Prasan Tirunagari, a Kiwi-Indian candidate from the Pukekohe/Franklin area, firmly believes that bringing diversity to the table ensures a “variety and richness of ideas” needed for all round development, progress, and prosperity.
Standing on a Labour Party ticket from Pukekohe – the satellite town located in South Auckland that services rural farming community between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River, Prasan has recently moved into the area and absolutely loves the beautiful package of a new upcoming community and the lush green farm stretches.
He is committed to doing everything to ensure that future generations and the residents of the neighbourhood continue to enjoy the same lifestyle.
Prasan is an IT professional by trade who first arrived in the country in 2013 along with his wife and had two daughters born here since then, with one of them attending the local school.
Raising his hand and stepping up comes naturally to Prasan for any challenges or opportunities alike, and recently, he has also become a board of trustee in his daughter’s local school.
Recently Prasan spoke with the Indian Weekender about his candidacy for the Pukekohe local board and his vision and passion for local politics.
Excerpts from the interview.
IWK: Tell us more about yourself and your work in the community
Prasan: I was born and bought up in a middle-class family in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. My father is a journalist, and my mother is a retired schoolteacher. My greatest influence was the environment I was bought in. We were surrounded by great journalist friends of my dad. My house was a central hub to discuss politics and political scenarios. Since childhood, I have always had a passion for working and serving the community, especially the needy.
During the time when I was representing Telangana Jugurtha NZ, we organised multiple events for the benefit of the community, of which my favourite one was a seminar for international students, where we organised people from multiple sectors to assist the students.
IWK: Why are you standing in local board elections?
Prasan: Because of my passion for serving the community, I have always had an aspiration to step up for any position that offers an opportunity to serve the community.
I am passionate about social issues, driven by a desire to improve the lives of all residents. This desire has convinced me to stand in the Pukekohe subdivision. I want to be the voice of the local community and be an accessible representative.
IWK: What is your vision for the Pukekohe area?
Prasan: I, along with my wife and two young daughters, are relatively new residents in the area as we have found our home in the Belmont community in Pukekohe. The neighbourhood is absolutely phenomenal, with so much cohesiveness and a spirit of peaceful coexistence that we as a family have started loving this place and seeing it as our home for the next fifty years.
Small and medium businesses serve our thriving community. The landscape, the vast expanse of green fields, and urban life make Pukekohe very special. My vision is that 50 years from now, we will be able to retain this with greater comfort and bring more prosperity to the area.
IWK: How do you propose to achieve those goals?
Prasan: I would want to work closely with the local communities, to understand the needs, including working with the Auckland council.
I am standing for this position to truly represent our Pukekohe community. The present local board lacks diversity, and I will add new and different perspectives in decision-making that would benefit all in the community.
IWK: What does it mean to you to stand in local elections as an ethnically diverse candidate?
Prasan: I see it as an opportunity and the channel to represent the views of our strong Indian community that is building up in this suburb. I also want to mention that I am the only Indian representing in the subdivision, which makes it a special privilege.
IWK: What do you think is going to be your biggest challenge in connecting with potential voters in your community?
Prasan: I would like to meet as many people face to face in my subdivision, but time is my biggest challenge. We are organising catch-ups at the local markets and doing some door knockings to address this, in addition to various public meetings and debates. I love meeting people.