The Indian community in New Zealand has condemned Regional Development Minister Shane Jones after his comments on common Indian surnames sparked outrage at New Zealand First’s annual meeting.
RNZ reported that speaking ahead of an immigration announcement, Jones told the conference that the country’s demography was “changing irreversibly” and singled out “Singh” and “Patel” as the most common baby names.
“If you want to change in a profound way the culture, the character, the make-up of your society, go and campaign on it.”
Indian community leaders say the remarks reflect a long-standing political pattern of targeting minorities.
Historian Harpreet Singh, whose family has lived in New Zealand for over 120 years, told RNZ’s First Up that such rhetoric was damaging.
“For over a century, attacking communities like Asian, Indian, Chinese and others has been the calling card for politicians. It’s a pattern used to deal with bad economy and bad policies.”
Harpreet Singh explained that surnames like Singh and Patel reflect cultural naming traditions and historic migration from Punjab and Gujarat.
“From a mental health perspective, you feel excluded. It affects kids at school, it affects job prospects, it affects hate in the workplace. You can’t keep using catcall racism to get votes.”
Indian community curator Shanti Patel also noted the contributions of Indian migrants since the 1960s in market gardening, retail, dairy, and later professional fields, despite systemic racism.
It is also reported that Minister Jones has so far declined to comment on the backlash.
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