengali 

language, culture, social values 

and religious activities among 

the entire spectrum of Bengali 

Sherawat, among others, have 

made India and the state of 

Haryana proud globally. 

And when one talks about 

famous personalities from 

Haryana, how can one not 

mention Karnal-born American 

astronaut and mechanical 

engineer Kalpana Chawla who 

was the first woman of Indian 

origin to go to space. 

Regarding eating habits, 

there is an idiom that says Hara- 

Bhara Haryana, Jit Doodh-Dahi 

and Non-Bengali communities 

across NZ. 

"We want to reach out 

to people of all ages, with 

particular emphasis on younger 

people, so that they can join 

with the organisation’s senior 

ka Khana (meaning a lush-green 

state where milk and curd are 

the food). 

The Haryana Federation New 

Zealand (HFNZ), a secular, 

non-political and not-for-profit 

organisation representing 

Indians from Haryana, is doing 

its bit to keep the Haryanvi 

culture alive in Aotearoa. It was 

founded by Gurbaj Singh Mall 

and Karanjeet Singh Cheema. 

Talking about the idea behind 

starting this organisation, 

members to understand the 

rich heritage of the Bengali 

language. This will help its 

vibrant identity to be passed 

onto future generations.” 

Throughout the year, Nandan 

organises several cultural 

Cheema says, “There were 

many organisations in NZ from 

different parts of India but 

none from Haryana, so I, along 

with Gurbaj Singh Mall, decided 

to create one to connect to 

people from Haryana in 2019. 

It was on 7th Jan 2019 that our 

organisation came into being.” 

The organisation has 

members from all over New 

Zealand. It endeavours to 

connect people from Haryana in 

NZ, promote Haryanvi culture, 

and social programmes such 

as Independence Day, Durga 

Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati 

Puja, Annual Picnic, Poila 

Boisakh (Bengali New Year), 

“Prabhat Pheri’’ (Morning 

Procession celebrated every 

and celebrate brotherhood. 

“We want to bring together 

migrants from the Indian state 

of Haryana to allow them to 

socialise and network in a 

culturally appropriate manner,” 

explains Mall. 

In its nearly four years of 

existence, HFNZ has been 

actively working in community 

service, especially in sports 

and cultural activities, blood 

donation camps, and free food 

banks. 

It has organised many blood 

donation camps to serve 

humanity and free food camps 

during the covid pandemic to 

help and serve the community. 

Revealing more about their 

upcoming event, Mall says, “ 

We will organise more cultural 

and charitable events in future 

to connect and serve more 

people. We want to initiate 

more community activities that 

further deepen social cohesion 

and interconnectedness 

within different communities 

in New Zealand.” 

Lastly, on being asked where 

they see the organisation 

heading in the next five 

years, Cheema says, “ In the 

next five years, we aim to 

grow this organisation by 

leaps and bounds.” 

year with food, music, dance, 

recitation and frolic) among 

others. Also every year the 

members of the organisation 

organise their own ‘Natok’ 

(annual drama) together, which 

is enjoyed by members and 

non-members alike. 

Even during the Covid-19 

lockdown period, the digital 

platform of Nandan offered a 

bridge, as well as an exciting 

range of experiences such 

as virtual meetups and 

online cultural activities) 

for its members. 

"We want to reach 

out to people of all 

ages, with particular 

emphasis on younger 

people, so that 

they can join with 

the organisation’s 

senior members 

to understand the 

rich heritage of the 

Bengali language. 

This will help its 

vibrant identity to be 

passed onto future 

generations.” 

Talking about the future of 

the association, Ganguly says 

they want to have consistent 

growth of the organisation 

while focusing on the quality 

rather than just increasing the 

number and with hopes of its 

expansion beyond Auckland.

26 

NEW ZEALAND 



A melting pot for Kannadigas 

Established back in 1994, New 

Zealand Kannada Koota (NZKK, 

popularly known as “Koota”), 

has been catering to NZ’s Kiwi-Kannada 

community for nearly three decades. 

The association’s history dates to the 

year 1994. Giving the history of Koota, 

Vishu Lokapal, President of NZKK, says, 

“During 1994, late Prof Vamana Murthy 

engaged with Dr Lingappa Kalburgi 

and started collecting contact details 

of Kannadigas from the telephone 

directory and started contacting 

the families and built a database. 

About 25 families gathered in 

Cornwall Park at One Tree Hill for 

the first time. This led 

to the establishment of 

NZKK.” 

The association has 

about 150 Kannada 

families actively involved with 

NZKK activities. The Koota aims to 

promote, preserve and maintain the 

cultural and linguistic heritage of the 

state while enriching the diverse 

cultural mosaic of NZ with the best 

of Indian traditions. It also helps 

new immigrants from Karnataka 

settle in NZ and liaises with similar 

communities and societies in NZ and 

India. 

One of the main activities of NZKK 

is the Kannada Language School at 

NZKK Room, Fickling Convention 

Centre at 546 Mt Albert Road, 

Three Kings, Auckland. “To help the 

younger generation get familiar and 

fluent with their mother tongue, we 

have weekly Kannada School where 

we teach the students to read, 

write and speak in Kannada (which 

is the third 

oldest language 

of India). The 

children are also taught 

and encouraged to 

participate in dance, 

music, and creative arts,” 

explains Lokapal. 

Notably, NZKK is 

the first among Indian 

associations to open a 

well-equipped library 

at Fickling Convention 

Centre, with over 

5000 Kannada Books 

and 500 children’s 

books and comics, 

apart from a video 

cassette, VCD and 

DVD library. Popular 

Kannada and English 

monthly magazines are also 

subscribed to and made available 

for members. “Our library is one of 

the most valuable assets of NZKK 

in assisting the community in reading 

and understanding Indian heritage. 

Library service is provided throughout 

the week based on members’ needs and 

their families,” says Lokapal. 

NZKK also organises regular seminars, 

workshops, and training by professionals 

in diverse fields to benefit its members 

and their families. 

It also has Manthana - a forum where 

senior members of NZKK and the 

community come together to meet at 

the NZKK’s library premises. 

NZKK puts together various cultural 

events throughout the year where its 

members find an excellent platform to 

exhibit and nurture the artistic talents 

of their young ones and their own. 

NZKK also celebrates its annual Sports 

Day, wherein members participate in 

various sports competitions such as 

Badminton, Table Tennis, Carrom and 

Chess. 

“Being one of the founder members 

of the 20-year-old Migrants Community 

“Spirit of Cricket” Tournament played 

at Auckland domain in summer, 

NZKK’s team participates in the interassociation 

cricket tournament along 

with ten other Indian association teams,” 

reveals Lokapal, who believes cultural 

organisations have a vital role in keeping 

the younger generation in touch with 

their roots. 

Talking about the plans for NZKK, 

Lokapal says, “We plan to organise 

regular forums as a meet and greet 

exercise for new students and members 

to meet with a current member where 

they can seek guidance and assistance 

for adopting the Kiwi way of life. Some 

indoor sports equipment is already 

provided for recreational purposes to 

the senior citizens, and more equipment 

such as Table Tennis and Darts are being 

planned for the benefit of the youth and 

like-minded members.” 

A student forum is also in the pipeline, 

which will focus on assisting new 

international students from Karnataka 

and neighbouring states to settle in 

NZ. “Student representatives from 

NZKK who are either students or are 

experienced in the NZ education system 

will interact with new aspirants. When 

possible, they will pick up students from 

the airport, assist them with temporary 

accommodation, and even provide a 

platform for one-on-one interaction with 

the community once they are in NZ,” 

signs off Lokapal. 

For the love of the Telugu community 

New Zealand Telugu Association 

(NZTA) has been serving the 

Kiwi-Telugu diaspora in Auckland 

since 1998. 

“The main idea behind forming NZTA is 

to bring Telugu people in NZ 

(Approximately 25,000 Telugu people 

in NZ) together to rejoice in the native 

traditions and promote Telugu language 

and culture. In 1998 a group of thoughtful 

leaders formed and registered NZTA as 

an organisation. 

Since then, it has endorsed various 

social activities and encouraged people 

to become members to celebrate 

togetherness,” says NZTA’s General 

Secretary Suneel Kuncha. 

