A sacred Sikh religious procession in New Zealand, organized to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, was reportedly confronted and heckled by members of a local right-wing Christian group. The incident occurred on Sunday, January 11, in the city of Tauranga, located roughly 225 kilometers from Auckland.
Confrontation During Peaceful March
The Nagar Kirtan began at 11 am from the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat temple, proceeding along Cameron Road towards Tauranga Boys’ College. Authorities had pre-emptively heightened security due to intelligence about potential interference. Despite these measures, individuals linked to Pentecostal leader Brian Tamaki and his Destiny Church attempted to disrupt the event.
According to reports, the protesters staged a demonstration directly in front of the marching Sikh devotees. They performed a traditional Māori haka, a tribal war dance, and held up banners with provocative messages like “This is New Zealand not India” and “WHOSE STREETS? KIWI STREETS.”
Community Condemnation and Official Reaction
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Amritsar, along with other Sikh organizations, has strongly condemned the act. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed deep disappointment, noting this was the second such incident in the country.
Dhami stated that viewing Sikh religious traditions with hostility is completely unacceptable. He highlighted the Sikh community's global contributions to brotherhood and peaceful coexistence. “Nagar Kirtan is a sacred religious tradition of Sikhism, and opposing it is not only an attack on the humanitarian values of the Sikh faith but also a challenge to social harmony and mutual coexistence,” he asserted.
The SGPC chief urged both the New Zealand and Indian governments to take the matter seriously and initiate strict action against those responsible for the disruption.
Peaceful Conclusion Amid Tensions
Fortunately, the event concluded without any major violence or clash. This was largely due to the effective coordination and crowd management by the local police and volunteers from the Sikh community who were present on site. The protesters, while disruptive, remained non-violent.
In a video shared by Brian Tamaki, captions stated, “The True Patriots Are Not Backing Down” and framed the haka as “peaceful defiance.” The SGPC, however, countered this narrative, emphasizing that Sikhs worldwide respect local laws and cultures, and deliberate prevention of religious practice is deeply hurtful to the community's sentiments.
