Screen grab from video shared by @officeofssbadal on X
NEW DELHI: Senior Sikh leader and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday condemned the disruption of a peaceful Sikh Nagar Kirtan procession in South Auckland, New Zealand, expressing concern over the threat posed to religious freedom and communal harmony.Sharing a video of the incident on X, Badal said, “Nagar Kirtan is a sacred Sikh tradition—a joyous religious parade involving the singing of hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, promoting devotion, unity, and sharing of blessings with all humanity. I am glad to note that the Sikh community responded with remarkable restraint and peace despite provocation—true to Guru Sahib’s teachings of ‘Chardi kala’ and ‘Sarbat Da Bhala’.”“Such intimidation threatens religious freedom and the spirit of universal brotherhood,” he added. Badal further urged external affairs minister S Jaishankar to intervene and raise the matter with the New Zealand government to “protect the rights of the Indian diaspora.”On Saturday, a Sikh religious procession in New Zealand was disrupted by a group of ‘Patriot’ protesters. According to reports by the NZ Herald, the group was linked to political leader Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church, a Christian fundamentalist religious organisation. In a video shared on Tamaki’s social media, members of a group calling themselves the True Patriots of NZ were seen confronting the Sikh procession as it moved along the street. The group described themselves as “Guardians of the Kiwi Way of Life. Defenders of Faith, Flag & Family,” and said they oppose “globalism, mass immigration, and woke ideology.”Also read | Christian group performing haka confronts Sikh parade in Auckland — videoThe protesters displayed a large banner reading, “This is New Zealand not India.” While being kept apart from the Sikh group by police, they linked arms, performed a haka, and chanted “One true God,” “Jesus,” and “God of nation.”Inspector Matt Hoyes said around 50 protesters blocked the road in an attempt to disrupt the parade. He stated, “Police acted swiftly to ensure the parade was able to safely continue and additional officers were called in to escort the parade participants through the remainder of their route.”
