Kiwi Indians prepare for the Royal Visit
An air of excitement is palpable throughout the community, which is keenly waiting to welcome the well-educated, soft-spoken and sophisticated Preneet Kaur affectionately referred to as the Maharani of Patiala, who is coming to meet the people of Indian origin in New Zealand from March 26 to April 1. As Indian Weekender had the honour of speaking to her, at the very outset she wanted us to convey her best wishes on Holi to the entire Kiwi Indian Community.
Ms Kaur has devoted her life to the service of the people and was the Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2014 and served in the Government of India as the Minister of State for External Affairs under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She is currently MLA in the State of Punjab and is a senior member of India’s oldest political Party the Indian National Congress, which has produced great leaders and Prime Ministers such as Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
She hails from the illustrious Patiala Royal Family of India, which is well-known both in India and abroad. Her husband Maharaja Amarinder Singh is the current Head of the royal family. He served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. Presently, he is the sitting President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the 16th Lok Sabha, having been chosen for the position after his election as a Member of Parliament from Amritsar, where he defeated the prominent BJP leader Arun Jaitley the current Finance Minister.
As Minister of State in India’s External Affairs Ministry, she made an indelible mark on the Global scene when she chaired the plenary session of the United Nation where the UN General Assembly approved setting up of a single entity within the world body to promote equality for women. The establishment of this new composite UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, which is to be known as ‘UN Women’, brings together as many as four women-related agencies of the world body. This feat was achieved after intense negotiations.
Ms. Kaur has a long and chequered history of championing the cause of women. She said India has always been at the forefront of issues relating to gender equality, mainstreaming and empowerment. She recalled that Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first woman president of the UN General Assembly in 1953. Noting that India is home to more than half a billion women, she said India has taken major strides in the area of political empowerment of women. Today, more than a million women elected representatives participate in political decision-making at the grassroots level, she said.
Speaking to Indian Weekender she expressed her utter displeasure and dismay at the current BJP Akali Government in Punjab which orchestrated a systemic failure of agriculture, which once used to be the backbone of the state of Punjab. With the Punjab economy primarily based on Agriculture, the viability of the profession of farming is extremely important and has assured that in 2017 when her Party under the leadership of Maharaja Amarinder Singh comes to power, they will ensure the return of prosperity for the average farmer in Punjab, who have unfortunately been driven to commit suicides under the anti-farmer policies of the Akali-BJP Government.
She is passionate about the people of Punjab and their well-being. She highlighted that the Government led by her husband as the Chief Minister from 2002-07 implemented the Right to Information Act, 2005, and set up the State Information Commission, to ensure accountability and transparency in the government functioning. During that time, the produce of farmers was being purchased in a timely manner and payments were made to the farmers within 3 days whereas today the farmers are being driven to suicides. Suvidha centres were launched and the programme to computerise land records was initiated to stop corruption led tampering of land records.
Compared to the present day Bankrupt Punjab, during the rule of Maharaja Amarinder SinghPunjab became a preferred investment destination and was adjudged No. 1 State to live and work in 2003, 2004, 2005 and again in 2005 as per India Today survey.
Appreciating the religious sentiments of the community, Ms.Kaur was instrumental in getting a new train introduced from Bathinda to Mata Vaishno Devi with a stop at Patiala.
Under her aegis, the process of acquisition of the Indian Passport was also streamlined and simplified.
Talking exclusively to the Indian Weekender, Ms. Kaur emphasised the need for all the NRI’s to look through the farce of showmanship being orchestrated by the current Government and thus empower the decades old, tried and trusted Congress Party under the leadership of Maharaja Amarinder Singh to save the future of Punjab which was once the Golden state and the food bowl of the entire country.
If anyone wishes to meet her Royal Highness during her stay in NZ, she can be contacted via her secretary at apsekhon@gmail.com or contact Harminder Cheema on 0211410102. She will be visiting the Gurdwaras in Papatoetoe and Takanini on Sunday, March 27 and on Monday, March 28, she will be in Hamilton. She will also be inaugurating the India-NZ Business Council speaker series India Unplugged on March 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Office on Quay Street Auckland. More details of this event can be had from Garry on 0212924519. Humm 106.2 FM radio and Radio Spice will also be carrying daily updates on her visit including her interviews. Indian Weekender will publish regular updates of her visit on our website www.iwk.co.nz and Facebook page.