The organisation, which has some 

1500 members who actively participate 

in their programmes, aims to serve the 

local communities, encourage Telugu 

youth to become involved in local 

humanitarian service acts and foster 

friendship between Telugu people and 

other non-Telugu speaking people. “We 

strive to inspire the younger generation 

to learn and practice Telugu traditions 

and exchange programs for students and 

professionals not only within the Telugu 

community but also aiming to work in 

the wider domain,” explains Kuncha. 

To keep the Telugu culture and 

language alive in NZ, NZTA promotes 

and addresses women, youth, and 

senior citizen issues in cultural, literary, 

educational, socio-economic, health 

and community affairs of the Teluguspeaking 

people in the community. 

“We create opportunity for 

the cultural exchange between 

people living in the NZ, India, and the 

rest of the world wherever people of 

Telugu origin reside. NZTA also serves as 

a central resource for all social, cultural, 

and humanitarian issues related to the 

Telugu community in NZ,” Says Kuncha 

From sporting and arts events to 

religious events such as Ganesh/Vinayak 

Chathurthi, Diwali Christmas to blood 

donation camps, NZTA organises many 

events annually. 

Giving more details bout NZTA’s body 

of work, Kuncha says, “NZTA conducts 

sporting events like badminton, cricket 

every year to encourage talent in the 

community to promote physical wellbeing 

and is actively involved in 

international yoga celebrations. 

We run artwork exhibitions, charity 

programmes, and entertainment 

events to raise funds for other 

charity organisations like the Starship 

Foundation. We provide free calendars 

every year for members, support 

people\families who face hardships and 

encourage talents within the community 

to reach their goals.” 

Kuncha feels regional associations like 

their play a pivotal role in preserving Indian 

culture in various ways. “India is home 

to over a billion people, accommodating 

incredible cultural diversity between 

languages, geographic regions, religious 

traditions, and social stratifications. We 

as Indians tend to have a strong sense of 

pride in the distinctiveness and diversity 

of our culture, and we all want to 

celebrate it while we are away from our 

motherland and the cultural associations 

are significant in that regard,” he says. 

"We as Indians tend to have 

a strong sense of pride in 

the distinctiveness and 

diversity of our culture, and 

we all want to celebrate it 

while we are away from our 

motherland and the cultural 

associations are significant 

in that regard." 

However, like anything else, it is not an 

easy task to run a cultural organisation 

and sharing the challenges NZTA faces, 

Kuncha says, “There is difficulty in 

attracting younger demographic as 

well as financial constraints and time 

management to conduct several events. 

The association needs substantial effort, 

time, and finance to organise, market, 

conduct the events, and have many 

ambiences for every occasion. Hence we 

actively seek support from people who 

can support us.” 

Lastly, talking about NZTA’S future, 

he says, “Our vision is to create as much 

awareness as we can among people in 

NZ about Telugu language and culture. 

This also includes the present and next 

generation to preserve the beliefs.”

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28 

NEW ZEALAND 



Plans to revitalise NZICA with 

new initiatives, digital tech 

New Zealand Indian 

Central Association Inc. 

(NZICA) is one of the 

oldest Indian organisations in 

New Zealand. Formed in 1926, 

it is the only national Indian 

organisation in NZ set up as 

an umbrella body for regional 

Indian community groups 

throughout Aotearoa operating 

since its inception. 

NZICA provides a central 

channel for Indian communities 

to voice concerns and together 

with other member communities 

join as a collective force. 

Through this unity we can make 

a difference for our families and 

communities. Indian Weekender 

caught up with NZICA President 

noted community leader 

Narendra Bhana, who was 

earlier president of another 

respected and even older Indian 

organisation, the Auckland 

Indian Association Inc. 

IWK: How does NZICA serve 

its members and its constituent 

and affiliated community 

organisations? 

Narendra Bhana: NZICA 

is an umbrella organisation 

for regional Indian community 

groups around NZ. It works 

closely with its branches to 

promote, protect and advance 

Kiwi Indians. It also functions 

as a link between the Indian 

community here and the rest 

of the world. At the same time, 

it aims to promote legislation 

affecting the status of Indians, 

to preserve and foster Indian 

culture and to encourage youth 

and women’s involvement. 

NZICA’s current objectives are: 

to empower Kiwi Indians; Foster 

fraternity among the Indian 

Diaspora; Positively contribute 

to legislations affecting 

Kiwi Indians; Preserve Indian 

culture; Benevolent assistance 

to needy; Emancipation of 

Kiwi Indian women; Empower 

Kiwi Indian Youth; Administer 

defunct branches. 

IWK: This is a 96-year-old 

organisation that was created 

to address the issues faced 

by Indians in NZ in older 

times. How has the organisation 

changed to accommodate 

the changing nature 

of demographics of Indians 

in New Zealand? (For example 

now there are far more 

ethnically diverse Indians 

in NZ than when NZICA was 

formed). 

Narendra Bhana: NZICA has 

formed a Wider Representation 

Committee. One of the primary 

objectives of this committee 

is to identify new Indian 

community organisations 

throughout New Zealand with 

similar interest, aims and 

objectives, connect with them 

and encourage them to join the 

NZICA. The committee is being 

Chaired by Nagin Patel from 

Wellington. Mr Patel is being 

well supported by committee 

members from Auckland, 

Waikato, Pukekohe and 

Christchurch. The committee 

has an ambitious plan to grow 

the NZICA by many folds in the 

next twelve months. 

IWK: As President, 

what are your priorities 

and what initiatives 

will you drive in 

your tenure for NZICA 

to stay relevant to future generations 

of NZ-born Indian 

youngsters? 

Narendra Bhana: I would also 

like to see NZICA become a role 

model for all Indian community 

organisations throughout the 

world. I would also like to see 

NZICA become the first point 

of contact for all Indians living 

in New Zealand to resolve their 

challenges. 

I aim to transform the 

NZICA into a high visible, more 

accessible and engaged Indian 

community organisation in 

NZ. I would like to see NZICA 

become a house-hold name in 

next 6 – 12 months. I would 

also like to implement Digital 

Transformation to modernize 

business process to improve 

operational efficiency and 

connectivity with our members.



Spreading Tagore 

and Roshogulla in 

New Zealand 

New Zealand is home to immigrants 

drawn from different parts of 

India- be it Punjab, Gujarat, 

Bengal, Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu. 

Bengalis represent a small proportion 

of the Indian diaspora (approx. around 

1500-2000), yet the community has 

many cultural associations across NZ. 

Probasee Bengalee Association of 

New Zealand has served the Bengali 

community for over two decades. 

With 350-400 registered members, 

Probasee is one of three registered 

Bengali associations in NZ. The 

association came into being in 1998. 

“Bengali people from India started 

coming to NZ in the 1970s, but the 

number increased in the early 1990s. In 

1992, a few Bengali families organised 

the first Durga Pujo in Auckland. 

Eventually, by 1998 there were more 

Bengali families in Auckland, and the 

Probasee Bengalee Association of 

New Zealand was formed to cater to 

them,” says Shopan Dasgupta, Probasee 

general secretary. 

This year post-Probasee AGM the new 

Executive Committee (EC) has got down 

to formulating a ‘plan for how best we 

can bring back the community together.’ 

The EC has made a conscious decision 

to ‘ be in with the times as well as not 

to lose our customary traditions and 

rituals, which translates into – trying to 

bring in the use of modern technology 

by doing many things virtually as well as 

continuing with practices which need to 

be preserved for generations to come. 

A big focus is to get the younger 

generation participating more and slowly 

but steadily being more active and taking 

on more meaningful roles within the 

organization. It is of pivotal importance 

to keep our heritage, traditions, 

customs, rituals alive and being passed 

on through the generations. 

“The Probasee Bengalee Association 

of NZ has a good strong membership, 

and we are seeing a lot of new members 

joining us as well. We want to carry on 

with the traditions of Bengal. We want 

the younger generation also to learn and 

imbibe themselves into the rich culture, 

heritage, and Bengali traditions.,” 

Dasgupta says. 

The non-profit organisation aims to 

promote the rich cultural heritage of 

Bengal in NZ. The association conducts 

cultural, social and religious events 

throughout the year. 

Moving on, Dasgupta believes it is vital 

for ethnic communities to preserve their 

identity and for that we need to be able 

to have a long term vision for the future. 

Since Bengal is known for its art, craft, 

music and, of course, food (who doesn’t 

know mishit doi (sweetened yoghurt) and 

roshogullah), the association organises 

Bengali plays, musical programmes and 

concerts featuring renowned poets like 

Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam 

and Sukumar Ray, to name a few. 

