Indian? Tourists Set Upon By Mob In Kaikoura

 
A group of four or five holidaymakers from Christchurch were attacked by a 'mob' in Kaikoura early on Friday morning.

Some locals are saying that it was a gang that was responsible (possibly the Mongrel Mob) and it is noticeable that some media reports about the attack are using the phrase “group of people,” which is usually press code for gang in New Zealand.

Kaikoura is a small coastal town about 180km north of Chritchurch on the east coast of New Zealand and a favourite setting-off point for whale watching tours.

Reports in the media about the incident varied.


The Marlborough Express‘ report says nothing about the visitors being holidaymakers and that the attack took place outside a pizza restaurant, emphasis ours

Five Christchurch men were assaulted in an attack by a group of up to 30 people on Beach Rd in Kaikoura early this morning, police say.
Two of the men were ”severely beaten” and another kidnapped, taken out of town and dumped on the side of the road.
Sergeant Barry Hansen, of Kaikoura, said the victims, aged between 19 and 20, were attacked about 12.30am.
Two of the group were severely beaten while another was kidnapped, driven out of town in a Toyota Hilux, and dumped on the side of the road, he said. The abducted man managed to walk back into town.
A ”sharp weapon” may have been used during the incident, he said…read it in full here

Whereas a NZ Herald report says it was a group of 4 holidaymakers that was attacked and that the victims were set upon as they walked back to their hotel.

The reports of the injuries are pretty shocking and we wish the victims a full and speedy recovery from their ordeal. Was this just another attack on a party of tourists in New Zealand, or is there more to this story than is being released to the media?

We also have an unconfirmed report that the men from Christchurch may have been Indian nationals.

Was there a racist element to this crime and if so why wasn’t that information released to the press? Were they residents of Christchurch, students perhaps or visitors from abroad?

The chances of finding out in the near future are pretty slim but no doubt when the thugs responsible are caught, and if the case ever comes to court, we may find out more.

Local people made their feelings known about the attacks, with some saying that the town couldn’t be recommended to tourists anymore and with hints that a gang may been responsible. Sadly Kaikoura, it seems, suffers from many of the problems that plague small town New Zealand.

Their comments were published on Stuff, emphasis ours

forest
Kaikoura is a small town surely those responsible can be found and made an example of. There should be zero tolerance to this sort of behavior. Find them and throw away the key harsher penalities have to be imposed otherwise no one is going to pay any attention and it will happen time and time again. This is not the image that New Zealand wants to portray the is a very real danger of allowing a society of yobs that will take over many towns in New Zealand. It is an epidemic that has to be stamped out sooner rather than later.

Tom m
it would appear that Kaiakoura has had its fair share of badly bred mogrel dog tuckers for a fair while now . I for one do not recommend the place to any tourists anymore.. If the cops do get this mob what will happen to them,, in short nothing, the government arent interested

Cchris
i lived in kaikoura and am well known there to.we never did things like that or our friends i just hope it wasnt a local gang.what gets me is that the police have yet to find 1 of the 30 people in the gang.are they crazy.how hard is it in a small town to find just 1.it has a small town reputation to gosip and the word travels fast.i live in oz now and yes its is nicer here but not all people are considerate.im shocked to hear that this has happened in such a beautiful small town.
Alcohol! ITS one of the worst drugs!

Yer i agree! No respect no hopers just drinking and fighting! while the government sells synthetic substances legally in dairies and lock up young good kids keeping outta trouble who just wana chill and not wanting to drink and why is it so normal for drunk to be complete assholes and its normal and excepted part of society! make alcohol illegal, come on and wake up, pathetic attitudes from the one eye nation! If those gang of kids were on the green natural! no anger no fights! logical????? stupid government! stop ya crap – - you sell alcohol and tax it! has anyone ever heard of someone overdosing on the happy backey! nope!!!!!