An air of excitement is palpable throughout the community, which is keenly waiting to welcome the well-educated, soft-spoken and sophisticated Preneet Kaur affectionately referred to as the Maharani of Patiala, who is coming to meet the people of Indian origin in New Zealand from March 26 to April...
An air of excitement is palpable throughout the community, which is keenly waiting to welcome the well-educated, soft-spoken and sophisticated Preneet Kaur affectionately referred to as the Maharani of Patiala, who is coming to meet the people of Indian origin in New Zealand from March 26 to April 1. As Indian Weekender had the honour of speaking to her, at the very outset she wanted us to convey her best wishes on Holi to the entire Kiwi Indian Community.
Ms Kaur has devoted her life to the service of the people and was the Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2014 and served in the Government of India as the Minister of State for External Affairs under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She is currently MLA in the State of Punjab and is a senior member of India’s oldest political Party the Indian National Congress, which has produced great leaders and Prime Ministers such as Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
She hails from the illustrious Patiala Royal Family of India, which is well-known both in India and abroad. Her husband Maharaja Amarinder Singh is the current Head of the royal family. He served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. Presently, he is the sitting President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the 16th Lok Sabha, having been chosen for the position after his election as a Member of Parliament from Amritsar, where he defeated the prominent BJP leader Arun Jaitley the current Finance Minister.
As Minister of State in India’s External Affairs Ministry, she made an indelible mark on the Global scene when she chaired the plenary session of the United Nation where the UN General Assembly approved setting up of a single entity within the world body to promote equality for women. The establishment of this new composite UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, which is to be known as ‘UN Women’, brings together as many as four women-related agencies of the world body. This feat was achieved after intense negotiations.
Ms. Kaur has a long and chequered history of championing the cause of women. She said India has always been at the forefront of issues relating to gender equality, mainstreaming and empowerment. She recalled that Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first woman president of the UN General Assembly in 1953. Noting that India is home to more than half a billion women, she said India has taken major strides in the area of political empowerment of women. Today, more than a million women elected representatives participate in political decision-making at the grassroots level, she said.
Speaking to Indian Weekender she expressed her utter displeasure and dismay at the current BJP Akali Government in Punjab which orchestrated a systemic failure of agriculture, which once used to be the backbone of the state of Punjab. With the Punjab economy primarily based on Agriculture, the viability of the profession of farming is extremely important and has assured that in 2017 when her Party under the leadership of Maharaja Amarinder Singh comes to power, they will ensure the return of prosperity for the average farmer in Punjab, who have unfortunately been driven to commit suicides under the anti-farmer policies of the Akali-BJP Government.
She is passionate about the people of Punjab and their well-being. She highlighted that the Government led by her husband as the Chief Minister from 2002-07 implemented the Right to Information Act, 2005, and set up the State Information Commission, to ensure accountability and transparency in the government functioning. During that time, the produce of farmers was being purchased in a timely manner and payments were made to the farmers within 3 days whereas today the farmers are being driven to suicides. Suvidha centres were launched and the programme to computerise land records was initiated to stop corruption led tampering of land records.
Compared to the present day Bankrupt Punjab, during the rule of Maharaja Amarinder SinghPunjab became a preferred investment destination and was adjudged No. 1 State to live and work in 2003, 2004, 2005 and again in 2005 as per India Today survey.
Appreciating the religious sentiments of the community, Ms.Kaur was instrumental in getting a new train introduced from Bathinda to Mata Vaishno Devi with a stop at Patiala.
Under her aegis, the process of acquisition of the Indian Passport was also streamlined and simplified.
Talking exclusively to the Indian Weekender, Ms. Kaur emphasised the need for all the NRI’s to look through the farce of showmanship being orchestrated by the current Government and thus empower the decades old, tried and trusted Congress Party under the leadership of Maharaja Amarinder Singh to save the future of Punjab which was once the Golden state and the food bowl of the entire country.
If anyone wishes to meet her Royal Highness during her stay in NZ, she can be contacted via her secretary at apsekhon@gmail.com or contact Harminder Cheema on 0211410102. She will be visiting the Gurdwaras in Papatoetoe and Takanini on Sunday, March 27 and on Monday, March 28, she will be in Hamilton. She will also be inaugurating the India-NZ Business Council speaker series India Unplugged on March 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Office on Quay Street Auckland. More details of this event can be had from Garry on 0212924519. Humm 106.2 FM radio and Radio Spice will also be carrying daily updates on her visit including her interviews. Indian Weekender will publish regular updates of her visit on our website www.iwk.co.nz and Facebook page.
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