According to Dasgupta, the Bengali 

plays involve people in age groups 

ranging from 10-75 years, who actively 

contribute to scriptwriting, direction, 

musical compositions, singing, set 

“Bengali people from 

India started coming to 

NZ in the 1970s, but the 

number increased in the 

early 1990s. In 1992, a few 

Bengali families organised 

the first Durga Pujo in 

Auckland. Eventually, by 

1998 there were more 

Bengali families in Auckland, 

and the Probasee Bengalee 

Association of New Zealand 

was formed to cater to 

them,” 

and props production, costume 

arrangements, designing of tickets and 

brochures, advertising and publicity, and 

other responsibilities. 

“Our events are open to members 

of Probasee as well as to the general 

public,” Dasgupta points out. 

Probasee runs a theatre group that 

annually stages a Bengali ‘natok’ 

(drama). In addition, the association 

hosts festivals such as Durga Puja, 

Lakshmi Puja and Saraswati Puja, as 

well as other events, including cricket, 

soccer, table tennis, badminton, quiz 

nights and competitions. Food festivals 

are organised to mark the Bengali New 

Year, Vijayadashami, and Mahalaya. 

“By celebrating different festivals, 

traditions and customs, we are providing 

the platform and resources to preserve 

Indian culture,” Dasgupta explains. 

Probasee has planned events for the 

rest of the year. 

“The EC also has made a tentative 

calendar with the important events for 

the year already being diarised. We have 

already put the event calendar on our 

website, with the dates being more or 

less accurate. Our challenges over the 

last two years seem to be on the ‘fade’. 

But life is always full of challenges, 

and we are going to take them in our 

strides.” says Dasgupta. 

Dasgupta foresees greater 

participation by the elderly and the 

youth in the growth of Probasee. 

In closing, Dasgupta highlights the 

relief work undertaken by Probasee 

during natural calamities and the 

pandemic over the past two years. The 

association plans to expand its relief 

efforts globally. 

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FEATURES 31 

Bonding over Tamil culture 

Czech Professor Dr Kamil V. Zvelebil 

once said, “There is no doubt that 

the culture of the Tamils belongs 

to the great and immortal treasures of 

the world’s civilisation.” 

And the Kiwi-Tamil diaspora in New 

Zealand has been doing its bit to 

preserve the rich Tamil culture and 

heritage in Aotearoa. 

And that explains that there are 

various Tamil associations across NZ 

in cities such as Auckland, Wellington, 

Hamilton, Christchurch, Dunedin, 

Taranaki and Blenheim. 

There are more than 15 

associations that cater 

to around 5000 strong 

Tamil community 

members in NZ. 

Tamil Society 

Waikato (TSW) - a 

nonprofit organisation 

founded in 1989 - is 

doing its bit to promote 

the Tamil language, culture and 

literature. 

Giving details about the association, 

which has been in existence for over 

three decades, its president Srinivasan 

Jaganathan says, “It was started with 

just nine families in 1989 and had been 

relentlessly working to promote Tamil 

language, culture and literature. 

"Today, we have over 200 members. 

And nearly 500 people attend our bigger 

events.” 

TSW is also working with multicultural 

associations and has recently started 

initiatives to bring the Maori community 

and Tamil community for better 

understanding of each other’s cultural 

values to bring harmony to society. 

Explaining TSW’s body of work, 

Jaganathan says, “We run weekly Tamil 

language classes during the weekends. 

We also endeavour to promote music 

and celebrate Tamil cultural festivals 

like Pongal, Tamil New year, and arts 

festivals. 

"We also promote Tamil ethnic foods 

from Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and 

Singapore. We want our new generations 

to know our roots and respect other 

cultures.” 

TSW did a Kari Virunthu (Food 

festival) last year where more than 500 

people were served at the table. They 

also did Deepavali Arts and Food festival 

in Hamilton Gardens in 2020, where 

many Indian associations in Hamilton 

participated. 

TSW is a member association of the 

Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of 

Tamil Sangams (ANTS) and celebrated 

Pongal in the parliament. 

“It was started with just 

nine families in 1989 and 

had been relentlessly 

working to promote Tamil 

language, culture and 

literature. Today, we have 

over 200 members. And 

nearly 500 people attend 

our bigger events.” 

TSW actively participated in the Covid 

vaccination program, along with the 

Ministry of Health, for translating Covid 

information into the Tamil language and 

brought doctors to advise the people in 

Tamil on how to survive. 

On a parting note, Jaganathan revealed 

that they intend to build a strong 

network to help the Tamil community 

to achieve well in business, technology, 

and sports and do more in physical and 

mental health and wellbeing. 

“We would like to work with the 

Government and other cultural 

organisations for the betterment of 

Tamil and New Zealand communities,” 

he signs off. 

Vector Lights celebrate Diwali Festival 

SUPPLIED CONTENT 

Vector Lights is celebrating Auckland Diwali 

Festival with full zeal. The Auckland Harbour 

Bridge will join Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath 

and Queen Street Lights in a vibrant celebration of 

the Festival of Lights. The spectacular Vector Lights 

show which started on 5 October and will run every 30 

minutes from 8.00pm to Sunday 9 October. 

Vector Lights is part of a ten-year smart energy 

partnership between Vector, Auckland Council, and 

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Vector Lights is 

an experience and a destination, giving Aucklanders a 

focal point for celebration and recognition. 

Throughout the year we light up the Auckland 

Harbour Bridge at different times to celebrate 

important events, festivals and days of significance. 

Since 2018 Vector Lights has been supporting the 

Auckland Diwali Festival. 

“We’re excited that the Auckland Diwali Festival is 

returning to Aotea Square and Upper Queen Street 

for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. To 

add to the festivities, the Auckland Harbour Bridge 

will be dazzled in the bright colours of Diwali. The 

colourful array will be made out in rangoli patterns, 

with the art form being a huge part of traditional 

Indian celebrations. Accompanying the light show is 

a soundtrack that can be listened to live at https:// 

www.vector.co.nz/about-us/sponsorship/lights/lightevents, 

” says the spokesperson from Vector. 

The show will showcase the full array of colour 

that is synonymous with the Auckland Diwali Festival, 

including dynamic fuchsia pink, yellow, crimson, purple, 

and green. 

The lights embody the vibrancy and energy this 

traditional Indian festival brings. 

The best spots to watch Vector Lights for Auckland 

Diwali Festival are: 

• Westhaven Marina 

• Silo Park 

• The end of Halsey Wharf (just out from the Viaduct 

Events Centre) 

• The end of Princes Wharf (outside the Hilton 

Auckland hotel) 

• The end of Queens Wharf (in front of The Cloud and 

The Lighthouse) 

• Little Shoal Bay 

• Hinemoa Park next to the Birkenhead Ferry Terminal 

• Maungawhau Mt Eden 

• Bayswater MarinaTakurunga Mt Victoria

32 

NEW ZEALAND 



Intensifying Tamilian ties 

Among Kiwi-Indians, the Indian- 

Tamil diaspora (about 10,000), 

which has been increasing 

steadily, is one of the most active Indian 

ethnic groups in NZ. The fact that there 

are around 15 official Tamil associations 

across NZ bears testimony to it. 

Tamil Association of New Zealand Inc 

(TANZI) started in 2018 to serve new 

Tamil immigrants from all over the world 

to settle here. 

When asked to describe TANZI, 

its President Sowndra Rajan 

Palanisamy says, “TANZI is a group of 

people who have come together to help 

Tamil people from all over the world, 

particularly from Tamil Nadu, 

to settle down smoothly in 

NZ. Our vision is to uphold 

Tamil and Aotearoa 

culture and values in NZ. 

We aim to help Tamil 

people adopt Aotearoa 

values and settle in NZ 

while maintaining their 

cultural heritage.” 

Talking about 

the story behind its 

formation in 2018, Sowndra 

says, “TANZI was started 

in 2018 officially. 

But, as a group, we worked with 

students, helping in the initial arrival 

Spreading the Uttarakhand charm 

and settling process 

before that in an 

informal setting. 

"We used to and 

continue to help people to find 

accommodation and jobs, and diverting 

them to the right people for help 

regarding IRD, immigration, accounting, 

taxation, real estate, and any other govt 

related information. 

“These services are free of cost. 