craig
I was in kaikoura today and this country is so full of uptight angry wee teenages with bad attitudes! Suppose the only thing to do is move to oz where most people are calm, happy and friendly! Let the animals in nz carry on with there minor insignificant angry lives. Harsh but the truth isn’t pretty
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India Calls NZ To Account For Racial Slur. New Zealanders Support Paul Henry On Facebook

Reuters India has today announced that India has summoned New Zealand’s High Commissioner so that it can protest against the racial slur that a TVNZ presenter made against Shiela Dikshit -  chief minister of New Delhi. India’s capital city (see videos below)

“…India says popular TV host deliberately mispronounced and ridiculed the second name of Sheila Dikshit, who has been in the news after being asked last month to take charge of the floundering Commonwealth Games preparations.
New Zealand High Commissioner Rupert Holborow was called in by the Indian foreign ministry and handed a demarche, a formal protest.
“It was conveyed to him that the government strongly and unequivocally denounces the racist remarks of the journalist in question,” a foreign ministry statement said.
“These remarks are totally unacceptable to India,” the statement said, adding that the envoy had expressed “deep regret”…”

The report ended with

“Later, New Zealand High Commissioner Holborow said in a statement that the TV comments were “culturally insensitive, inappropriate and vulgar”.
“They reflect the views of only one media commentator (who has already been censored for other racist and unacceptable comments), and certainly not the New Zealand Government or people,” he said.
There are more than 100,000 New Zealanders of Indian ethnic origin, almost 3 percent of the population, the second largest immigrant group in New Zealand from Asia after China.”

National NZTV host Paul Henry was recently described as a “serial offender” who had  “abused women, people of colour, gay people, people with disabilities and all migrant Kiwis who don’t look like him” in a press release issued by Unite Union and Global Peace and Justice Auckland.

Their statement said thatit was “not a case of a broadcaster exercising free speech” but that of a “broadcaster legitimizing bigotry and hatred in the community.”
The press release added:

Unite Union National Director Mike Treen says as a union leader he doesn’t call for someone’s dismissal lightly. “However Paul Henry legitimizes racism and bigotry in the workplace. I deal every day with problems associated with managers and even co-workers abusing staff because the look or sound different. Workers can end up tormented and bullied out of their jobs by the so-called humour being practiced by Paul Henry. When we try to do something about it, when we try to protect the workers, the inevitable response is ‘well, Paul Henry is allowed to use this language on national TV why can’t I. Paul Henry has become the poster boy for bigotry. He has no place on a national broadcaster paid for by taxpayers – taxpayers who include many of the people he humiliates.”

Henry was suspended recently following a furore caused by racist comments the presenter made on air in questions to New Zealand prime minister John Key when he asked if New Zealand Governor General Sir Satyanand Anand (born in NZ of Indo Fijian descent)

“Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time? Are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander this time?“

Mr Henry was initially supported in a media statement issued by Andi Brotherston, spokeswoman for  the state broadcaster TVNZ:

“”The audience tell us over and over again that one of the things they love about Paul Henry is that he’s prepared to say the things we quietly think but are scared to say out loud.
“The question of John Key is the same, we want the answer but are too scared to ask.”

In a later ‘leaked’ email Ms Brotherston made an apology for her statement and offered to resign but her request was turned down.

Mr Hery also made an apology, of sorts:

“I sincerely apologise to the Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand for any offence I may have caused. I am aware that Sir Anand has made an outstanding contribution to New Zealand.
“Anyone who knows anything about me will know I am a royalist, a constant defender of the monarchy and the role the Governor-General plays in our society.
“If my comments have personally offended Sir Anand, I regret it deeply.”

But his apology was not made until almost 4pm (NZDT) on the day of the offence, a  long time  after the comments began to attract condemnation from politicians and other public figures, including Mr Key, Labour’s leader Phil Goff and the race relations commissioner Joris de Bres.

He has yet to apologise in person to either Sir Anand, or Sheila Dikshit.

