If one talks about the Indian diaspora in New Zealand, the significant role of the Gujarati community can’t be ignored. It was in the late 1800s that Indians first started settling in NZ, and most of these early migrants came from the regions of Punjab and Gujarat. Since then, the Gujarati community in NZ (approx. 25000) has grown substantially.
The Gujarati community in NZ has well preserved its rich traditions and customs that have deep roots in their past. The colourful mosaic of age-old traditions, along with a tinge of modernisation, best sums up the culture of Gujarat. Gujaratis wonderfully represent their vibrant culture even in Aotearoa, from their clothing and language to their enigmatic celebrations and delectable food, which explains why there are many Gujarati associations across NZ.
In this twentieth part of our series on cultural Indian Associations in Aotearoa, we give you the lowdown on Gujarati Sahitya Mandal New Zealand (GSMNZ). The not-for-profit organisation aims to promote the preservation and development of the Gujarati language, literature, performing arts and culture in every form in NZ.
GSMNZ was incorporated in May 2016 and has been promoting Gujarat's cultural and social heritage since then. Giving details about the history of GSMNZ, Sonal Bhavsar-Joshi, one of the Core Committee Members of GSMNZ, says, "When likeminded people like Rupesh Parikh and Shailesh Prajapati often met in social gatherings, they eventually realised that Gujarati diaspora in NZ is in dire need of a cultural connection and that’s how Gujarati Sahitya Mandal came into being.”
Sonal maintains that they are passionate people who aim to provide a comfort zone to the Gujarati diaspora, especially to the young generation who are desperately looking for a cultural connection and a sense of belonging.
Interestingly, another prime motive of GSMNZ is to provide a platform to our community's budding artists. “When we migrate to a new country, we work harder to carve out a future for ourselves and our family, but during this process, we make a lot of sacrifices. We forget the artists, poets, musicians, actors or Singers living within. At GSMNZ, we help you keep those artists alive in you and provide a platform to showcase it,” explains Sonal.
Every year GSMNZ produces several community events where community members soak in Gujarati arts and culture, language, literature, heritage, and local talents get a platform to showcase their talents. “We have organised events, ranging from motivational talk show by popular Gujarati motivational speakers from India to theatrical play with the largest cast of 35 local artists. We also organise Gujarati talent shows, free Garba workshops, Gujarat Formation Day celebrations and our most popular yearly event, Let's Go Garba (a Garba night with a local Live Band)," says Sonal.
When asked about the organisation's plans, Sonal says, “With a near future branch extension taking shape in Melbourne, Australia, we believe we're in the right direction. We at GSMNZ aim to serve the community with more qualitative and inclusive community events every year. We strive to reach out to more people and connect with them. We’re also planning a Web Series that showcases local talent again and a Gujara Carnival (Melo) where we’ll be replicating and giving an overall experience of a Carnival originating from Gujarat.”
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