Concerning level of anti-Indian hatred in N.Z. social media

In December 2025, the Sikh community in Auckland staged a march, following escalating criticism and commentary bordering on hate speech. Part way through the march, a Brian Tamaki affiliated group intercepted them and disrupted the protest.

The protest, which coming from a Tamaki affiliated group, should not have been surprising. Perhaps more surprising was the complete lack of political pushback from Parliamentary parties telling Mr Tamaki and his cohorts where to shove their message. Since then, just a couple of days ago, New Zealand First Deputy Leader Shane Jones rounded on the community (see above image).

But to many New Zealanders, some possibly ignorant of the ethnic and religious diversity in India, Sikhs, Hindus and others are all one and the same. To those not interested in ethnic or religious denominations this can be construed as New Zealanders simply believing all to be Indian. Many might also not be aware for example that 14% of Indians identify as Muslim, in an otherwise overwhelmingly Hindu nation.

Before we attack the Indian community, we should be attacking our politicians for signing agreements that permit them to come in such large numbers. Before we attack the Indian culture as many have done, let us look at what India and Indians bring to the world stage – aside from great cricket, tasty food and Bollywood.

First, I want to acknowledge India’s contribution to world affairs. I understand that in World War 2 it had standing armed forces of 2.4 million personnel – only Italy, Britain, Germany, Japan, France, China, Russia and the U.S. had more. India fought on the side of the Allies in both world wars. Their soldiers tied up numerous Japanese divisions in the Pacific theatre, and made significant contributions to the British 8th Army campaign against the Germans in north Africa.

India had a turbulent transition to being an independent nation in 1947 when it and Pakistan were split up after the British granted them independence. It was one of several wars that India and Pakistan have fought. Another was in 1971 and both have disputed control of Kashmir. India is also a significant part of the B.R.I.C.S. bloc of nations that includes Brazil, Russia and China. they are nations seeking to work together as a counter to U.S./western economic strategy.

Is India’s Government and governance perfect? Absolutely not. It has numerous problems including a high level of corruption, basic flaws in its justice system and serious environmental challenges including the health of the Ganges Brahmaputra River catchment. It has a nationalist Prime Minister who has inflamed tensions with neighbouring Pakistan and failed to do anything to adequately lift the hundreds of millions of rural Indians out of poverty by giving them proper electricity, running water, sewerage and telecommunications – all things that we in the west take for granted. It – like Pakistan over the border – has nuclear weapons with a disturbing lack of cheques and balances to stop their accidental deployment and use.

We need to have a look at our own actions. If we do not want so many people coming from other nations, then we should lower the numbers permitted to enter each year. It doesn’t take much to announce a change in policy determining how to prioritize entry. New Zealand does not invest enough money and resources in immigration and making sure that we have the right people, setting realistic yet fair rules and communicating them to non-New Zealanders.

And if we do, after all that, decide to cut down the number of Indians we let through the border each year, we need to also ask ourselves some serious questions that some are going to find uncomfortable:

1. Would you be prepared to do m/any of the manual low pay jobs that they often do, such as service station and dairies, work for 2 Degrees Mobile, etc?
2. Do you accept that most parties in Parliament have/had Indian M.P.’s, including possibly the one you voted for in 2023?
3. If not, do you have any better solutions, or are you grumbling for the sake of grumbling?