Venkat Raman
India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Sanjiv Kohli, who has just left the country after completing a full three-year term as the Head of his country’s Mission in Wellington, has been a popular diplomat among his host government and the Diaspora, although he feels that he could have done more.
“There are certain things that you would have wanted to achieve during your stay,” he told Indian Newslink speaking in second person, “but then, three years are not enough.”
A career diplomat, Mr Kohli was the first High Commissioner to New Zealand to complete a full term in ten years. That credit belonged earlier to Kadakath Pathrose Earnest, who scored high with the local government from April 2006 to July 2009. He took charge in a highly toxic environment left by his predecessor, similar to what Mr Kohli inherited.
Achievements in three years
“When you come on an assignment, you plan a lot of things but leave for your successor to carry on and possibly finish. Broadly, we provided for a change, in the style of functioning, in commencing construction of a new premises for the High Commission in Wellington, in improving the quality and efficiency of services and in building bridges between communities and developing a sense of solidarity among the people.
“We also raised the profile of the country and its people. I believe that our bilateral relations are in a better state now than they were a few years ago. I believe that two top level visits including that of the President of India are examples of better relationship between New Zealand and India,” he said.
Make in India
The ambitious campaign of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote his country as the ‘Manufacturer of the World,’ found little interest in New Zealand, which Mr Kohli felt was regrettable.
“The Campaign ‘Make in India’ that we launched as a part of a worldwide effort was not successful in New Zealand. However, I believe that it will happen in the near future,” he said.
Victims of Violence
Mr Kohli is highly sensitive to harassment that some women in the Indian community suffer; violence at home at the hands of their parents-in-law, husband and other relatives. He was depressed over his inability to end their sufferings.
He cited an example to illustrate his frustration.
“A woman was in distress and was subject to continuous abuse and ill-treatment by her husband. She was in New Zealand on a visit visa and hence at the behest of the man. She complained to the High Commission and sought our help.”
Mr Kohli said that he was shocked at the response of the man.
“The tone of his reply was defiant. He is a New Zealand citizen and hence is out of our reach. A Court in India issued summons which he ignored. He could not be bothered. It is pity that the judicial process is long and we as the High Commission are helpless,” he said.
Mr Kohli narrated another case in which a victim in Auckland sobbed over her plight. “She said she had no money. We were prepared to help her but she was not interested in returning to India. I hope that newspapers like Indian Newslink and our community take up such cases and name and shame the offenders,” he said.
Student Fraud
According to Mr Kohli, the sufferings of some international students from India falling a prey to unscrupulous education agents in India was another cause of his despair.
“Following complaints of fraud from some students three years ago, we entertained dialogues with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Immigration New Zealand, Education New Zealand and the affected students. While we believe that the New Zealand government is genuinely interested in improving the lot of our students, we are also taking steps to have checks and controls in place in India to prevent exploitation,” he said.
No terrorist threat
Mr Kohli said the response of New Zealanders following the Christchurch massacre on Mach 15, 2019 was heartening.
“The Indian Diaspora made me proud by showing their compassion and readiness to help the families of victims, regardless of their country of origin. New Zealand is a comparatively safe country and does not have the threat of terrorism like India does. What happened in Christchurch is an isolated incident, whereas India has been the victim of terrorism for several decades,” he said.
Stalled FTA Talks
Although the two countries are bound by democracy, trade relations have somewhat remained stagnant because of a number of factors: trade has been small because of the size of the market and distance.
Mr Kohli said that the Indian government is keen on a balanced approach. India has an unfavourable balance of payments because our imports are very high,” he said.
Mr Kohli will take charge as the High Commissioner to Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam later this month, while his successor Muktesh Pardesi (currently Ambassador to Mexico) is expected to arrive in Wellington on or about July 27, 2019.
India and Tanzania enjoy cordial relations with two-way trade placed at US$3.7 billion. There are about 50,000 people of Indian origin living in that country.
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Photo Caption:
Sanjiv Kohli (INL Picture)
