Disruption of Nagar Kirtan in New Zealand sparks outrage

In New Zealand, a ‘nagar kirtan’ (religious procession) marking was disrupted by protesters in the Manurewa suburb of South Auckland on Saturday. The protesters, linked to Pentecostal leader Brian Tamaki and his Destiny Church, raised slogans and carried banners reading “This is New Zealand, not India”. According to reports, while the protestors’ actions caused an initial standoff, there was no direct physical confrontation between the two sides. Police officers were quickly deployed to separate the opposing groups and de-escalate the situation.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday urged the Centre to take up with New Zealand government the issue of "disruption" of a peaceful Nagar Kirtan procession in south Auckland. On being asked about the issue, Mann told reporters in Dhuri that the Centre should take up the matter with the New Zealand government. On the Nagar Kirtan procession that was taken out in south Auckland on Saturday, he said everyone has the right to propagate their religion. “New Zealand is traditionally seen as a peaceful, developed nation, and it is unprecedented to hear of such disruptions there. The Indian government must take diplomatic action to ensure this does not happen again,” Mann said. BJP leader RP Singh has also written to foreign minister S Jaishankar, urging the government to address the disruption of the Sikh nagar kirtan procession in New Zealand through diplomatic channels.

Following the disruption, the management committees of 25 gurdwaras across New Zealand have engaged with local authorities and law enforcement to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future. Former New Zealand MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi said this was not a protest but a provocation. Bakshi was the first Indian-origin and the first Sikh MP of New Zealand.The New Zealand Central Sikh Association has issued an appeal to the Sikh community to remain calm and composed. "We are proud of our community's responsible and peaceful response yesterday (Saturday). We respectfully ask all members not to make any irresponsible or unjustified statements," NZCSA president Daljit Singh said, adding that they were in contact with the relevant authorities since the incident.