Venkat Raman
Auckland, December 18, 2023
It is time for India-New Zealand relations to rise to the next level and stage, a visiting Professor of Law and high-ranking official of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said.
Pankaj Choudhary, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Delhi and National In-charge, the Research and Policy Division of BJP, said that New Zealand constitutes the most important link in India’s penchant for greater engagement with the countries of the region.
Realistic Approach
“India has become a significant partner of Australia with a strong and significant relationship and New Zealand is the natural extension of that engagement. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very keen to expand that relationship and as our External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said, India and New Zealand are ready for the next phase of the relationship. I am confident that we can work together to achieve that objective,” he said.
Mr Choudhary was in New Zealand as a guest of Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges who described him as ‘a young and dynamic leader who can bring significant meaning and purpose to the New Zealand-India relations. During his visit, he met the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan, and business and community leaders.
As a National Policy Advisor of the Ruling BJP and as an academic, he believes that with a realistic approach, New Zealand and India can have a win-win relationship. He said that his Party was confident was returning to power in the centre after the general election due to be held early next year.
Trade Minister Todd McClay is currently in India on his first visit as Minister of the newly followed coalition government. He is confident of rebooting bilateral relations and achieving a mutually beneficial partnership.
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Futuristic Vision
“Mr Modi has futuristic vision not only for India but also the entire world, which was seen by his concern on issues such as Climate Change and Sustainability at the G20 Summit hosted by India in New Delhi (September 9 and 10, 2023) and COP28 (December 1, 2023). He proposed to host the UN Climate Conference in 2028 and launched a Green Credit Initiative’ focused on creating carbon sinks through people’s participation. Under his guidance, India has emerged as the leader of the Global South. I hope that New Zealand will accept what India offers,” he said.
Mr Choudhary said that ‘Startup India’ and Startup New Zealand’ can combine to offer benefits not only to the people of both countries but also to the rest of the world.
“The world is recognised the power of leadership and collaboration under Mr Modi’s leadership. India today offers skills in every sector of the economy and our human capital is available to the world. Mr Modi is making fundamental changes in our country including changes to laws that have not moved for hundreds of years. India today is witnessing the dynamics of change. We are sure that he will return as the Prime Minister after the 2024 election. India needs his leadership. All sectors will undergo a change for the better. Our education policy will witness the biggest change,” he said.
Mr Choudhary spoke about his roles in his political Party, of uplifting the OBC (Other Backward Classes- “I belong to the Dalit or backward class like my Prime Minister”), the caste system created hundreds of years ago and its disappearance from the mainland politics, the ambition of the country’s leadership to make India a supreme economic power in the world, embrace people of all countries under the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the World is One Family), the development plans of the federal government designed to uplift the economic and social wellbeing of all Indians and his vision for New Zealand. His interview can be watched on several platforms including our Podcast.