It was well received and led us to 

make it a registered, not-for-profit 

organisation in 2018. 

"Associations like us are critical in 

upholding and passing our cultural 

values to future generations.” 

Interestingly, TANZI has been serving 

the Indian-Tamil community members 

through Whatsapp groups. Giving more 

details, Sowndra says, “We have people 

from all over NZ in our contact list. We 

maintain three WhatsApp groups for 

information interchange and to help the 

community. “ 

TANZI has 15 core members, 

73 members and 1000-plus group 

participants associated with the free 

services rendered. 

TANZI regularly organise social events 

and participates in events conducted by 

the Tamil and Indian diaspora. 

“We promote cultural festivals like 

Pongal, Diwali and Tamil New Year, 

among others. 

"We were instrumental in petitioning 

and participating in organising the 

celebrations of Pongal celebration in NZ 

parliament,” reveals a proud Sowndra. 

Sowndra reveals that as a plan for 

TANZI, they would like to do more 

workshops for students and work visa 

holders and even planning to do Pongal 

in Marae. 

“We would love to have increased 

support and collaboration of New 

Zealanders to expand the scope further 

to reach the community. 

"We envision having our wings in 

all major cities in the near future,” 

he signs off. 

When one talks about 

the most beautiful 

state in North India, 

how can one not speak about 

Uttarakhand, which is home 

to many scenic hill stations 

such as Mussoorie, Nainital, 

Auli and Mukteshwar, to 

name a few? It can be best 

described as a mystical land 

of mountains and mythologies, 

exquisite landscapes and 

exhilarating adventure. 

Every year, millions of 

people travel to Uttarakhand, 

also known as “the land of 

the gods” (Devbhoomi). 

Whether for a family vacation, 

honeymoon, adventure or 

visiting religious shrines like 

Kedarnath, Badrinath, Rishikesh 

and Haridwar, Uttarakhand has 

something to offer everyone. 

It is said, ‘Where the sky 

bows down in front of the 

Himalayas that is Devbhoomi 

Uttarakhand’, and the 

Uttarakhand Association of 

New Zealand (UANZ) is playing 

an essential part in keeping 

the traditions and cultures of 

the Devbhoomi alive in NZ. 

Based in Auckland, it caters 

to 500 people from the Kiwi 

Uttarakhand diaspora. 

UANZ was conceptualised 

in 2013 to keep the cultural 

identity, interest and 

importance of Devbhoomi in 

mind and is the only registered 

charitable association in NZ 

representing Uttarakhand. 

While it doesn’t have any wing 

outside Auckland at present, 

UANZ has organised cultural 

programs in liaison with other 

Uttarakhand associations 

outside Auckland in the past. 

Ramya Negi, Secretary and 

Cultural Head, UANZ, says, “We 

have close to 200 community 

members who are part of our 

association. 

We all work towards ensuring 

that the vibrant culture of our 

home state, Uttarakhand, is 

kept alive and breathing so 

that our future generations 

are connected with their roots. 

While it is important to be a 

Roman in Rome, it is equally 

or more important to stay in 

touch with our motherland. 

Our roots, our culture or 

origin, and our cultural traditions 

together make our identity. It is 

who we are, and we must never 

forget that.” 

In tune with its vision, UANZ 

organises several cultural 

activities throughout the year 

to celebrate festivals significant 

to Uttarakhand, such as Holi, 

Harela, and Igaas Bagwal (Diwali 

of Uttarakhand), among others. 

“We use these celebrations 

to come together as a 

community, wear our traditional 

outfits, bring along traditional 

food and sing and dance to 

Uttarakhandi songs. 

A way to recreate the 

festive ambience as you will 

see in Uttarakhand for the 

While it is 

important to be 

a Roman in Rome, 

it is equally or more 

important to stay 

in touch with our 

motherland. Our 

roots, our culture or 

origin, and our cultural 

traditions together 

make our identity. It 

is who we are, and 

we must never forget 

that.” 

Uttarakhandis living in NZ,” 

explains Negi. 

It also has its cultural 

performance 

group, 

“Jhoomelo”, which has been 

invited to many events to 

perform. 

Negi believes that Indian 

cultural associations are the 

key to preserving the authentic 

cultural essence of India on a 

global platform, showcasing it 

to the rest of the world, and 

being proud of it. 

UANZ is working on a few big 

projects. One such project is to 

preserve the 2 main significant 

festivals of Uttarakhand – 

Harela and Igaas Bagwal. 

As Uttarakhandis we believe 

it is losing its identity and it is in 

our responsibility to keep it live 

for future generations to come. 

The second project we are 

working on is Uttarakhand NZ 

Idol for Uttarakhandis in NZ. 

“The idea is to provide a 

platform for Uttarakhandis in 

NZ to showcase their talent 

significant to the Uttarakhandi 

culture using which we 

will bring more and more 

Uttarakhandis together. 

This may also mean an 

opportunity for NZ born/ 

raised Uttarakhandis to gain 

recognition in their homeland 

Uttarakhand, India if and when 

opportunity strikes. 

We are also looking at working 

alongside and supporting the 

wider Indian organisations 

nationwide. We want to take 

this association to a greater 

height of success,” says Negi. 

Before signing off, Negi 

reveals that with borders reopening, 

UANZ is also looking 

at a program to support 

and settle new immigrants. 

WE have shortage of staff 

in every industry and 

there are new immigrants 

looking for employment. 

"We are looking at a 

platform whereby we 

can connect accredited 

Uttarakhandi business owners 

with employment seekers 

in the wider Indian Diaspora 

creating a win win for the 

economy and all.

Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame 2021 

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21/09/22 11:30 AM

38 

FIJI 



Border breach: How humans are trafficked 

The 2022 Trafficking 

in Persons Re port 

published by the United 

States Department of States 

in July, indi cated that the Fiji 

Police Force did not proactively 

investigate trafficking cases 

consistently. 

The Trafficking in Persons 

report is the United States 

Government’s principal 

diplomatic tool to engage 

foreign governments on 

human trafficking. Fiji’s 

investigations and enforce ment 

of anti-trafficking law are led 

by the Police Human Trafficking 

Unit(HTU). 

Other law enforcement 

agencies are Republic of 

Fiji Navy, Fiji Immigration 

Department, Ministry of 

Employment, Productivity and 

In dustrial Relations and Fiji 

Revenue and Customs Service, 

and Ministry of Women, Children 

and Poverty Al leviation. 

Police Spokesperson Ana 

Naisoro said Police officers 

were trained to identify and 

investigate cases of trafficking 

and trafficking in persons. 

The report further stated that 

“Government did not report 

efforts to investigate child 

sex tourists or facilitators who 

transported child sex trafficking 

victims to hotels or private 

yachts, despite reporting that 

this practice increased during 

the year”. 

However, Fiji has significantly 

Fiji has approximately 1.3 million square kilometers of Exclusive Economic Zone, which 

translates to the vast and porous borders that we have. 

im proved in trying to meet the 

mini mum standards for the 

elimination of trafficking. 

But more needs to be done. 

Jose Sousa-Santos, the 

managing director for 

Strategika Group Asia Pacific, 

says child trafficking across 

borders in the Pacific is still at 

its early stages. However, this 

is now a growing con cern for 

the region, he said. 

Mr Sousa-Santos is an expert 

in dealing with transnational 

organized crime, terrorism, 

cultural and human terrain 

analysis, and secu rity risk 

assessments for private and 

government sectors. 

“With Pacific countries and 

com munities under economic 

duress due to the COVID-19 

pandemic, a permis sive 

environment has emerged in 

which child trafficking both 

domes tically and internationally 

is on the rise,” he said. 

Traffickers, by nature, look 

for the weak points and the 

points of vulnerability. They 

use methods and tactics, which 

have proven successful in oth er 

parts of the world. 

These include the use of 

pleasure craft, switching off 

transponders, changing vessel 

registration, and making the 

most of the Pacific’s po rous 

borders and many uninhabited 

islands. 

A report highlighted in The 

Na tional Anti-Human Traffic 

Strategy 2021-2026 stated: 

In 2016, children were taken 

to private boats anchored 

offshore near Fiji where they 

were sexually abused and raped 

by foreign adult men. 

An earlier Trafficking in 

Persons report by the US State 

Department indicated that: 

Staff at smaller, local hotels procure 

underage girls and boys for 

commercial sexual exploitation 

by foreign guests, while taxi 

drivers, nightclub employees, 

and relatives frequently act as 

prostitution facili tators. 