A few weeks ago Paul Henry accepted the New Idea People’s Choice Award at the Qantas Film & Television Awards, so large numbers of the viewing public in New Zealand obviously love him and share his sentiments, which they simply view as “un PC”. Perhaps this is the reason why TVNZ dare not sack him, his ratings are far too high for them to risk it.

On 6 October the NZ Fiji Club released a statement which said that Mr Henry’s token suspension was “a joke” and cited the insults that had been made to both Sir Anand and Ms Dikshit.

At last – the ugly truth is out about racism in New Zealand and how ‘small town’ the country really is. No matter how long one has lived in the country, and regardless of the contribution one has made to society, the message is if you look different you can never be a true New Zealander.

In February the Broadcasting Complaints Authority declined to uphold a complaint about controversial television presenter Paul Henry saying homosexuality was unnatural.

“It is unnatural, although homosexuality is through all species”
“I don’t know if it’s through all species but many, many species. A lot of monkeys are homosexual.”

Facebook Groups Supports Henry

5,614 people have ‘liked’ the facebook page “TVNZ sucks for suspending Paul Henry,” voicing their support for the disgraced TV presenter. Their comments seem to contradict the New Zealand High Commissioner’s assertion that Paul Henry’s remarks do not reflect the views of the NZ people.

Adrian Hancock They take it way to seriously. You can racially slur so long as you aint serious.

Brent Standen Good on you Paul for just saying what everyone thinks. Dont change, we love it
Phil Brandford this country is going overboard with all this pc bullshit, bring back paul

Tanya Priest Dikshit lolz i thought Everyone found that funny not just the majority?

Carly Banks God hes only saying what were all thinking!

Ashley Vazey We live in one of the most racist counties in the world if you really think about it. Calling ourselves multi cultural is identifying that we are made up of different races. If everybody was treated the same there would be no privileges or exeptions. No special grants or privillages based on your race and everybody would speak one language. Everyone in nz is from an immigrant history somewhere in their family tree. Paul, good on you for getting everyone to talk about this.

Guntram Gross Yes, Paul stands for the freedom of free speech. There are to many cowards out there that rather shit themselves, than saying what they are thinking. Nobody should have any disadvantages because they speak their mind. Breakfast is nothing without Paul. If you try to get rid of all the people who make so called racist remarks in this country than you will have to deport about halfe the country.It is always subject to interpertation and the way you are looking at these comments. It makes me sick how people abuse the power of the word.

Angela Given It seems to me that alot of politicians are allowed to make racist remarks (that are not intended to be funny) , and you don’t see them getting suspended…TV NZ are just trying to make an example of him!!!! TV NZ Sucks!!

“Bridget Cliff no he isnt why cant people handle when someone actually for once speaks the bloody truth get over it nothing better to do than complain and cause shit sad people he is hilerious he is himself and he says what we all thinking anyway

Heidi Tanner Paul Henry is NOT racist. He is simply stating fact and speaking for those who are too afraid.

New Zealand’s Video Wall of Shame:









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Indian Student Attacked In New Plymouth No Longer Feels Safe In New Zealand

Yet another disgusting example of violence against visitors in New Zealand was highlighted today in the trials of men involved with the beating and robbery of an Indian man in New Plymouth last November.

"New Zealand's reputation has been sullied in the eyes of an Indian student savagely beaten in a New Plymouth graveyard.

Solan Hoeta, 20, unemployed, pleaded guilty in the New Plymouth District Court on Friday to the aggravated robbery of the 26-year-old in the early hours of November 6 in the St Mary's Pro Cathedral grounds...

In his victim impact statement to the court, the Indian man had said he no longer felt safe in the centre of the city and feared that Hoeta and his friends would again attack him. "As a visitor from overseas it has left him with a bad impression of life in New Zealand," the judge said.

