Venkat Raman
Auckland, December 10, 2020
MNZ President Pancha Narayanan (Picture Supplied)
A major communities-oriented organisation has called upon the government to be ‘transparent and accountable’ in implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch massacre on March 15, 2019 in Christchurch.
The call was made by Multicultural New Zealand (MNZ) President Pancha Narayanan in a Statement issued to the media from his office in Wellington.
The Commission of Inquiry was established in the aftermath of the tragedy in which Australia-born Brenton Tarrant shot dead 51 Muslim men, women and children who were praying in two Mosques in Christchurch. The Commission’s Report was sent to the government on November 26, 2020 and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern presented the report to the media and Parliament on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
Forty-Four Recommendations
The Commission made 44 recommendations, all of which Ms Ardern said the government would implement all of them, although creation of a new national security and intelligence agency would entail substantial discussions and coordination between various law enforcing agencies.
Urging the government to implement the recommendations ‘thoughtfully and promptly,’ Mr Narayanan said that various other suggestions also consider careful attention and consultation.
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden walking to the Debating Chamber of Parliament with Ministers Andrew Little and Priyanca Radhakrishnan and other officials on (December 8, 2020)[/caption]
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
“MNZ welcomes the establishment of a new Ministry of Ethnic Communities (which Indian Newslink reported on Tuesday, December 8, 2020).
Please read it here.
“However, we want to see New Zealand as a Treaty-based multicultural society and hope the new Ministry will be built from ground up, with new values and direction strongly founded on Te Tiriti. It is a dubious honour that it has taken 20 years for the government to heed our calls and recognise this was necessary. It is incredibly sad that this has arisen after the loss of 51 lives and so many injured. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten,” he said.
According to Mr Narayanan, the new Ministry should be tasked with creating a future for our children and grandchildren, a place where we are one people while recognising and celebrating the diversity among us.
Celebrating Diversity
“Tangata whenua should be fully involved in the establishment of the new Ministry. Serious changes should also be made to the education system at primary and tertiary levels so that cultural diversity is encouraged. I hope that people will see that strategic thinking does not always happen in a monolingual context,” he said.
Later, referring to the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, Mr Narayanan told Radio New Zealand that the establishment of Ministry of Ethnic Communities might have led to a different outcome.
“For one, we at least would have had a very strong advocate for … example, the Muslim community has been raising this issue – these concerns and their fears, and a ministry would have to have been responsible, they would have talked to various ministers and politicians directly. Such a Ministry would have had considerable insight into the SIS and other agencies, and stronger policy-making recommendations, while leaving the mahi on the ground to the communities,” he said.
About Multicultural New Zealand
MNZ is a pan-ethnic, non-political organisation, engaged as an independent Advisor to New Zealanders and the government. Established more than 30 years ago, it works with the incumbent government to provide independent advice and advocacy for voiceless volunteers who work hard to achieve better settlement outcomes for recent migrants and former refugees. This advice is provided prior to general elections through our manifesto.
Mr Narayanan said that MNZ encourages its members and community networks to consider the Eight-Point Proviso while voting in the ensuing general election.
“These items have been compiled as a representation of political priorities for Aotearoa’s multicultural communities. It is crucial to make a well-informed decision when voting, and we urge individuals and groups to raise these matters during political forums and discussions. It is crucial that our politicians are aware of these issues when considering policy initiatives, and that the multicultural community is invited to provide input into policy directives,” he said.
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