The 60,000-strong Sikh community of New Zealand, which has a history dating back 135 years, is consolidating its presence under a single body-the Sikh Association New Zealand (SANZ) – which was formed following the merger of 24 gurudwaras ( Sikh temples).
Daljit Singh, spokesperson of the Supreme Sikh Society who is overseeing the formation of the new body, told Indian Weekender that all the gurudwaras have united to form a nationwide organisation to represent the Sikh community. Youth and women’s wings will also be announced shortly.
SANZ will emerge as a platform to raise contentious issues that impact the Sikh community, including the parents residence visa policy, the case of migrants stranded overseas and those without a visa , he said.
Singh said SANZ will also join hands with the Hindu and Muslim communities to evolve a common platform to raise ethnic issues.
He said the aim is to unite the diverse faiths and provide a voice for the community. While maintaining cordial relations with the government and the political establishment, the goal is to ensure that the community has a say in the decision making process, Singh explained saying, “The main aim is to bring people of all religions, be it Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and others, to unite together to act for the community and raise their voice We will actively liaise with other communities and help to form a common platform where ethnic community to be listened."
Currently, the organisation draws nearly 40,000 people to its weekly meetings.
The decision to float the new entity has been welcomed by the Indian Sikh community, with Punjabi migrants moving to NZ in larger numbers.
Sikh community leader Prithipal Singh Basra pointed out that the Punjabi community established the Sikh society in the 1960s and opened the first gurudwara in Hamilton in 1977.
He said the New Zealand Sikh Society functioned smoothly till 2010 before splitting into several smaller units. “We have too many people claiming to be leaders of the Sikh Community, and unfortunately, no one knows who our spokesperson is. This new organisation will solve the problem for the benefit of our community,” Basra said.
Navtej Randhawa, a community leader from South Auckland, hailed the development. "All the Sikh organisations coming together in NZ to form a joint representative body is welcome news. With rising community numbers, there are many issues and concerns that need to be advocated multilaterally with different organisations, and that's why we need a body that can effectively achieve results for the community. It's a step in the right direction.”