60th Anniversary of Indian Independence

Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.

Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and (Sign)

May I specifically greet you: President of the Auckland Indian Association Chandubhai Daji, you Roshan Nauhria President of the United Indianz Forum, you Ratilal Champaneri President of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, Your Excellency, Mr KP Ernest, High Commissioner for India to New Zealand; Honourable Ministers of the Crown, Phil Goff and David Cunliffe, Parliamentarians otherwise - notably you Leader of the Opposition, Mr John Key, Dr Jackie Blue, Lynne Pillay and Pansy Wong, Local Government leaders Your Worships Dick Hubbard, of Auckland; Sir Barry Curtis of Manukau and George Wood of North Shore; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Members of the combined groups who have gathered in today's enterprise, Ladies and Gentlemen. To you all I say: Namaste, Namashkaar, Sat sri akal, Salaam walaikum, Kam cho.

Thank you for the invitation to my wife Susan and I to attend this special Diamond Jubilee celebration of Indian independence here at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre.  This is, of course, a place with which I am familiar and there are many faces here today of people I can call friends.  As I start I can advise of something special which is at present still under wraps.  I have had in my possession since three days ago the printer's copy of Dr Jackie Leckie's book of the history of New Zealand's Indian community - because I have the privilege of writing the foreword.  I can tell you that it is a great read and it is filled with photographs which is why I make reference to the friendly faces here.

When my grandparents left India for Fiji a hundred or so years ago, India, like New Zealand, was part of the British Empire—an Empire it was said upon which the sun would never set.

But unlike New Zealand, which had become increasingly self-governing at the time, the involvement of the overwhelming majority of Indians in the government of their country was far more limited.

So while New Zealand achieved Dominion status 100 years ago in a month's time in 1907 it was not until 40 years later that India gained the same status.  It is that anniversary that we mark today. 

And while New Zealand's transition to Dominion status and later to full independence in 1947 was peaceful, the same road for India was far more troubled.

Almost from the time that the colonisation of India was completed, its people began to fight for their right to self-determination.  The uprising of 1857 saw thousands of people die as the British Government violently quelled a so-called "mutiny". 

From the 1920s, leaders such as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi began mass movements to campaign against the British Raj.  The profound impact Gandhi had on India, by leading a totally non-violent independence mass movement, has made him one of the most remarkable leaders of the 20^th Century.  I like to think of the linkage there is backward from Gandhi to Te Whiti and forward to Martin Luther King.

Sadly, while non-violent resistance led to Indian independence, partition resulted in the deaths of thousands—including Gandhi—and millions of people uprooted from their homes. 

While Indians throughout the world are rightly celebrating the independence of 60 years ago, it should be remembered that India has long been a great nation.  In many ways it can be described as the birthplace of modern society.  The American writer Mark Twain put it well when he said: "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

The time since independence has not been easy but much has been achieved.  In 60 years, life expectancy has more than doubled and at 68 years, is higher than the global average.  Likewise, over the same period literacy has climbed from just 16 percent to more than 60 percent. These improvements have been achieved despite a massive increase in India's population, which now stands at more than 1.1 billion.

In the last 20 years, India's economy, which for many years sat in the doldrums, has rebounded.  Since the 1990s, sustained high growth rates have set the stage for India to become one of the world's largest economies. Time magazine recently forecast that by 2050, only China and the United States would surpass India in terms of economic growth.  Even so, while living standards have improved, by any measure, many Indians continue to live in poverty and much remains to be done.

Despite predictions to the contrary, India has shown that democracy can not only survive, but also thrive in an Asian nation with a vibrant mix of ethnicities, cultures and religions.  Indian democracy—like any democracy—is not perfect but it has ensured the voices of all Indians have the opportunity to be heard.

India has also given much to the world of science.  Sir C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for his work on the scattering of light and discovery of the effect that is named after him. Likewise, his nephew, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar jointly won the same prize in 1983 for his theoretical work on the structure and evolution of the stars.  Hargobind Khorana was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in in 1968 for his work on the interpretation of the genetic code while others have won Nobel prizes for literature, economics and peace.

People of Indian descent have also given much to this nation.  An industrious combination of enterprise and a strong work ethic, applied across a wide variety of disciplines, has added value to New Zealand's economy and society.  The 2006 Census revealed that Indian migrants are in one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in New Zealand. More than 104,000 Indians now live in New Zealand—a significant rise on five years before.

The efforts of New Zealanders of Indian descent in fostering positive inter-community relations will ensure New Zealand has a solid foundation upon which to foster and strengthen its business and cultural relations with India.  The warm relations between India and New Zealand are evident in the presence here today of community leaders from Parliament and local government and that in addition to Mr Key the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Helen Clark, will join the celebrations later this evening.

The writer Sylvia Levi once said that: "[India] has the right to reclaim ... her place amongst the great nations summarising and symbolising the spirit of humanity."  What Sylvia Levi once foretold is now coming to pass as India reclaims its status as one of the world's great nations.

Before I formally close, I would like to thank everyone involved in organising these celebrations and the warm hospitality Susan and I have received.  Thank you.  Dhanbaad.

I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages.  May I close by speaking in our country's first language, Maori issuing greetings and wishing everyone good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.