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

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32 NEW ZEALAND Friday, 7 October, 2022 Read online www.iwk.co.nz 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 is proudly supporting PROUDLY SUPPORTING www.slumberzone.co.nz @slumberzone 09 268 2536 18 Noel Burnside Road, info@slumberzone.co.nz Manukau, Auckland 2025
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The Indian Weekender - Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Special - 07 October 2022

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