Earlier, Hoeta's counsel Paul Keegan said there was a degree of provocation in the attack as a result of the groping. (Ed. provocation? oh come on it's shameful to try to blame the victim for this!)

However, Hoeta had planned the attack, conscripting others to help lure his victim to the secluded graveyard.

He had admitted to police that he had wanted to get him for what he'd done earlier "and I wanted his nice flash stuff."

The lack of remorse outlined in Hoeta's pre-sentence report was because of Hoeta's lack of maturity and naivety, Mr Keegan said. Hoeta had since written a letter of apology for his actions.

The judge said that Hoeta had with others lured his victim into a secluded area and savagely beaten and robbed him of his watch, cellphone and wallet.

The beating left the man unconscious, with a deep cut to his chin and he had to be hospitalised.

"I have seen the aftermath in the photos today," the judge said.

Sadly, Hoeta had tended to blame the victim and his co-offenders but accepted that could be a reflection of his naivety and relative youth, Judge Davidson said.

Jayden Aldridge was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to assault with intent to injure, an assault on a female and common assault. He had punched his partner in the head several times and again offended while on bail. Judge Allan Roberts sent Aldridge to jail for one year."

Only a year?! The judge didn't exactly throw the book at the people responsible and they're likely to be back on the streets before long. No wonder the victim feels pretty let down and fears for his safety still:

"In sentencing Hoeta to 2 1/2 years in prison, Judge Bruce Davidson, of Wellington, said the sentence reflected the pre-meditated nature of the "joint escapade against a very vulnerable victim which had resulted in nasty injuries".

 "Escapade" isn't that trivialising the crime somewhat?

We're surprised that this sort of thing is starting to happen somewhere like New Plymouth, it used to have a fairly good reputation.  Perhaps its a symptom of an increase in racism during the recession that seems to be affecting most of the country. And with feeble sentences like that being given out no wonder it's getting worse.

See blog post "Discrimination against Asians still a key issue in New Zealand" - Asian New Zealanders and international students continue to experience racial discrimination and harassment, according to a report released by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

It seems that discrimination has increased over the last year (perhaps this is a result of a 'kiwis first' mentality during the recession?) with Asians being the most discriminated against. Overall around 10% of New Zealanders experienced discrimination and it looks like police still don't collect data on racially motivated crimes.

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Man beaten with bat in violent home invasion

New Zealand Nationals Arrested In India On Drugs Charges

Two NZ nationals have been arrested in India for being in possession of 96g of charas (hashish or cannabis) According to reports made to the NZ press the couple, Allan Bruce Mills and his girlfriend Peta Sim Clair, have refused all offers of assistance from the NZ embassy.  Really? when one considers the stiff penalties for drug offences in India we think most New Zealanders abroad would be looking for every bit of help they could muster. Why refuse help, it just doesn't make sense. Surely the plight of people like 'banged up abroad' drugs carrier Schapelle Corby can't be far from their minds?

The Tribune India shed a bit more light on the story by reporting:

"Two New Zealand nationals, including a woman, have been arrested for possessing charas, the police said yesterday. Allan Bruce Mills and his girlfriend Peta Sim Clair were arrested from Bhuntar, near here, on Thursday and 96 gm of charas was recovered from their possession, Superintendent of Police KK Indoria said.

He said the couple was also carrying foreign currency worth Rs 22 lakh. They have been booked under the NDPS Act.

“The New Zealand Embassy in New Delhi has been informed about their arrest,” the police official added.

In recent years, the Kullu valley has gained notoriety as a drug haven.

According to the police, the foreigners are providing high-yield variety cannabis seeds imported from Holland and Russia to farmers for planting in various high-altitude areas like Malana, Bhelang, Melandar, Magic and Kutlah in the Kullu valley as well as the Chauhar and Seraj valleys in Mandi district."

The couple are now out on bail and we're left guessing as to why they were arrested in the first place.

New Zealand has a rep for being the country with the highest levels of cannabis use.


