Politician by choice, Punjabi at heart, Kiwi by nature
WELLINGTON: She fell in love with a cricketer, made his country her own and then left a mark as a prominent politician of Indian origin. Nearly five decades later, Sukhinder Kaur Gill or Sukhi Turner’s love with New Zealand continues.
She arrived in New Zealand in July 1973 after marrying the country’s most glamorous cricketer Glenn Turner and 20 years later, became the first person of Indian origin (PIO) to become a three-time mayor of Dunedin, serving from 1995 to 2004.
“I first arrived in New Zealand in 1973. I joined the council in 1992 as I have been there for 20 years. I felt very much at home. There weren’t many Indians back then save those who came to study or teach at the Universities. I was quite used to New Zealand being my second home. Now there’s quite a diaspora over here,” said the Ludhiana-born Turner.
“When I was elected the Mayor of Dunedin city, it was not about my Indian-ness but about what values I stood for,” said Turner. She has seen the Indian community grow in front of her eyes and contribute to New Zealand’s growth over the years.
The integration has happened smoothly as the country has shown that it is a melting pot when it comes to embracing multi-cultural diversity.
“When I was Dinedin mayor in 2004, I was invited to gurdwaras in Auckland but there weren’t many then. But now there are many more Hindu temples also,” she said.
So what happens when India plays cricket matches over here? “My loyalty is divided then,” laughed the wife of former New Zealand captain and one of its greatest batsmen. “But I love the atmosphere during India’s cricket matches. The colourful turbans everywhere...,” she added.