New Zealand ministers praise Modi as Shri Ram Mandir opens

ACT leader David Seymour and Minister for ethnic communities Melissa Lee have praised the Indian prime minister in comments shared accross Indian media

David Seymour at the ‘Ayodhya in Eden Park’ event

“I'm David Seymour. I'm the leader of the ACT party in New Zealand. I'm also the Minister for regulation in the New Zealand government, and the member of parliament for Epsom. I'm very pleased to be here today” David Seymour announced to a camera at the 'Ayodhya in Eden Park' event on January 21st for a clip that was later shared by Asian News International (ANI). 8,000 people had gathered for an event organised by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Prana Pratishta Mahotsav Committee to celebrate the opening of the Shri Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya, built on the site of a sixteenth century mosque destroyed by Hindu nationalists in 1992.

“Day ahead of Ayodhya's date with destiny, New Zealand ministers hail PM Modi for making Ram Temple reality” read the headline on ANI. Photos of New Zealand politicians draped in saffron scarfs at Hindu events have been used many times in Indian media to imply an agreement between those politicians and advocates of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism). After then prime Minister Helen Clark inaugurated the first Hindu Conference in New Zealand in 2007, it was reported in The Organiser, the publication affiliated with the paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Arguably in this instance and others like it, politicians have had their image appropriated for propaganda without their knowledge. In 2024 the situation is somewhat different; the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has close ties to the RSS, has been in power since 2014. In Eden Park, Seymour praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi

“Jai Shree Ram to the entire Bharat. What a wonderful celebration of a monument that will last a thousand years…I congratulate everybody in India including and especially Mr Modi for his leadership that has made this construction possible after 500 years, ready to last another thousand years. It's a testament to what people can do. So I wish Mr Modi courage and wisdom as he helps over a billion people in India navigate the challenges of our world today. I hope that he will have strength and faith that allows him to see the challenges before they become crucial, and wisely help the Indian nation navigate through them well.”

The phrase “Jai Shree Ram” has been called “the three most polarising words in India.” Literally translated as “Victory to Lord Ram” the words originated as a declaration of piety, but for the nationalists who have worked to make the Hindu religion synonymous with the Hindu nation, it has become a political slogan. “Jai Shree Ram” was shouted by Kapil Gujjar as he opened fire on women engaged in a sit-in protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act in Shaheen Bagh, a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of New Deli, in 2020. Gujjar explained his motive as he was handcuffed by police, “In our country, only Hindus will prevail.”

A mural in Shaheen Bagh made during the protests against the Citizenship Ammendment Act

Seymour was not the only politician with fawning praise for Modi. Minister for ethnic communities Melissa Lee also attended the event and spoke to ANI. 

"Ram Mandir is the result of Prime Minister Modi's work and his championing of resurrecting this Mandir. He has been elected so many times as the Prime Minister. It shows his desire to take India forward and take the economy to new heights. Prime Minister Modi is respected around the world and he is putting in some very good work for the people of India"

These statements do not sound as though they are off the cuff remarks. “If you study how Hindutva language is used, you will realise that they have been given a text beforehand to learn, because it’s all hyperbole.” Sapna Samant, a  founding member of the Aotearoa Alliance of Progressive Indians (AAPI) said at a panel discussion organised by the Centre for Culture-Centred Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE). “A thousand year temple that lasts a thousand years? They are very much referring to ancient Hindu temples that have predated colonisation- invasions rather, even from potentially Alexander the Great, so that is what he means by it’s going to last a thousand years. Or the use of the word Bharat, because that’s not something a non-Indian would use.” Bharat is the name for India in several Indian languages, and is one of the official names in the country’s constitution; it is rarely used internationally, but has been more so under Modi’s leadership.  

Hindu leaders in the USA have accused Modi of using the opening of the Shri Ram Mandir as electioneering in the lead up to India's national election this year, and weaponising the faith for partisan political gain. "India was once a safe place for all faiths and communities, and Hinduism is built on pluralist philosophy. Now ‘'Jai Sri Ram', or ‘Glory to Lord Rama’ has become synonymous with the BJP's Hindutva crusade, harm to other religious communities and cheap electoral manoeuvres. Building the new temple over a Mosque is not in line with our values." Hindu priest Raja Bhattar stated in a press release from Hindus for Human Rights.

These sentiments were echoed in a joint statement from AAPI and Hindus for Human Rights Australia and New Zealand, which called on lawmakers and civil society to “express their solidarity with those within the Indian diaspora, especially Muslims, for whom this event marks a day of tragic remembrance” 2000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed in the rioting that followed the destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992.