Amritsar: In a significant gesture of reconciliation after recent tensions, Māori leaders in New Zealand welcomed Akal Takht officiating jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj at Papakura Marae, while firmly distancing themselves from right-wing elements that had disrupted Sikh Nagar Kirtans in Auckland.The outreach comes months after protests in Dec 2025 and Jan 2026, when a Māori group linked to a right-wing Christian organisation associated with Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki disrupted Sikh religious processions, performing haka and displaying banners reading “This is New Zealand, not India”.Adviser Jaskaran Singh said Māori representatives engaged in detailed discussions with the jathedar on cultural traditions and clarified their position on the controversy.“They clarified that they have no connection with certain elements who recently opposed a Sikh Nagar Kirtan in New Zealand by misusing the haka tradition. The Māori representatives expressed deep respect for Sikh principles and traditions and affirmed that they stand shoulder to shoulder with the Sikh community,” he said, adding that although they generally do not allow weapons inside their marae (a sacred communal complex of the Māori), they made a special exception to welcome the officiating jathedar along with the Sri Sahib (sword), considering the Sikh community as their own.The symbolic gesture — allowing entry with the Sri Sahib — underscored a conscious effort to reaffirm mutual respect and rebuild trust between the two communities.During the visit, the jathedar also participated in a community outreach programme organised by the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand at Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib, Takanini, where over 1,000 food kits were distributed, reflecting the Sikh tradition of seva.
