India's diversity was on display in Auckland on Sunday as organisations representing more than 15 Indian states celebrated the country's Independence Day at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Eden Terrace.
A pair of organisations jointly organise the main Independence Day event in Auckland each year, with the Uttarakhand Association of New Zealand and the New Zealand Telugu Association sharing responsibility this year.
The Indian Association Manukau held a smaller celebration on 15 August, as it was on this day in 1947 that India achieved independence after two centuries of British rule.
Indians and people of Indian origin all over the world typically come together to mark the independence struggle each year.
Pakistan celebrates its independence a day earlier on 14 August. When Britain ended its colonial rule, the Indian subcontinent was partitioned into India and Pakistan.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon enjoys Independence Day festivities at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attended the celebrations at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre on Sunday.
Addressing more than 1000 attendees in Eden Terrace, Luxon acknowledged the contributions that Kiwi Indians have made to New Zealand society.
Neeta Bhushan, Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
"You look at education, space or IT, India has made huge strides in every sector since independence," Luxon said. "An Indian spacecraft landing on the unexplored south pole of the moon last year is one such achievement in a long list.
"[That's why] improving relations with India is a priority for my government big time."
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins addressed the gathering via a video message, sharing a similar sentiment.
"Independence Day is a great time for the youth to reconnect with their Indian roots and experience their heritage," Hipkins said. "I want the Indian community to know your contributions are valued here in our shared home."
Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan thanked New Zealand politicians across party lines for the renewed vigour in the relations between the two countries.
"In the past two or three years, we have had many high-level bilateral interactions, including the recent state visit of Indian President Droupadi Murmu," Bhushan said. "This shows the importance both countries place on each other."
Puspa Lekinwala, the first-ever female president of the Auckland Indian Association, noted how close she felt to the subcontinent, even though her family has been living in New Zealand for more than a century.
Auckland Indian Association president Puspa Lekinwala Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Bhav Dhillon, honorary consul of India in Auckland, called on Luxon to make good use of the Indian diaspora in improving relations with the South Asian nation.
"Indians are now 6 percent of New Zealand population," Dhillon said. "This percentage is around 11-12 percent if you look at just Auckland. This can a big boon in establishing people to people links between our two countries."
ACT's Indian-origin list MP, Parmjeet Parmar, highlighted India's unique strength of diversity.
"If you look at the person sitting next to you, he or she may speak a different language or eat different food," Parmar said. "But all of us are connected through the bond of Indianness. This unity in diversity is the uniqueness of India."
Meanwhile, the Indian community in Wellington, Christchurch, Rotorua, Invercargill and Tauranga also got together last week to mark Independence Day in smaller gatherings.
Celebrations in the capital were led by the Indian High Commission, which also organised an event commemorating the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on 14 August.
Members of the Tauranga and Western Bay Indian Association hoisted the Indian flag in Tauranga on 15 August, with the same being done in front of the city council building in Invercargill.
Festivities started early in Christchurch on Thursday, with a flag-hoisting accompanied by song and dance sequences.
In the spirit of promoting harmony between the Indian and Pakistani diaspora, the New Zealand Punjabi Multimedia Trust organised its sixth India-Pakistan Friendship Sufi Mehfil evening of music on 17 August.
The Pakistan Association of Otago marked the country's Independence Day with celebrations in Dunedin on 14 August.
The Pakistan Association of New Zealand is planning on doing the same in Auckland on 14 September.
