New Zealand’s Indian diaspora yearns for a suitable place in Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative’
Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative’ - as it may be defined – is the narrative of an emotional and spiritual re-connect between India’s long forgotten children living in distant lands away from their original homeland that is the modern Indian state.
Presumably, the time has come to manifest in the open about what has been long felt within our communities that the Indian diaspora in New Zealand yearns for a suitable place in Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative.’
The yearning has never been as pronounced as it is right now when one of the key Ministers in Prime Minister Modi’s government and an integral part of Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative,’ Gen V. K. Singh, is attending the biggest formal event of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand.
Gen. V. K. Singh, by personally leading several evacuation missions of the Indian diaspora in distress in many war-torn territories around the world, has rightly emerged as an integral part of Mr Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative,’ who enjoys a fondness and a level of connection with the diaspora, outmatched only by Mr Modi himself.
This argument is duly substantiated by an important fact of India’s 2014 national election results where the margin of Gen V. K. Singh’s electoral victory against his nearest rival was the second largest in the country. Once again, only behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself!
In that respect, Gen. V. K. Singh’s attendance of Indian Weekender’s signature event Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame awards is a demonstration of a commitment of the highest order by the Indian government toward the Indian diaspora in New Zealand.
However, the vibrant diaspora which had largely felt ‘overlooked’ if not forgotten altogether earlier when New Zealand was missing from Prime Minister Modi’s itinerary when he last travelled in the region, is longing for more.
The desire is to get a suitable place in the Modi diaspora narrative.
The central philosophy of Mr Modi’s diaspora narrative is that the diaspora is an ‘asset’ rather than a ‘liability’ and they wield economic, intellectual and political clout in several countries of the world that need to be harnessed to its full potential to advance India’s domestic and foreign policy goals.
It also recognises that the people of Indian origin living in various parts of the world are generally well educated, and most of them hold professional positions or are engaged in their businesses. Many amongst them are acclaimed professionals, artists, scholars, and heads of universities and CEOs of multi-national corporations in the host countries.
Toward that end, Indian diaspora in New Zealand ticks all the above boxes of having amongst them top CEOs, intellectuals, scholars, businessmen, entrepreneurs and hard working people who add value to both the host society and the original home, wielding considerable ‘soft power.’
Probably, the only missing link has been an appropriate utilisation of this diaspora in transforming bilateral relations between New Zealand and India.
Setting a precedent of Indian Minister’s presence in Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame awards
The role of the diaspora needs to be institutionalised in driving this bilateral relation, and one important way of doing this is by setting a new precedent of ensuring an Indian Minister’s presence every year in this high profile Indian diaspora event of New Zealand.
This annual community awards event where representatives of almost all major community organisations in the country are present along with top echelons of the political elite of the New Zealand government offers an unparalleled platform to the decision makers of both the countries to discuss bilateral relations.
To many this may appear an unreasonable expectation as of today, however, for the influential Indian diaspora in New Zealand that has long waited for its turn to get its due place in Mr Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative,’ this is a modest expectation.
Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative’ - as it may be defined – is the narrative of an emotional and spiritual re-connect between India’s long forgotten children living in distant lands away from their original homeland that is the modern Indian state.
Presumably, the time has come to manifest in the open...
Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative’ - as it may be defined – is the narrative of an emotional and spiritual re-connect between India’s long forgotten children living in distant lands away from their original homeland that is the modern Indian state.
Presumably, the time has come to manifest in the open about what has been long felt within our communities that the Indian diaspora in New Zealand yearns for a suitable place in Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative.’
The yearning has never been as pronounced as it is right now when one of the key Ministers in Prime Minister Modi’s government and an integral part of Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative,’ Gen V. K. Singh, is attending the biggest formal event of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand.
Gen. V. K. Singh, by personally leading several evacuation missions of the Indian diaspora in distress in many war-torn territories around the world, has rightly emerged as an integral part of Mr Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative,’ who enjoys a fondness and a level of connection with the diaspora, outmatched only by Mr Modi himself.
This argument is duly substantiated by an important fact of India’s 2014 national election results where the margin of Gen V. K. Singh’s electoral victory against his nearest rival was the second largest in the country. Once again, only behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself!
In that respect, Gen. V. K. Singh’s attendance of Indian Weekender’s signature event Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame awards is a demonstration of a commitment of the highest order by the Indian government toward the Indian diaspora in New Zealand.
However, the vibrant diaspora which had largely felt ‘overlooked’ if not forgotten altogether earlier when New Zealand was missing from Prime Minister Modi’s itinerary when he last travelled in the region, is longing for more.
The desire is to get a suitable place in the Modi diaspora narrative.
The central philosophy of Mr Modi’s diaspora narrative is that the diaspora is an ‘asset’ rather than a ‘liability’ and they wield economic, intellectual and political clout in several countries of the world that need to be harnessed to its full potential to advance India’s domestic and foreign policy goals.
It also recognises that the people of Indian origin living in various parts of the world are generally well educated, and most of them hold professional positions or are engaged in their businesses. Many amongst them are acclaimed professionals, artists, scholars, and heads of universities and CEOs of multi-national corporations in the host countries.
Toward that end, Indian diaspora in New Zealand ticks all the above boxes of having amongst them top CEOs, intellectuals, scholars, businessmen, entrepreneurs and hard working people who add value to both the host society and the original home, wielding considerable ‘soft power.’
Probably, the only missing link has been an appropriate utilisation of this diaspora in transforming bilateral relations between New Zealand and India.
Setting a precedent of Indian Minister’s presence in Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame awards
The role of the diaspora needs to be institutionalised in driving this bilateral relation, and one important way of doing this is by setting a new precedent of ensuring an Indian Minister’s presence every year in this high profile Indian diaspora event of New Zealand.
This annual community awards event where representatives of almost all major community organisations in the country are present along with top echelons of the political elite of the New Zealand government offers an unparalleled platform to the decision makers of both the countries to discuss bilateral relations.
To many this may appear an unreasonable expectation as of today, however, for the influential Indian diaspora in New Zealand that has long waited for its turn to get its due place in Mr Modi’s ‘diaspora narrative,’ this is a modest expectation.
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