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Migrant Stories - Skilled Migrants Must Drive Taxis To Survive

We've heard it many times - migrants have qualifications approved to gain permanent residency and then find NZ employers won't employ them because they won't recognise those same qualifications. It's madness, or perhaps xenophobic protectionism. Here's an article by David Kemeys in The (North) Shore Times to demonstrate the problem.

Mehmet Mohammed has problems. He's an immigrant from Turkey - and a Muslim.
"Camel jockey, sand nigger, bomb chucker - I've heard them all.

"People are quite distrusting of me because they think I'm an Arab and I'm going to blow them up or something. Or they think I must own a restaurant or a kebab shop."

Mehmet is an engineer - code for taxi driver where immigrants are concerned.

And it is on Auckland's taxi ranks where the horrible waste of talent is brought into sharp focus. Checking at Auckland's airport seven drivers - all Indians - were a radiographer, two engineers, an electrical engineer, an accountant, a teacher and a blood analyst chemist.

None can get work in their chosen fields for a variety of reasons, but mostly because their qualifications from Indian institutions are not recognised. Generally speaking they accept it with a shrug, arguing they came to New Zealand to secure a better life for their children.

But two of those seven are planning to abandon their dreams of a new life and return to India, where they say the economy is booming.
"The drunks are the worst. Some of them treat you like dirt, but I am not sure that's because we are Indian, or just because they are drunk," one of the drivers says.
"I've been called an elephant jockey," says another.
"I'm from Mumbai and I'd never seen an elephant until I visited the zoo here with my kids. It's incredible how ignorant some of the people are.
"They think we all wander about like Gandhi or beg in the streets, but Mumbai is a very highly developed city."

See also: Asians braced for a bashing- many Asians cannot understand why they are met with such hostility because they are meant to be sought-after migrants. Racism on the street is even directed at fourth generation New Zealand-born Asians who speak perfect English.
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Srikanth Rayadurgam Disappearance - Indian High Commission Concerned

From Yahoo News

"The Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand is seeking a briefing from Auckland police over the disappearance of an Indian student.

Srikanth Rayadurgam, 23, disappeared on his way to class at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) 10 days ago.

His family have accused police of shifting resources off his case to the search for missing toddler Aisling Symes and questioned whether race was a factor.

Mr Rayadurgam's disappearance was being widely reported in India and had prompted the Indian High Commissioner to seek a one-on-one briefing with investigators, TVNZ reported tonight.

His family believe he may have been the victim of foul play."

Other news reports say that he may have been robbed - he was recorded on CCTV withdrawing $250 dollars from an ATM close to his college on Queen Street at 2.17pm 1 Oct, that was a couple of hours after he left home on his way to AUT. When his wallet was found the following morning on a cycle track on Curran Street a few kilometres away, it was empty except for $10 which could have been easily missed by someone rifling through it.

The rest of his belongings were found at Westhaven Marina and included a shoe without a lace, his wallet, cellphone, jacket and backpack. They were stuffed under a rock below the tide line His bank accounts and cellphone have not been used since he vanished.

Mr Rayadurgam, 23, was from Hyderabad and had graduated in hotel management from the Indian Institute of Culinary Arts in Begumpet, he arrived in New Zealand in February to take an advanced diploma course at AUT University, He was living with his sister R. Padma Priya, and brother-in-law Nagesh Babu, in Mt Albert, Auckland. He has no other family in New Zealand. His family have said that his disappearance is out of character.

Agastya Pesarya, President of the Indian Student Association said, “Our association has been trying the best to trace Srikanth. I have also written to Indian High Commission to look into this matter with immediate effect,” he said.