POLICING OF MARITIME 

BORDERS 

Mr Sousa-Santos said lack 

of capac ity was a significant 

limitation to effective policing 

of maritime borders; and 

ensuring there was a robust 

le gal framework in place to 

prosecute. 

Ministry of Defence 

Permanent Secretary Manasa 

Lesuma said Fiji was able to 

monitor its maritime borders 

with the resources, and 

budget it had. 

“The Ministry with the 

assistance of the two forces 

and relevant gov ernment 

stakeholders are able to 

effectively monitor our 

maritime borders with the 

resources that are available to 

the Government,” he said. 

“The consistent increase in 

budget ary allocation to the 

Fiji Navy and other maritime 

stakeholders coupled with 

the donor assistance of 

vessels to both the Fiji Police 

Force and the Republic of Fiji 

Navy ensures that we have 

adequate resources required to 

effectively monitor and police 

our maritime borders.” 

He added bilateral relations 

en sured visits by foreign naval 

vessels also contributed to 

capacity building and training, 

and maritime surveil lance. 

Senior maritime training 

consult ant of Maritime Training 

Founda tion Limited, Captain 

Tevita Robanakadavu, said the 

vast area of Fiji’s exclusive 

economic zone required the 

implementation of robust monitoring 

systems. 

“Just because of the vast 

area of the EEZ, compared to 

the sizes of our patrol boats 

and the cost of fuel, I believe 

it is best for Maritime Safety 

Authority of Fiji (MSAF) to 

imple ment the Ships Reporting 

System,” he said. 

COLLABORATION WITH 

MARITIME COMMUNITIES 

The Ministry of Defence, 

stakehold ers and departments, 

and bilateral partners have 

conducted trainings for the 

village headmen and district 

representatives to act as 

border marshals. 

Any suspicious events are 

commu nicated through the 

toll free number 1539 that 

links directly to the Repub lic of 

Fiji Navy Rescue Coordination 

Centre. 

Actions are then taken 

to address any suspicious 

activities within the reported 

maritime zone. 

Mr Lesuma said this 

mechanism en sured Fiji could 

effectively respond to any 

illegal incursions within our EEZ. 

New Zealand to India 

India to New Zealand 

09 218 4000 

info@sehiontours.com 

www.sehiontours.com 

Flights to Australia 

Flights to Canada 

Flights to Fiji 

Flights to USA

40 

WORLD 

Made-in-India 

attack helicopters 

inducted; special 



moment: PM Modi 

The formal induction of 

the LCH comes months 

after the Cabinet 

Committee on Security, chaired 

by the Prime Minister, approved 

in March the procurement 

of 15 LCH Limited Series 

Production (LSP) at a cost of 

Rs 3,887 crore. 

THE Indian Air Force 

Monday formally inducted the 

indigenously developed multirole 

Light Combat Helicopter 

(LCH), Prachand, which is 

suitable for operating in highaltitude 

battlefields, and Combat Helicopter (LCH) "Prachand" into the Indian Air Force, in Jodhpur, Monday. (PTI) 

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally inducts the indigenously developed Light 

capable of destroying enemy 

air defence and engaging in 

Speaking at the ceremony in 

counter-insurgency operations. 

Jodhpur, Rajnath Singh said the 

The first batch of 10 LCH — 

induction illustrates that “the 

four arrived Monday — is being 

way the nation trusts the Indian 

inducted into the IAF’s 143 

Air Force, the Air Force too 

Helicopter Unit at the Jodhpur 

trusts indigenously developed 

Air Force Station. Defence 

weapons and systems”. The 

Minister Rajnath Singh presided 

Defence Minister also went on 

over the induction ceremony 

a sortie in the helicopter after 

along with the new Chief of 

the induction. 

Defence Staff (CDS) General 

“For a long time after 

Anil Chauhan and Chief of Air 

Independence, indigenous 

Staff Air Chief Marshal V R 

technology for the development 

Chaudhari. The name, Prachand 

of the attack helicopter was 

(fierce), was announced during 

not given enough attention. 

powered by rotors, engines 

the ceremony. 

As a result, the IAF had to 

and blades but also by the 

The LCH is a 5.5-tonne class 

depend on foreign-origin attack 

dedication, courage and 

dedicated combat helicopter 

helicopters…not just for our 

patriotism of the scientists, 

designed and developed by 

own operations but also for UN 

engineers and others who 

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd 

peacekeeping missions in other 

worked on it,” he said. 

(HAL). According to the IAF, 

countries,” he said. 

“I have been told the LCH 

the induction marks India 

Singh said the need for 

has been designed for the 

becoming the seventh country 

indigenous attack helicopters 

requirements of the modern-day 

to make attack helicopters. 

was felt “even more intensely” 

battlefield. In its developmental 

Taking to Twitter, 

during the 1999 Kargil War. 

stages, the LCH proved its 

Prime Minister Narendra 

“LCH is a result of the twodecade-long 

research and 

capabilities in all types of 

Modi described the induction 

challenges. The platform ably 

as “a special moment for the 

development since then. And 

fulfills requirements of our 

collective resolve of 130 crore 

its induction is an important 

Armed Forces in all types of 

Indians to make our nation 

milestone in our journey of 

terrains. This makes an ideal 

strong and self-reliant in the 

indigenous defence production. 

platform for both Army and Air 

defence sector”. 

LCH’s glorious flight is not just 

Force,” he said. 

Summit is global, but voice is local: PM Modi after launch 

of 5G services 

Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi, while launching 5G 

telephony services and 

inaugurating the India Mobile 

Congress in New Delhi on 

Saturday, said that although the 

summit was global, the thought 

process and voice behind it was 

definitely local. 

During his address at the 

event, the Prime Minister said, 

“With 2G, 3G and 4G, India was 

dependent on other nations. 

However, with 5G, India has set 

the global standard in telecom 

technology.” 

Highlighting the development 

the current BJP-led government 

has brought about in India, 

PM Modi said that before 

2014, India just had two mobile 

manufacturing units while now 

it is home to over 200 factories. 

“Our nation focused on cost of 

devices and data tariffs to drive 

digital penetration.” 

India got 5G mobile services 

— almost five years after the 

country took its first steps 

towards the launch of the 

next generation of mobile 

telephony. The 5G coverage 

will progressively cover the 

entire country over the next 

couple of years. The cumulative 

economic impact of 5G on India 

is estimated to reach $450 

billion by 2035. 

PM Narendra Modi launches 5G services with Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and 

billionaires Mukesh Ambani of Reliance and MoS Devusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan. 

After inaugurating the 

exhibition at Pragati Maidan 

here, PM Modi went around 

pavilions set up by different 

telecom operators and 

technology providers to get a 

first-hand experience of what 

5G can do. 

The Prime Minister started 

with Reliance Jio’s stalls, 

where he witnessed the ‘True 

External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks during a press conference 

with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington 

India-US relationship 

not narrowed to bilateral 

gains: Jaishankar 

India and the United States, 

the world’s two largest 

democracies, do not share 

a narrow relationship only 

devoted to bilateral gains, but 

the one that impacts the rest 

of the world, External Affairs 

Minister S Jaishankar has said. 

He said both countries 

have recognised that this is a 

relationship of great capability 

and potential and there is still a 

lot of room for it to grow. 

“If you look at the India-US 

relationship, it’s not a narrow 

relationship only devoted 

to each other’s gains. Our 

relationship today impacts the 

rest of the world, definitely does 

the Indo-Pacific,” Jaishankar 

told a group of Indian reporters 

on Wednesday as he concluded 

his four-day official trip to the 

American capital. 

Starting with an interaction 

with the diaspora on Sunday, 

Jaishankar over the next 

four days met his American 

counterpart Secretary of 

State Antony Blinken, Defense 

Secretary Lloyd Austin, 

Commerce Secretary Gina 

Raimondo, National Security 

Advisor, Jake Sullivan: and five 

lawmakers including Senator 

Mark Warner and Congressman 

Ami Bera.Jaishankar also had 

meetings with the American 

business community. He 

described his visit as a very 

comfortable one during which 

5G’ devices displayed and 

experienced the use case 

through Jio Glass. 

