Newly appointed High Commissioner of India to New Zealand Admiral (retd) Sureesh Mehta has urged the Indian community to eschew fissiparous tendencies and work together for the common good and present a united face.
He was speaking at his first public engagement in Auckland a luncheon hosted by Indian Weekender where Kiwi Indian businesspeople, technocrats and professionals were invited to meet and interact with the High Commissioner.
Mr Mehta said it pained him to see multiple celebrations of even national days within the comparatively small Indian community in New Zealand and hoped that it would change in the coming years. He said other communities such as the Chinese had just one big celebration of their festivals in which everyone worked together. A divided community is easily taken advantage of, Mr Mehta said, pointing to instances in India's history.
Assuring businesspeople and industrialists that he would do everything possible to enhance business and trade acitivities between New Zealand and India, he urged the business community to come forth with concerns and let the High Commission know how it could be of assistance in helping realise their goals of developing and taking business ties with India to a higher level.
Painting a poignant thumbnail of how India had progressed politically and econmically in recent years and the huge economic potential of its fast growing middle class, Mr Mehta said that there were big opportunities for partnerships to be developed between Indian businesses and the Indian diaspora across the world.
Mr Mehta answered questions from those present and interacted with several guests individually over lunch.
Earlier, Indian Weekender publisher Giri Gupta welcomed the High Commissioner and the guests. Director Bhav Dhillon introduced the Indian Weekender team: designer Tanmay Desai, Chief Technical Officer Rohan DeSouza, Online Editor Arvind Kumar and Editor-in-Chief Dev Nadkarni. Mr Nadkarni then formally introduced Mr Mehta.
The team presented him with a memento comprising a framed copy of the cover of the latest issue of Indian Weekender, which has an extensive interview and profile of Mr Mehta.
Invited guests made use of the opportunity to engage with Mr Mehta on topics of their concerns on a range of topics. The High Commissioner asked the community to keep community channels open and work together on the mission of taking trade and cultural ties between New Zealand and India to a higher level.
Mr Mehta will attend the diamond jubilee celebrations of India's Republic Day at the Aotea Centre in Auckland on Sunday, January 24, and hoist the Indian flag at a ceremony that will also be attended by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and a number of other New Zealand politicians and Kiwi Indians.