Will English fit the bill and charm Kiwi-Indians?
The nation's wait for a new Prime Minister is over with the appointment of Bill English as the new Prime Minister and Paula Bennett his deputy this afternoon.
The appointment was largely expected after all other initial aspirants chose to give way to Mr English and withdraw their names from the scheduled National Party caucus elections this morning.
To what extent can this one-week wait since last Monday be characterised as an anxious wait, for the nation for their new Prime Minister will depend on how we receive this news.
For many, especially the Kiwi-Indians, the anxiety begins after the appointment of Bill English as the Prime Minister rather than in the preceding week.
The only reason being that Mr English will only be New Zealand's third Prime Minister in the last 17 years - a period when almost two-third of all Kiwi-Indians currently in New Zealand have arrived in the country. At the 2001 census, the population that identified themselves as Indian was 62,646 which surged to 159,333 in the 2013 census and reaching to just around 200,000 in 2015.
A predominant majority of the Kiwi-Indian population in New Zealand has been accustomed to a strong, stable, and personality-driven leadership of the country under either Helen Clark or John Key.
For a majority of Kiwi Indian population in New Zealand the arrival of a relatively quiet, poised, although sharp yet untested Mr English will be an unknown commodity for consumption of Kiwi-Indian minds.
Adding to this will be the departure of the historic comfort of dealing with Auckland-based leaders as the country's Prime Minister.
Without any sweeping generalisations, it can be argued to some extent that a large number of Indian-New Zealanders warms up to, and connect with leaders who are more visible and approachable than who appears elusive or recluse.
Completely aligned to this above observation is the fact that Helen Clark and John Key both were based in Auckland and highly visible in the Auckland public life to allow Kiwi-Indians develop a special fondness for both the leaders.
Unfortunately, as of now, Mr English does not fit into the leadership norms to which the Indian community in New Zealand has largely been accustomed.
Though, it does not limit Mr English from any possible way to develop roads within the community and the community itself to get connected with the country's new leadership.
Adding to this is another fault line between the community and the new Prime Minister which also coincides with the larger fault line within the National Party itself - the divide between the urban-liberal and the rural-conservative.
With the departure of John Key and arrival of Mr English, that fault line may also get some traction as Mr Key was a very much an epitome of urban-liberal whereas Mr English is a proud owner of the image of "the farmer from Dipton."
The demographic profile of the newly settled Kiwi-Indians might suggest their proximity towards everything that reflects "urban-liberal" rather than "rural-conservative."
For some, Paula Bennett may allay some of these above illustrated anxieties within the Indian community purely because of her perceived persona of friendliness and approachability along with her Auckland-based image, the key attributes that have driven Indian communities connect with the two previous popular Prime Ministers.
To that extent, it may be argued that Ms Bennett is just a deputy leader and not the Prime Minister to have an immediate impact on the Indian community's anxieties.
In this regard it is important to note that the new Prime Minister has already indicated his intentions to calm any 'anxiety' arising from his personal opinions and intellectual leanings as manifested in making a U-turn on the same-sex marriage.
Still, it will take some more efforts and little bit more time before the new Prime Minister and the Indian community in the New Zealand can start warming to each other.
For now, anxiety begins.
The nation's wait for a new Prime Minister is over with the appointment of Bill English as the new Prime Minister and Paula Bennett his deputy this afternoon.
The appointment was largely expected after all other initial aspirants chose to give way to Mr English and withdraw their names from the...
The nation's wait for a new Prime Minister is over with the appointment of Bill English as the new Prime Minister and Paula Bennett his deputy this afternoon.
The appointment was largely expected after all other initial aspirants chose to give way to Mr English and withdraw their names from the scheduled National Party caucus elections this morning.
To what extent can this one-week wait since last Monday be characterised as an anxious wait, for the nation for their new Prime Minister will depend on how we receive this news.
For many, especially the Kiwi-Indians, the anxiety begins after the appointment of Bill English as the Prime Minister rather than in the preceding week.
The only reason being that Mr English will only be New Zealand's third Prime Minister in the last 17 years - a period when almost two-third of all Kiwi-Indians currently in New Zealand have arrived in the country. At the 2001 census, the population that identified themselves as Indian was 62,646 which surged to 159,333 in the 2013 census and reaching to just around 200,000 in 2015.
A predominant majority of the Kiwi-Indian population in New Zealand has been accustomed to a strong, stable, and personality-driven leadership of the country under either Helen Clark or John Key.
For a majority of Kiwi Indian population in New Zealand the arrival of a relatively quiet, poised, although sharp yet untested Mr English will be an unknown commodity for consumption of Kiwi-Indian minds.
Adding to this will be the departure of the historic comfort of dealing with Auckland-based leaders as the country's Prime Minister.
Without any sweeping generalisations, it can be argued to some extent that a large number of Indian-New Zealanders warms up to, and connect with leaders who are more visible and approachable than who appears elusive or recluse.
Completely aligned to this above observation is the fact that Helen Clark and John Key both were based in Auckland and highly visible in the Auckland public life to allow Kiwi-Indians develop a special fondness for both the leaders.
Unfortunately, as of now, Mr English does not fit into the leadership norms to which the Indian community in New Zealand has largely been accustomed.
Though, it does not limit Mr English from any possible way to develop roads within the community and the community itself to get connected with the country's new leadership.
Adding to this is another fault line between the community and the new Prime Minister which also coincides with the larger fault line within the National Party itself - the divide between the urban-liberal and the rural-conservative.
With the departure of John Key and arrival of Mr English, that fault line may also get some traction as Mr Key was a very much an epitome of urban-liberal whereas Mr English is a proud owner of the image of "the farmer from Dipton."
The demographic profile of the newly settled Kiwi-Indians might suggest their proximity towards everything that reflects "urban-liberal" rather than "rural-conservative."
For some, Paula Bennett may allay some of these above illustrated anxieties within the Indian community purely because of her perceived persona of friendliness and approachability along with her Auckland-based image, the key attributes that have driven Indian communities connect with the two previous popular Prime Ministers.
To that extent, it may be argued that Ms Bennett is just a deputy leader and not the Prime Minister to have an immediate impact on the Indian community's anxieties.
In this regard it is important to note that the new Prime Minister has already indicated his intentions to calm any 'anxiety' arising from his personal opinions and intellectual leanings as manifested in making a U-turn on the same-sex marriage.
Still, it will take some more efforts and little bit more time before the new Prime Minister and the Indian community in the New Zealand can start warming to each other.
For now, anxiety begins.
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