Dinesh Pahuja
Auckland, June 5, 2025
Hundreds of Bharatiya (Indian) community members met at Bruce Pullman Park in South Auckland voicing a powerful collective demand for truth, justice, and recognition for all victims of terror under the banner of Kiwi Indian Global Connect.
Post a terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam at the feet of Himalayas Bharat (India) where 26 innocent tourists were killed upon being identified as belonging to a particular religion, ACT List MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar tried to bring a motion on the floor of the Parliament for discussion.
It was turned down by some political parties disagreeing to call it a terrorist attack.
Representatives of different linguistic, cultural, social and region-based organisations of India including the representatives of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) region and Nepal representing their members standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other participants in condemning terrorism and underscoring the universal nature of the fight against terror and the shared grief transcending geographical and political boundaries.
Indians unite
Among the participants were members of the Muslim community supporting the call to eradicate the roots of terrorism further highlighting the interfaith solidarity against extremism and violence.
Dr Parmar explained how her motion was turned down by different political affiliations representing in the parliament. In agony, she asked why the killing of innocent, unarmed civilians by the armed to kill the bread and butter earner of the family is not called a victim of a terrorist attack.
Former NZ First Mahesh Bindra, supported the move of Dr Parmar, saying it is not the time to put the political differences at the forefront but to stand against terrorism globally.
Former National List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi described the audience as ‘Ambassadors of India’ and asked them to explain to the general masses the killings of 22 April 25 as an act of terrorism and that the action of the Indian government was a precise attack on the hubs of terrorist inside the Pakistan territory and that it was aimed at eradicating the terrorists.
The Principles of Humanity
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh New Zealand President Shrikant Bhave said that as we are responsible Kiwis, we must stand with the principles of humanity. Standing between the New Zealand flag on one side and the Indian Tri-colour flag on the other, he said that what happens in either of the political boundaries, affects all of us.
New Zealand Central Sikh Association and Dasmesh Darbar Gurudwara Prithipal Singh Basra called upon New Zealand’s Parliament to speak the truth, urging them to acknowledge the specific targeting of Hindu communities by terrorist groups and to not hide behind rules when lives are at stake.
New Zealand Central Indian Association President Veer Khar said that the fight to eradicate terrorism globally is not going to be achieved easily in a short span of time and hence we should be ready. Hindu Foundation of New Zealand President Sunil Das said that the need of the hour is to send an unequivocal message: the lives lost in Pahalgam matter, and their stories deserve to be told without bias or omission,
Journalist Roy Kaunds showed a long list of reports in which the New Zealand media was proven biased. He urged the media to be brave and give the truth and facts to Kiwis rather than giving made-up stories in the name of freedom of expression.
New Zealand Dairy Owners Group President Sunny Kaushal reinforced the importance of acknowledging and addressing all acts of terror, regardless of the victims’ background.
The Media Spokesperson of the event (author of this report) said that the gathering comprised sons and daughters of India, not because we were born there but because we respect and follow the values of Live and Let Live: Ahinsa Parmo dharma (Non-violence is the ultimate worship).
Underreporting slammed
He highlighted a critical concern – the underreporting of terrorist incidents targeting Hindus and demanded justice and accurate reporting as a shared human value and not as a partisan issue.
He urged the media to give news and not views. He called upon MPs and the media to uphold their duties of truth and impartiality.
A resolution condemning the stand of political parties to abstain from calling such a terrifying attack on innocent tourists a Resolution was passed unanimously, appealing to all political parties to unite in opposing terrorist acts globally to save humanity.
