Thursday evening (November 10) saw newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand HE Neeta Bhushan visiting the office of the Consulate of India in Onehunga, Auckland.
Ms Bhushan met with over 60 community leaders of various community organisations in Auckland during this meet-and-greet event.
The event, which the Consulate of India convened in Auckland, was Ms Bhushan’s first outreach into the Kiwi-Indian community, which saw her interacting with the Kiwi- Indian community leaders.
Ms Bhushan was accompanied by Manoj Kumar Sahu SS (Political) & Commercial Representative of the High Commission of India in Wellington.
While interacting with the community leaders, Ms Bhushan said, “I am so proud to be representative of India and Indian communities in NZ. I heard a lot of buzz about New Zealand while I was in India. There is so much to take from New Zealand. At the same time, so many Kiwis want to travel to India to witness the rich culture India has to offer.”
She also pointed out that more and more people are interested in learning about Indian culture. “As our philosophy, we believe in unity and taking everyone together, and we welcome our guests with arms wide open, and no one goes from our home hungry. I appreciate and applaud every Indian community organisation for contributing to New Zealand.”
She also encouraged everyone to visit the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023, which will be held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from January 8 to January 10, 2023. "The Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas will be an opportunity to connect and network with members of the Indian diaspora from other countries."
On a parting note, Ms Bhushan, who was dressed in an ethnic sari, said, "My doors are open, and I look forward to your suggestions and ideas in making the relationship between India and New Zealand better and stronger. I endeavour to reduce the timeframe for OCI processing and also encourage kiwi Indians to apply for the OCI well in advance as it is an important tool even when they travel back to India. The focus will be on communication to the extended diaspora through different mediums and encourage everyone to follow HCI’s Social media for the latest updates."
Mr Bhav Dhillon, Hon Consul of India in Auckland, said, “It was a great opportunity to have this event in Auckland where Her Excellency was formally introduced to the leaders of the Indian community as part of the Indian High Commission community outreach program. A wider community event will also be planned soon.”
Mr Dhillon also informed that a media-focused interaction would also be planned.
Today (November 11), the Hon'ble High Commissioner will attend the annual India-New Zealand Business Summit alongside New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta.
ISSUE
