The Pan Asia New Year Celebrations at New Zealand Parliament was an unforgettable amalgamation of music, dance, fashion and food from several cultures around the continent.
The Wellington event on April 3, 2023, saw dance performances representing countries across Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand, and different states of India, including Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala. Another event highlight was a unique fashion show that aimed at fostering cultural pride.
The event was organised by the Communities Action Trust New Zealand (CATNZ) and the Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, and aimed at building Aotearoa as an equitable society and a nation where people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds are included.
Hosted by Minister of Transport, Immigration and Auckland, Michael Wood, and MP Vanushi Walters, the event attracted more than 200 guests comprising community and cultural leaders, business leaders from around the country, police representatives, MPs and members of the diplomatic corps.
Wood said, “It was a great night at Parliament, hosting the Pan-Asian New Year celebration alongside Vanushi Walters. We had an incredible lineup, showcasing diversity through performances from our Thai, Kerala and Cambodian communities.”
Walters said such a festival can only be organised in a diverse and multicultural country like New Zealand. She said, “It was an incredible evening of diversity, celebration, conversations and dancing. Thank you, Jeet Suchdev and Murali Kumar JP, for your dedication to this.”
CATNZ Founder Murali Kumar said such events aim to ensure social cohesion and reflect the cultural diversity South Asian and Southeast Asian communities bring to New Zealand.
“We received a phenomenal response this time, with diverse communities participating in the event as performers and attendees. It has become an event that brings together wider Indian communities and other communities of South Asia and Southeast Asia. This event lets us enjoy unity and celebrate the diversity New Zealand has. Diversity is essential in our growing communities, and in the spirit of inclusion, the multicultural journey of giving and growing must be inspirational and evolving,” he told The Indian Weekender.
Calling it a one-of-its-kind festival celebrated at the Parliament, Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust's Founder and Chairperson Jeet Suchdev said, “Earlier, we used to celebrate a pan-India new year event. However, we decided to expand the event to many South Asian and Southeast Asian communities as they celebrate their new year simultaneously. If we open our arms, the whole world is ours. This is a true New Zealand way of life as it is a multicultural country."