Flanked by Telecom 

Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and 

billionaires Mukesh Ambani 

of Reliance, Sunil Bharti 

Mittal of Bharti Airtel and 

Kumar Mangalam Birla of 

Vodafone Idea, he spent time 

understanding the indigenous 

he had good conversations. 

“There are a lot of countries 

who look to us individually or 

bilaterally, some part of the 

betterment, which they hope 

for, the solutions which the 

world is searching for, in many 

respects,” he said. 

“Bilateral, a very solid, 

positive, productive bilateral 

conversation, but framed in 

the context of larger global 

challenges. There’s a high 

degree of convergence on how 

we look at those challenges, 

we may articulate it a little bit 

differently,” he said. 

“It’s natural our position’s will 

not be identical, our priorities 

may sometimes be a little 

bit different. But again, the 

good part of the relationship 

is today, that we understand 

that we have to make space 

for each other, and that we 

can work with each other, even 

if we do not entirely agree on 

every aspect of every issue,” 

said the minister. 

Jaishankar said overall the 

India-US ties are in a good place. 

“If you look, our trades 

been doing well, our political 

exchanges have been very solid. 

There might be some process 

issues on visas, but in terms 

of actual movement of people, 

it’s on a longer timeframe 

again, being quite positive,” he 

said, adding that the student 

numbers are also strong. 

development of end-to-end 5G 

technology. 

He thereafter visited stalls 

of Airtel, Vodafone Idea, 

C-DOT and others. During the 

event PM Modi also interacted 

with students in Maharashtra, 

where Chief Minister Eknath 

Shinde was also present. 

The Prime Minister then 

interacted with a worker in a 

tunnel in Delhi where 

Minister of State for 

Communications, Devusinh 

Jesingbhai Chauhan, opened 

the stage by thanking the Prime 

Minister for the inauguration of 

the event and the launch of 5G 

services in select cities.

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42 INDIA 

Canada Start-Up Visa: The start-up 

visa offers a unique opportunity 

for immigrants in Canada. 

Here are all your questions on the 

start-up visa answered 

Canada's start-up visa program has 

welcomed 250 immigrants in the last five 

months and is set to welcome 600 new 

permanent residents in 2022, the highest 

number since its launch in 2013, Canada 

Immigration News reported. 

The start-up visa offers a unique 

opportunity for immigrants in Canada. As 

Canada opens up more and more after 

the Covid pandemic, the start-up visa 

can be a choice for immigrants wishing 

to settle in Canada. 

What are the basic eligibility requirements 

for Canada's start-up visa? 

The basic eligibility requirements for 

the visa include: having a qualifying 

business, having a letter of support from 

a designated organization, meeting the 

language requirements and having enough 

money to settle and live in Canada before 

you make money from your business. 

What is the minimum investment 

required to apply for Canada's start-up 

visa? 


Canada's start-up visa: All 

your questions answered 

If the investment comes from a 

designated Canadian venture capital 

fund, a candidate must secure a minimum 

investment of $200,000. 

In case investment comes from a 

designated Canadian angel investor group, 

a minimum investment of $75,000 is to be 

secured. 

How can a candidate secure support 

from a designated organisation? 

Through contacting the designated 

organisation the candidate can find out 

how to get support. 

Moreover, the organisation must be 

convinced that the idea of business is 

worth supporting. 

What happens if the business fails? 

If a candidate using the start-up visa is 

not able to do well in their business, it will 

not affect their permanent resident status. 

Dubai’s new Hindu temple with 16 deities to 

open from Dussehra 

A 

new 

Hindu temple 

constructed in Dubai is 

set to open its doors 

for devotees from Dussehra 

onwards, after an inauguration 

ceremony on Tuesday. 

The temple had its soft 

opening on September 

1, where thousands of 

visitors were allowed to get a 

glimpse of the interiors of the 

temple built with white marble. 

“With the benevolence of 

the Rulers of the UAE and 

the gracious support of the 

Community Development 

Authority (CDA), we are 

holding the official inaugural 

ceremony of the Hindu Temple 

Dubai tomorrow evening,” one 

of the temple trustees Raju 

Shroff, told Gulf News. 

Five points on new Hindu 

Ap p o i n t m e n t s 

in every visa 

classification will be 

issued, US embassy said. The 

delays or cancellations that 

occurred in 2021 will not 

affect visa at this moment, 

a representative of the US 

Embassy told Hindustan Times' 

business website Livemint. 

Visa appointments scheduled 

may be rescheduled if applicants 

find earlier appointments but 

will not be cancelled by the 

embassy, the representative 

further said. 

Explaining the process, the 

representative said that anyone 

who wishes to request an 

emergency non-immigrant visa 

appointment must schedule 

a walk-in appointment. 

After this, the candidate 

may submit an emergency 

appointment 

request. 

temple in Dubai: 

1. The temple is located 

in Jebel Ali. This area is also 

known as ‘the worship village’ 

as it houses several churches 

and the Guru Nanak Darbar 

Gurudwara. 

2. Temple trustees have 

welcomed people of all 

nationalities and religious 

beliefs to view and worship 16 

deities, and the Guru Granth 

Sahib - the Holy Book of the 

Sikhs, reported Gulf News. 

3. In terms of the architecture, 

the temple has two levels as 

visible in the images. A main 

prayer hall, where most of the 

deities are installed, has a large 

3D-printed pink lotus unfurling 

across the central dome. 

4. As per the information 

on its website, the temple 

A main prayer hall, where most of the deities are installed, has a large 3D-printed pink 

lotus unfurling across the central dome. 

will also offer a digital library, 

physical and online classes on 

vedic languages, and a range of 

value building and awareness 

courses. 

As a part of its outreach 

program, it will also offer 

medical and educational 

support to those in need. 

5. The temple will be open 

daily from 6.30am until 8.30pm 

from October 5 onwards. 

Aarti or special prayers 

will be held daily at 7.30pm, 

the temple website said, 

recommending online booking 

via hindutempledubai.com to 

avoid long queues. 

On emergency visa appointment, US 

embassy's clarification amid massive backlog 

However, some criterion will 

apply in order to qualify for 

emergency appointments. 

“We cannot expedite 

interview waiver appointments 

in any visa classification. 

"Visa applicants with an 

existing interview waiver 

appointment and you wish 

to request an emergency 

appointment, you must first 

cancel your existing interview 

waiver appointment, then 

make a first timer (walk-in) 

appointment and then request 

the emergency appointment," 

the representative said. 

There has been a high 

volume of visa requests with 

the US embassy in India facing 

severe backlog. Citing reduced 

staffing and pandemic-related 

disruptions in operations since 

March 2020, the embassy 

said that the demand for visas 

across all categories is high. 

The wait times have thus 

"Visa applicants with 

an existing interview 

waiver appointment 

and you wish to 

request an emergency 

appointment, you 

must first cancel your 

existing interview 

waiver appointment, 

then make a first 

timer (walk-in) 

appointment and then 

request the emergency 

appointment," the 

representative said. 

been longer for most nonimmigrant 

visa appointments 

at the embassy in New Delhi 

and the consulates in Chennai, 

Hyderabad, Kolkata, and 

Mumbai. 


Joe Biden 

to set 

new US 

guidelines 

on abortion 

rights 

U.S. President Joe Biden 

will announce new 

guidelines and grants 

to protect reproductive rights, 

and describe how abortion 

rights have been curtailed since 

the Supreme Court overturned 

the constitutional right to 

terminating pregnancies. 

He will be speaking at a 

meeting of the reproductive 

rights task force, also to be 

attended by Vice President 

Kamala Harris, that is being held 

100 days after the landmark 

Roe v. Wade judgment. 

The meeting will focus on 

how millions of women cannot 

access abortion services and 

doctors and nurses are facing 

criminal penalties for providing 

such services, according to a 

White House official and a letter 

shared by the White House. 

The letter to the president 

was from Jen Klein, the head of 

the inter-agency task force on 

abortion access. 

At the meeting, the president 

will also speak about new 

guidelines for universities from 

the Department of Education 

to protect students from 

discrimination on the basis of 

pregnancy and $6 million in 

new grants to protect access 

to reproductive healthcare 

services from the Department 

of Health & Human Services. 

The letter from Klein said 

abortion bans have gone 

into effect in more than one 

dozen states since the court 

overturned the 1973 Roe 

v. Wade ruling on June 24. 

Nearly 30 million women of 

reproductive age now live in 

a state with a ban, including 

nearly 22 million women who 

cannot access abortion care 

after six weeks, it said. 