We are concerned too about his disappearance, it seems highly irregular, we fear the worst but are hoping he'll turn up safe. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

For other posts about overseas student safety in NZ please see:

Google search "New Zealand portrays 'safe' image to attract Indians"

Indian students subjected to racial abuse in New Zealand

View Larger Map - Route from Westhaven marina to AUT

View Larger Map, his wallet was found on Curran Street, near the marina

Indian Man's Racist Attack in Queenstown

From Scene.co.nz

Racist attack

"Three Caucasian males in their 20s hurled racial insults and set upon an Indian man in Camp St opposite ASB Bank at 4.30am last Sunday.

One offender is believed to have used a knuckleduster or knuckle rings. The victim suffered a cut, bleeding nose and chipped teeth.

Police are looking for a large, black 4WD that was dirty or rough, Drader says. The driver may be part-Maori."

Indian Students Subjected to Racial Abuse in New Zealand

From The Times of India 25 Feb 2009

"Indian students studying in New Zealand's southernmost city Invercargill have been targets of racial abuse and called terrorists by local people, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Four of those targeted are Sikhs who wear turbans, which they said made some ignorant people confuse them with Arabs or Muslims, the Southland Times reported.

One victim, Jasdeep Singh, told the paper he had defied his religious principles and had a haircut to avoid wearing a turban because he feared for his safety.

"I haven't told my parents yet," he said. "They will be shocked and quite angry."

Five students out of a group of 25 who arrived in Invercargill this month to study at the Southern Institute of Technology said they had experienced 16 incidents of racial abuse in the last 12 days.

Jasmail Singh said the abusers, men and women, were generally in their early 20s and the attacks, including calls to leave the country, had put them off walking around the city after dark"

Recent increases in migrant numbers have caused tensions to rise in the town where around 90% of the population was born in New Zealand.

Things got so bad last year that mayor, Tim Shadbolt and chief executive of the Southland Institute of Technology Penny Simmonds arranged a meeting with local skinheads.

Ms Simmonds said that two Indian students decided to return home after they were abused by a carload of youths. Other Southland leaders told of mothers being ignored at day care centres, 6-year-old children making racist remarks and migrants in rural areas feeling so isolated they visited the library to talk to someone.

Mr Shadbolt recommended that a designated student area with a hostel be set up away from the central business district because anyone walking through the city at night faced the risk of being abused “even if you go out with a police patrol”

“I’d hate to be wearing a turban walking up (the street in) Invercargill,” he said.

In March of this year a couple were forced to flee their Earn Street home after it was trashed by a white supremacists group that had moved in to number 43.



View Larger Map

Other residents also suffered wilful damage to property, intimidation and threatening behaviour from the group.

But it's not just migrant groups that have been subjected to abuse in the town, Gypsies have been targeted recently too.

Around 60 Gypsies, in the town for the annual Gypsy fair over the Easter weekend, called Invercargill the "worst town in New Zealand" and said that they dreaded going there because of violent attacks and vandalism from local hoons.

There have been calls for a "zero tolerance" approach to racially motivated crimes in Invercargill and the problem has been widely acknowledged to exist, yet the community either lacks the resolution or the resources to tackle it head on.

International press covers more stories of racist attacks on Indian nationals
From Dnaindia.com 1 June 2009
by Ajay Bharadwaj
"Chandigarh: After Australia, there are now reports of racial attacks on Indians in New Zealand. A 23-year-old student from Ludhiana was reportedly attacked by a drunken youth this week.

Nitesh Khanna, a student of diploma in business studies at Auckland, was attacked when he was on his way to work. The youth tried to rob Nitesh of his car and even damaged it. Nitesh's calls to the police for help went in vain.

The assailant chased Nitesh's vehicle till his workplace where his employer came to his defence. Nitesh informed his family in Ludhiana about the incident.

His father Rakesh Khanna says, "The incident is an offshoot of racial attacks on Indian students in Australia over the past four-five days."

The case is not an isolated one.

Sunil Sharma (name changed), doing hotel management course in Auckland, says, "I am subjected to frequent incidents of discrimination. But, I don't want to get any case registered. Recently, a brick was hurled at me by some youths when I was returning home".

