New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters' defence of Shane Jones' racist comments is a sickening reflection of the victim-blaming culture right at the top of NZ politics.
Blaming victims themselves by holding them responsible and in some way telling them why they deserve the crime perpetrated upon them, is victim-blaming culture.
Often rape and sexual assault survivors are asked whether they wore provocative clothing’ or how they fought back. Poor people who work three jobs and still can't support a family are blamed for ‘laziness’ and failure, despite facing an economy that is stacked against them.
In a similar vein, Mr Peters has shifted the responsibility of the latest racist rant on the Indian community by his party colleague, by audaciously suggesting that Mr Jones’ is relaying the community’s opinions and so somehow that doesn’t make it racist!
NZ Herald reported on Wednesday, March 3, that Mr Peters said the comments couldn't have been racist as they "come from the Indian people themselves".
"Mr Jones was mirroring the comments that the Indian people have passed on to us – so they couldn't be racist in that context," Herald further quoted Mr Peters.
This is not just outrageous but also sickening and could well damage the reputation of NZ politics at the highest level.
In any case, since this audacious victim-blaming mindset is coming from none other than the Deputy Prime Minister it is alarming, especially since the Prime Minister herself seems disinclined to take a tougher stand than to express displeasure and appear helpless blaming coalitions, the MMP system and an election year!
Trivialisation of racism
Like any other political party, Mr Peters and his party are well within their constitutional obligations in hearing from the voters of the country who want to engage with them, including the Indian community.
However, it is not right if they outrageously extrapolate some private racist conversations as an excuse for a racist tirade against the entire community. This is indeed trivialisation of racism.
It is a devilishly clever application of convoluted political logic that trivialises racism.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Dividing the Indian community for political gains is an age-old colonial tactic
Meanwhile, for the Indian community, which has a mutually shared historical experience of colonial tactics of divide and rule, this is not an altogether new experience where the political masters succeed in pitting one against the other, before successfully subjugating them.
The only thing of interest will be if the Indian community in NZ has learned anything from their previous mutually shared experience of being allowed to drift apart in the wake of the application of divisionary politics.
So far The Indian Weekender has spoken with many leaders and key stakeholders in the community, who have refused to agree with Mr Peters' another bold assertion that there was only one leader (as reported in the Herald story) who was finding the comment by Mr Jones as racist.
Narendra Bhana, President, Auckland Indian Association said, "Shane Jones' comments on Indian students are racist. Period. I simply do not understand, why Shane Jones' backed by NZ First targets the Indian community, again and again."
Jeet Suchdev, Chairperson, Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust asked exasperatingly, "If this is not racism, then what is?"
"The Indian students are the contributors to this economy too; they are the youth workforce who study and work hard here to make their career legitimately. Such negative connotations about the Indian students here and by extension, the Indian community living in New Zealand is upsetting. New Zealand is facing dangers of two viruses, Coronavirus and Shane Jones virus. Shane Jones' comments are ridiculous and simply not acceptable," Mr Suchdev said.
Paul Patel, President, New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA) said, "Where does Shane Jones' or Winston Peters get such information that the Indian community is not happy with the students coming here? Has he backed his claims with sufficient evidence and information? No, he does not. This is what happens when we have a coalition government that does not help."
Vai Ravindran, President, Auckland Tamil Association said, "Mr Jones' comments, of course, come once again close to the elections. He needs oxygen and publicity to survive and what better for him to target the Indian community once again.
“For him, the Indian community is the lowest hanging fruit that he can use anytime for his political gain and mileage. No, sir, we are not a steppingstone in your political ambitions, and the community certainly does not appreciate being used as a tool for his publicity.”
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