The letter also notes efforts 

by Republican lawmakers such 

as Senator Lindsay Graham to 

issue a nationwide abortion 

ban. 

Democrats are increasingly 

hopeful that the Supreme 

Court decision will boost voter 

support in November's midterm 

elections.

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44 

FEATURES 


ALOO PARATHA 


ORANGE JUICE 

Fruit Platter 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 - granny smith apples 

• 1bunch - red or green 

seedless grapes 

• 2 - kiwis 

• ½ - watermelon 

• 1 - pint blueberries 

• ½ - pint blackberries 

• 1 - pint strawberries 

• 1 - pint raspberries 

• ½cup - pomegranate seeds 

• Strawberry yoghurt 

• Chocolate dip 

METHOD: 

• Gently rinse and dry all fruit. 

• To prepare the apples, 

quarter them, remove the 

core from each quarter by 

slicing it out diagonally, and 

then slice each quarter into 

four or five slices ( Granny 

Smith apples don’t brown 

quickly, so you can do this 

in advance without worrying 

about it ). 

• To prepare the grapes, 

remove the stems to form 

little bundles of 5 to 10 

grapes. 

• To prepare the kiwis, peel 

off the skin with a vegetable 

peeler. 

• Slice kiwis crosswise into 

rounds. 

• To prepare the watermelon, 

place the half watermelon 

cut side down and cut it into 

four quarters. Slice each 

quarter crosswise 

i n t o 

triangular slices. 

• To prepare the strawberries, 

either leave whole if they’re 

smaller or remove leaves and 

cut into halves or quarters if 

they’re large. 

ARRANGE THE FRUITS: 

• Take a serving plate. 

• Start with the larger fruits. 

• Place a stack of watermelon 

slices on one side of the 

platter and another one 

somewhere across the 

platter. 

• Begin filling in spaces on 

the platter with bunches 

of grapes and handfuls of 

berries. 

• Work in layers, filling in gaps 

where you see them, and 

aiming for an abundant, 

almost overflowing look. 

• Sprinkle pomegranate seeds 

on top as garnishing. 

• Serve with strawberry 

yoghurt and chocolate dip in 

the bowl on the side ( tastes 

very nice with yoghurt or dip 

as a dessert in the end ). 

• TIP: Aim for a rainbow of 

colours or a variety of 

colours within a particular 

palette. 

• You certainly don’t have to 

use the exact fruits listed 

here to make a gorgeous 

fruit plate. 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2cups - atta ( wheat flour ) 

• 1/4cup - warm water 

FOR FILLING 

• 4 - potatoes, medium and 

boiled 

• 1 - onion, large and chopped 

• 2-3 - green chillies, chopped 

• 1/2tsp - red chilli powder 

• 1tsp - dry mango powder 

• 2tsp - ginger, fresh grated 

• 1tsp - salt or according to 

taste 

• 1/2cup - coriander, fresh 

and chopped 

• Oil for basting 

METHOD: 

• Take flour in a large bowl, 

slowly add water and using 

your hand, mix flour with 

water until you have a soft 

non stick dough ( knead it 

for about 4-5 minutes or 

until the mixture has formed 

a smooth dough ). 

• Cover the dough with a damp 

tea towel and leave it to rest 

for at least 15 minutes. 

FOR FILLING: 

• In a large mixing bowl, 

place boiled potatoes with 

onions, green chillies, red 

chilli powder, mango powder, 

grated ginger, salt and fresh 

chopped coriander. 

• Using a fork mash 

and mix all the ingredients 

together. Cover and keep 

aside. 

TO ASSEMBLE: 

• Preheat tawa or heavy base 

Egg Bhuji 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 6 - eggs 

• 2 - onion, medium 

• 1 - tomato, large 

• 2- green chillies 

• 1/2tsp - red chilli powder 

• 1/4tsp - turmeric powder 

• 1tsp - salt or according to 

taste 

• 1tbsp - oil 

• Fresh coriander 

METHOD: 

• Break the eggs into a 

medium bowl. 

• Using the fork, whisk the 

eggs well and set aside. 

• Heat oil in a heavy base fry 

pan over medium flame. 

• Peel, wash and chop 

onions then add them to 

the oil and fry until light 

brown in colour. 

• Add washed and chopped 

green chillies, sauté for 

flat pan over medium flame. 

• Divide the dough into equal 

size balls. 

• Dust the clean counter or 

rolling board with flour. 

• Roll a dough ball between 

your hands until its smooth 

and without cracks. 

• Using the rolling pin, flatten 

the ball into a 12cm round 

circle. 

• Take 1 tablespoon of potato 

mixture and spoon it into 

the centre of the dough to 

form a pouch then press the 

edges together tightly to 

close. Once sealed, press the 

dough ball ( filled with potato 

mixture ) down gently with 

the rolling pin, and again roll 

out into a 15 -16cm in circle 

into paratha. 

• Place the paratha onto the 

hot tawa or pan. 

• Once the top surface of the 

paratha starts to dry out, flip 

it over using a spatula. 

• Then using a spoon spread 1 

tablespoon of oil thoroughly 

on the paratha and flip it 

over. 

• Now spread 1 tablespoon of 

oil on the to facing surface 

of the paratha and flip it 

over again. Cook until both 

the sides are golden- brown 

in colour. Repeat with the 

other dough balls, making 

them into parathas. 

Serve hot with the dollop of 

butter on top. Mango pickle and 

mint raita on the side. 

• Serves - 4 

few seconds. 

• Add washed and 

chopped tomato, 

sauté for a 

minute or until 

the tomatoes 

are soft. 

• Add red chilli 

powder, 

turmeric 

powder and 

salt, mix well 

with a splash 

of water. 

• Add eggs and 

cook for 2-4 

minutes over 

medium flame, 

scrambling the 

eggs. 

• Garnish with fresh 

chopped coriander. 

• Serve with plain 

paratha and a cup of tea. 

• Serves - 4 

INGREDIENTS: 

• ½cup - water 

• 4 - medium oranges, peeled 

and deseeded 

• 1½cup - ice cubes 

METHOD: 

• Place all ingredients into the 

blender. 

• Start the blender on its 

lowest speed, then quickly 

increase to its highest speed. 

• Blend for 1 minute or until 

desired consistency is 

reached. Serve immediately. 

TIP: Try plain orange juice with 

pineapple, it tastes very good. 

For recipe variation, add 1/2 

cup of fresh pineapple with 

orange juice. Double this recipe 

and reserve in the refrigerator 

to have during the week. 

MINT RAITA 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 11/2cup - mint leaves, fresh 

• 2 - green chillies 

• 1cup - yoghurt 

• tsp - dry mango powder 

• Salt to taste 

METHOD: 

• Wash mint leaves and green 

chillies. 

• Grind them into a paste and 

keep aside. 

• Tip yoghurt into a medium 

size serving bowl, whisk a 

little then add the mint paste 

and mix well.Add mango 

powder and salt and mix well 

again with the fork. 

• Serve.


FEATURES 45 

Festival of Lights 

8 - 9 

October 

Aotea Square 

For more information visit aucklandnz.com/diwali

46 ENTERTAINMENT 

To mark the momentous 

occasion of the 80th 

birthday of the legendary 

actor Amitabh Bachchan, Film 

Heritage Foundation on Friday 

announced a film festival 

titled 'Bachchan Back To The 

Beginning', as a part of which 

movies featuring the megastar 

will be screened in 17 cities 

across the country. 

The 

not-for-profit 

organization founded by 

filmmaker and archivist 

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur has 

meticulously curated a bespoke 

collection of 11 blockbuster 

films of the legendary 

performer. The 4-day event will 

open on October 8 and close 

on October 11, the date of the 

star's birthday. 

Meanwhile, Big B’s 

daughter Shweta Bachchan 

Nanda shared the poster 

of 'Bachchan Back To The 

Beginning' on her Instagram 

account. The post garnered the 

attention of her daughter and 

Big B’s niece Navya Nanda who 

dropped a heart emoji in the 

comment section. 

Filmmaker 

Anurag 

Kashyap also took to his 

Instagram and penned a sweet 

note for Big B. He wrote, 

“The man who shaped our 

childhood. He personified the 

angst of Salim Javed, Yash 

Chopra, the everyman of 

Hrishikesh Mukherji, the man 

from the street, the orphan, 

the unemployed sarcasm-laden 

young man who gave up on god 

and embraced the anti-hero. 

