Sheila remarks ?vulgar?, says New Zealand HC

New Zealand High Commissioner HE Rupert Holborow on Thursday said the racist remarks made against Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit by a Kiwi TV show is ?insensitive? and ?vulgar?.

?The New Zealand High Commission has been made aware of comments made by a New Zealand broadcaster directed at the Delhi Chief Minister, Smt Sheila Dikshit,? said an official statement issued on Thursday evening.

“As New Zealand?s High Commissioner to India, I would like to convey my deep regret for the hurt these comments have caused,? said Holborow.

He further said: ?These remarks 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.?

“As High Commissioner, I always look forward to celebrating the warm and positive links between our two countries and there is never a case for making remarks of this nature which are hurtful.?

?New Zealand highly values its relationship with India and we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, tolerant and inclusive society.?

There are currently over 100,000 New Zealanders of Indian ethnic origin (almost 3 percent of the population), the second largest immigrant group from Asia after China.

?They play a leading role in our nation, together with other communities from around the world,? said the High Commissioner.

He also congratulated Dikshit for her contributions to the ongoing Commonwealth Games (CWG).

“I would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the vital contribution the Chief Minister has made to the Commonwealth Games,? said Holborow.

Earlier, on Thursday, India lodged a strong complaint with the New Zealand government for a Kiwi TV show in which the host allegedly made racist remarks against New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the remarks on the show were “totally unacceptable”.

Later the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement and also summoned the Kiwi envoy in New Delhi to lodge its protest.

It said the High Commissioner of New Zealand was called in to the Ministry of External Affairs and a strong demarche was issued to him on this matter.

“It was conveyed to him that the Government strongly and unequivocally denounces the racist remarks of the journalist in question,” the statement said.

“It is shocking that such bigoted views have been aired by representative of a mainstream media organization of a multiethnic democracy like New Zealand. These remarks are totally unacceptable to India and should be condemned by all right thinking people and nations,” it said.

India said it hoped that New Zealand government would take immediate demonstrative action against the said individual to send out a clear signal that such behavior is totally unacceptable.

“The High Commissioner of New Zealand conveyed the deep regret for the hurt caused by the comments of the media commentator which he characterized as culturally insensitive, inappropriate and vulgar and certainly not the views of the Government of New Zealand.

“He also acknowledged the vital contribution of the Hon?ble Chief Minister to the Commonwealth Games,” the statement said.

The Indian High Commissioner in New Zealand had also suitably taken up this matter with the Government of New Zealand, it added.

TV anchor Paul Henry of TVNZ (TV New Zealand) reportedly ridiculed on his show how the name of Dikshit should be pronounced and he allegedly made derogatory remarks against Indians.

TVNZ is New Zealand’s biggest free-to-air broadcaster and is also the nation’s television public broadcaster.

Henry has been suspended earlier for another racist misdemeanor in which he attacked New Zealand Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand, who is of Indian origin.

TVNZ issued apologies and said the offensive footage on Sheila Dikshit has been removed from their website.

Earlier, New Zealand Herald reported Kiwi Prime Minister John Key saying that broadcaster Paul Henry’s television bosses need to take some blame for his racist comments, as they condone his controversial behaviour.

Speaking on radio, Key said “there was no question Henry’s comments were inappropriate, but it was not all his fault.”

He added “to a certain degree, though, he’s encouraged by Television New Zealand, so it’s not all fault on Paul’s side”.

TVNZ’s news and current affairs manager Andi Brotherston also apologised for the comments of the host.

“I have made an horrendous error of judgement and I want to apologise for the offence I have caused to you personally and the embarrassment I have caused to you as employees of TVNZ,” Brotherston said.

“By way of background, I viewed the comments Paul Henry made online after being asked by NZPA for a comment for their afternoon papers deadline. In my haste I didn’t reflect upon the wider aspects of what he said, I just focused on the question he asked John Key and emailed a quote to NZPA.

“This is not an excuse it is just by way of background, my comments were wrong and I take total responsibility for my mistake,” Brotherston said in the apology note.