"I know several other Indians facing the same situation. But, none of them will come on record, fearing problems in their academic careers," he says."

How many more students keep quiet, fearing reprecussions and a backlash if they make a complaint? I suspect the problem is much worse than is reported by the New Zealand press.

Update: sensing a chance to cash-in on the recent troubles in Australia the following press release has appeared in numerous publications aimed at Indians around the globe recently

"New Zealand Portrays 'Safe' Image To Attract Indians"

"Auckland: The number of Indian students heading to New Zealand has been steadily increasing over the past five years. This year the government is making efforts to see a marked rise in enrolments, marketing itself as a safe alternative to neighbouring where many Indian students have faced racist attacks.

Although Australia has nearly 90,000 Indian students and New Zealand only about 6,000, it is a huge rise from the 500 in this country five years ago.

"India has become an important source for students in recent years. The New Zealand government very much welcomes this growing Indian student body," says New Zealand High Commissioner to India Rupert Holborow.

New Zealand invests about NZ$3 billion annually in the tertiary (universities and polytechnics) education system where most of the Indian students are enrolled. And following a spate of attacks on Indians in Australia, the New Zealand government has asked its trade and enterprise office in India to market the country as a nation with a culture different from its neighbour.

"What we want to do is to remind education agents in India that New Zealand is a different country from Australia - in the nicest possible way," Robert Stevens, chief executive of Education New Zealand, was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald in June.

Many Indians living in New Zealand agree.

"I came here in February 2008 and I haven't faced any racial discrimination," says Joseph Lenus, an Indian pursuing a Diploma in Business at the Waikato Insitute of Technology (Wintec) in Hamilton.

Pharbhu Parsotam, an Indian origin resident of Hamilton, represented the New Zealand hockey team in the past and has coached various club teams. He believes that the country is very accommodating of people from other nationalities.

"I have never faced racism in all my playing days and after. In fact, I had been subjected to howling occasionally on roads but nothing in the sporting area or ground," says Parsotam.

Nagaraj from Channai, who has been studying physiotherapy at the Waikato University from July 2008, says he likes New Zealand's educational system because unlike in India it is student- oriented.

"Here we have a more relaxed way of learning and the tutors are casual in their approach. So adapting to studies and life is easier," says Nagaraj.

There are also a lot of job opportunities in New Zealand despite the global recession.

Gurminder Singh, who hails from Punjab's Jalandhar district, is pursuing a Diploma in Business Administration at Wintec and also doing part-time work.

"I work for 20 hours per week and earn nearly $200. With this money I could cover my living expenses as well as save and send for my family back home in India," says Singh.

Students enter New Zealand through a one-year student visa, which gets converted to a graduate open work visa for one year and allows them to opt for any job.

After one year, they can opt for a two-year work visa. Meanwhile, they can apply for permanent residency and get one if they get maximum points in the skilled migrant category.

Daphne Bell, a community organiser in Hamilton who teaches immigrants English for free and has authored "New to NZ: A Guide to Ethnic groups in New Zealand", says that Indian migrants provide a symbol of multi-culturalism that is essential for New Zealand.

"Indians work harder than the natives and New Zealand should make all efforts to tap the potential of the migrants," she says.

New Zealand is a multi-ethnic country and is predominately populated by the white population known as Paheka. The indigenous Maori community constitutes 16 percent of the population.

Historian and Auckland Institute of Technology professor Paul Moon says that though the Maori population was initially cold to Asians, there is now a better understanding among them for political rights.

"This is reflected in the election of Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi of the ruling National Party as a member of parliament," says Moon.

Suman Kapoor, New Zealand secretary of the Global Organization for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), says Indians are safe in New Zealand because of the political clout that they enjoy.

"Indian origin people enjoy enormous political influence because political parties look up to them for funding during the elections," says Kapoor"

If you're an Indian student thinking about studying in New Zealand I hope your research can see through a press release.