He shaped our childhood; he 

taught us to rebel. And now 

you can see all those films 

restored for the big screen 

again .. thank you Film heritage 

foundation and Shivendra 

Singh Dungarpur for giving 

us back our hero.” 

Amitabh Bachchan said he 

never thought he would see a 

day that all these films from 

his early career would be back 

on the big screen. 


The four-day day event, 

titled 'Bachchan back to the 

beginning', will open on Oct 8 

"It is a remarkable initiative 

of the Film Heritage Foundation 

and PVR to showcase not just 

my work, but the work of my 

directors, fellow actors and 

technicians of the time who 

made these films possible. "It 

brings back an era that is gone, 

but not forgotten. This is why 

saving India's film heritage is 

so important. I hope that this 

is just the beginning of many 

festivals that will celebrate 

landmark films of Indian cinema 

back on the big screen," the 

79-year-old actor said. 

According to the press 

release issued by an NGO, 

Film Heritage Foundation, the 

fans of the superstar across 

cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, 

Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, 

Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, 

Raipur, Kanpur, Kolhapur, 

Indore, including Big B's 

hometown Prayagraj will have 

a chance at watching the actor 

on the big screen and witness 

the 90s magic again. 

Films to be screened as 

part of the festival are Don, 

Kaala Patthar, and Kaalia, 

in partnership with leading 

multiplex chain PVR 

Cinemas Kabhie Kabhie, Amar 

Akbar Anthony, Namak Halaal, 

Abhimaan, Deewar, Mili, Satte 

Pe Satta, and Chupke Chupke. 

Asha Parekh on her Dadasaheb Phalke 

Award: ‘All my desires are now fulfilled’ 

Asha Parekh was conferred 

Dadasaheb Phalke Award 

by President Droupadi 

Murmu during the 68th National 

Film Awards ceremony in Delhi 

on Friday. The veteran actor 

expressed her gratitude and 

said that initially, she could not 

believe that she was getting 

the prestigious award. 

Veteran actor Asha Parekh 

was on Friday honoured with 

the prestigious Dadasaheb 

Phalke Award, the highest 

recognition in Indian cinema. 

Asha, who was presented the 

award by President Droupadi 

Murmu during the 68th National 

Film Awards ceremony in Delhi, 

said she was grateful to receive 

the award a day before her 80th 

birthday. Also read: Suriya and 

Jyothika receive their National 

Film Awards 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

congratulated Asha Parekh on 

being conferred the Dadasaheb 

Phalke Award. He lauded 

her as an outstanding film 

personality. PM Modi tweeted 

on Friday, “Asha Parekh Ji is an 

outstanding film personality. In 

her long career, she has shown 

what versatility is. I congratulate 

her on being conferred the 

Dadasaheb Phalke Award.” 

In an interview to news 

agency ANI, after receiving 

the award, Asha said in Hindi, 

"The time when this award has 

come… it feels great. It feels 

as if all my desires are now 

fulfilled... Initially when they 

(the government) told me I will 

be receiving this award, I could 

not believe that I am getting 

it. Today it feels that I have 

actually received the award." 

The veteran actor also thanked 

her fans and said in Gujarati, “I 

want to thank you all for this 

award. Thanks for supporting 

me…” 

At the ceremony, 

Asha said, "It is a huge 

honour to have received the 

Dadasaheb Phalke Award. It 

makes me very grateful that 

the recognition comes to me 

just one day before my 80th 

birthday. This is the best 

honour I could get from the 

Government of India. I would 

like to thank the jury for the 

recognition that they have 

bestowed upon me, my long 

journey and fulfilling the journey 

in the film industry," Asha said. 

The five-member Dadasaheb 

Phalke Award committee – 

comprising of Asha Bhosle, 

Hema Malini, Poonam Dhillon, 

"It 

is a huge 

honour to have 

received the Dadasaheb 

Phalke Award. It makes 

me very grateful that the 

recognition comes 

to me just one day 

before my 80th 

birthday." 

Udit Narayan, and TS 

Nagabharana – selected Asha 

Parekh for the honour for the 

year 2020. 

Asha started her acting 

career at the age of 10 with 

the 1952 film Aasmaan 

and went on to star 

in Bimal Roy's Baap 

Beti two years 

later. Asha made 

her debut as a 

leading lady in Nasir 

Hussain's 1959 

movie Dil Deke Dekho, 

opposite Shammi 

Kapoor. In a career spanning 

over five decades, she starred 

in over 95 films, such as Dil 

Deke Dekho, Kati Patang, Teesri 

Manzil, Baharon Ke Sapne, Pyar 

Ka Mausam, and Caravan. 

A director and producer as 

well, Asha had helmed the 

acclaimed TV serial Kora Kagaz 

that aired in the late 1990s. 

She was also the first female 

chairperson of the Central 

Board of Film Certification 

(CBFC). She served from 1998- 

2001. Asha was also honoured 

with the Padma Shri, the 

fourth-highest civilian award of 

the country, in 1992. 


Karan Johar calls 

Hrithik Roshan 

‘ultimate leading 

man of mainstream 

movies’ as he 

praises Vikram 

Vedha: 'His swag...' 

Karan Johar has shared 

his review of Pushkar- 

Gayathri's new release, 

Vikram Vedha. The filmmaker 

showered Hrithik Roshan and 

Saif Ali Khan with praise as the 

two play arch-rivals in the neonoir 

action thriller. It released 

in theatres on Friday. Also 

read: Vikram Vedha box office 

day 1 collection 

Calling Hrithik ‘the ultimate 

leading man’, Karan Johar wrote 

on Twitter, “Hrithik Roshan 

is a force of nature… from 

his sinister smile to his solid 

swag … he is the ultimate 

leading man of the mainstream 

movies…. His VEDHA is a lion, 

tiger and a panther all rolled 

into one!!! Wow!!” 

Praising Saif Ali Khan, Karan 

tweeted, “Saif Ali Khan pitches 

his performance brilliantly! 

The perfect balance of 

nuance and playing to the 

gallery! He plays VIKRAM with 

all the layers that the character 

commands with the ease of a 

veteran! Solid!!!!!” 

Asking his fans to 

watch Vikram Vedha, Karan said 

in yet another tweet, “Watch 

two solid actors own their 

characters with aplomb! Watch 

them display their immense 

expertise with panache!!! Go 

Watch #VikramVedha!!” 

Vikram Vedha is the 

Hindi remake of Pushkar- 

Gayathri's 2017 Tamil hit of 

the same name. 

Hrithik essays the role of 

gangster Vedha, originally 

played by National Award 

winner Vijay Sethupathi and 

Saif plays Vikram, originally 

essayed by R Madhavan. 

The action crime thriller is 

inspired by the Indian folktale 

Vikram-Betaal and follows a 

tough police officer Vikram 

(Saif), who sets out to track 

down and arrest the tenacious 

gangster Vedha. 

Hrithik spoke about working 

in a two-hero or ensemble 

film, and said, “I love doing an 

ensemble. The more the merrier. 

Like I did in Zindagi Na Milegi 

Dobara, War and now with 

Saif, it pushes you to do 

better because you see 

wonderful acting. 

Every time, I have done a 

two-hero or an ensemble film it 

has been way better and more 

fun for me."

Brighter Future Ahead. 

Mercedes-Benz North Shore is moving. 

Time is drawing closer toward the relocation of Mercedes-Benz North Shore to a new state-of-the-art 

Dealership on Fred Thomas Drive in Takapuna. The Dealership will include a 10 vehicle Mercedes-Benz 

Showroom, a mezzanine floor housing New Zealand’s largest AMG Performance Centre and an 18 hoist 

Service Department. A glass vehicle elevator in the middle of the building will be a centre piece that lifts the 

Mercedes-AMG vehicles to the mezzanine floor. 

2021 Mercedes-Benz Pre-Owned Sales Consultant of the Year, Ashwin Doolabh is very excited for the move 

and looks forward to welcoming you into the new Dealership. The development is taking shape and is due for 

opening this November and it will be a significant landmark on Auckland's North Shore. 

Ashwin Doolabh 

022 044 1705 

adoolabh@mbns.co.nz 

Mercedes-Benz North Shore 445 Lake Road, Takapuna 09 443 3808 

New Zealand Retailer of the Year 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021

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