Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had won hearts of many in the Kiwi-Indian community by her affable comments on the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India on the way back from her recent tour of Asia.
The Prime Minister was responding to the queries of media travelling along with her, who were understandably trying to prepare a report card on her first performance at the global stage.
While understandably, mainstream media had the bigger objective of preparing report card of our PM on various facets involving her awareness about issues of importance in foreign policy to her ability to form personal repertoire with world leaders.
However, mainstream media’s short-sightedness and myopic view on the questions asked was as pronounced as, and in complete contrast to, Prime Minister’s sagacious and to a large extent, affable comment about her meeting with the Mr Modi.
While media’s question varied about leaders from countries such as America, Australia, Canada, Russia, South Korea and the Philippines, the question about meeting with Indian Prime Minister remained conspicuously absent.
This is when Indian-New Zealanders constitutes the fourth largest, and the fastest growing ethnic population (almost 5 per cent of total population) in NZ.
This is also when the region where NZ had traditionally believed itself to be based - Asia-Pacific - is fast evolving into a new region – Indo-Pacific – of which India is projected to be a key player.
This is also when India is already playing an important role in stabilising and bringing economic prosperity in the South Pacific Region – a region that New Zealand treats as its immediate neighbourhood and area of topmost foreign policy priority.
This surely reflects a media landscape of the older times which is still animated in a self-defined cocoon, which restricts their ability to acknowledge changes happening inside and outside NZ.
India of today is not only the fastest growing economy of the world, of considerable size, a regional power and net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region, and more importantly an outward-looking society which is ready to engage with the world.
Fortunately, though, our Prime Minister did not suffer from any such myopic view, both of the world outside, and inside, New Zealand.
Ms Ardern grabbed the opportunity with full hands to choose Modi to comment upon, when asked a question by Audrey Young of NZ Herald, “Any other leaders make an impression on you?”
“I had good conversations with a range of people, but Modi [India] was really engaged, interested in New Zealand, knew a lot about our relationship.
“I put another plugin for a visit [by him], and I think maybe we got that a little further on.
“We haven't had a visit by a Prime Minister from India since the 80s. It would be wonderful to try to encourage him to join us,” Ms Ardern replied.
With that one response, Ms Ardern demonstrated her astute political mind and sagacity in general and accurate grasp of the changing face and foreign policy priorities of New Zealand in the 21st century.
Ms Ardern reflected a spark long unseen in the Labour leadership of connecting back with the Indian-New Zealanders after Helen Clark days.
In addition to this, she had demonstrated a political will and preparedness to some extent to expedite action on the protracted talks on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as and when the opportunity arises in the near future.
It leaves much hope for the betterment of bilateral relations between NZ and India in the near future.