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The Hindu Board of New Zealand strongly condemns the inflammatory, defamatory and hate-fuelled video released by Bishop Brian Tamaki of the Destiny Church. The Board condemns his incitement to violence, arson, hatred and his explicit call to “purge” Hindus from New Zealand and burn down Hindu temples in New Zealand as”tit for tat” reciprocity for alleged actions in India.These statements can only be attributed either to ignorance or malicious intent. Normally Hindus would ignore such kerfuffle, but such calls to violence can trigger lone wolf attacks and endangers the life of law-abidingcitizens. We call on the government and the authorities to immediately take appropriate legal measures to prevent a tragedy.Considering the seriousness of the claims and for the benefit of the media, civil society and the people of New Zealand, we refute each allegation with facts and data.
                           TAMAKI’S FALSE CLAIMS vs THE REAL FACTS
1. Alleged “Persecution of Christians” in India and church burnings
These claims are not grounded in official police chargesheets, data, or court convictions in India. Tamaki has not shown proof of endemic, systematic, state-sponsored persecution of Indian Christians, any “purge” of Christians, or campaign of church burnings as government policy or encouraged by Prime Minister Modi’s administration.Tamaki relies predominantly on anecdotal “victim testimonies” often promoted by dubious international advocacy
groups. In cases where Christians were the victims, it is often found that the reasons stemmed from personal,familial, land-related, or socio-economic reasons rather than purely religious motives. There is no evidence of mass church burnings.There are 37 million Indian Christians as of 2026, that is seven times the entire population of New Zealand. Letthat sink in. Christians have flourished in India since 52 AD, just 19 years after the death of Jesus, when St Thomas came to India as an apostolic missionary. India has thousands of Catholic (Latin and Syrian), Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Assembly of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon andthousands of independent house churches. Christianity is a significant and major religion in eight of the 29 Indian
states – Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Kerala and the Andamans.Tamaki, whose church has faced sustained media scrutiny over tithing practices reported to place pressure on low-income members, and who preaches that earthquakes happen because of homosexuality, should not be
taken seriously.
2. “Modi is a Monster”
There is absolutely no credible evidence, direct or indirect, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi bears responsibility for any persecution or violence against Christians or any religious community in India. This is a baseless and reckless slur against the democratically elected leader of the world’s largest democracy, who has been returned to office three consecutive times by the Indian electorate on a clear platform of inclusive economic development and national progress for all citizens. The Government’s guiding philosophy of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” (Together with all, Development for all, Trust of all) explicitly rejects
division. To brand him a “monster” without a shred of evidence is reckless, baseless, and unworthy of public discourse, particularly as Modi prepares to visit New Zealand to strengthen friendly bilateral relations. Just last Christmas, Modi attended Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi. In 2021 Pope Francis accorded Modi an official welcome at Vatican City.
3. Child brides married to old men – not a Hindu practice or government policy
Child marriage is strictly illegal in India under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and earlier legislation dating back to 1929. It is not sanctioned, promoted, or practised as a religious tenet by Hindus, nor is it endorsed or encouraged by the Government of India under Prime Minister Modi. Child marriage historically persisted in rural communities and persists in some patriarchal rural communities (like the Amish in the US orGloriavale in New Zealand). But contrary to Tamaki’s dramatics no Hindu father will marry his infant daughter to an old man. What these communities practice is ‘betrothal’ (a promise between two families to commit their young children to a future marriage when their children are adults, with the consent of the children). This is no different from the custom Biblical patriarchs followed as mentioned in the Old Testament. Even Mary was betrothed to a much older Joseph. India is a 5,000-year-old continuous civilisation and has a population of 1.4 billion. Singling out a what is a fading tribal custom and projecting it onto all Hindus and the Hindu religion, is factually wrong and mischievous. Blaming the current Indian government for this practice reflects Tamaki’s
severe poverty of thought.
4. Opposition to the India–New Zealand FTA
Opposition to the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is clear a sign of Tamaki’s economic illiteracy. The benefits of the FTA, which substantially reduces or eliminates tariffs on over 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India (including dairy, meat, wine, horticultural products, and education services) have
been widely documented. The Board does not see any point in repeating the benefits here. Trade policies are formulated in the national economic and strategic interest, not on the basis of inane personal and religious prejudices by an ill-informed individual.
5. Hindu Nationalism and Tamaki’s hypocrisy
The Government of India does not discriminate in the delivery of social services, welfare programmes, or development schemes on the basis of religion. Even the most strident critics of the current government admit this fact. The present government affirms India’s Hindu civilizational heritage and cultural identity as part of its nationhood. This does not entail denial of constitutional rights, equal protection, or welfare access to religious minorities, who retain full voting rights, parliamentary representation, and dedicated support programmes. Tamaki stands exposed as a blatant hypocrite. He and Destiny Church have repeatedly called for New Zealand to be recognised as a Christian nation, leading public marches and rallies under the slogan “Faith, Flag and Family,” denouncing non-Christian religions, immigration, and cultural expressions that do not conform to his vision. If he believes New Zealand should be a Christian country, on what principle does he deny the people of India – a Hindu-majority nation with an ancient indigenous spiritual tradition – the right to affirm and preserve their own
cultural and religious heritage in their ancestral homeland? India remains a constitutional secular democracy with equal rights for all. Hinduism is not a proselytising religion. There are no organised Hindu missionary campaigns or conversion drives in New Zealand targeting the wider population. The Hindu diaspora has integrated peacefully and productively – as medical professionals, engineers, IT specialists, entrepreneurs, academics, students, and businesspeople –
enriching New Zealand without seeking to impose our faith or demand a “Hindu state” in New Zealand.
6. The absurdity of collective blame and “tit-for-tat” logic
The dangerous logic of collective guilt and reciprocal hatred must be firmly rejected. Should every New Zealander be blamed, hated, or “purged” because one individual painted graffiti reading”Kill all Indians”?
Should all Kiwis be tarred with the same brush because of the wave of ram raids that have targeted Indian owned dairies and convenience stores in recent years?
Should the entire New Zealand population be reviled because of the tragic and unacceptable cases of infant murder, child abuse, and family violence that occur in this country every year? Should all New Zealanders be blamed for the historical abuse in state care of a quarter of a million New Zealanders, as highlighted by the Whanaketia Report?
Should all New Zealand Christians be held responsible for the abuse of children by 14% of New Zealand’s
Catholic diocesan clergy as per Te Ropu Tautoko which engaged with the Royal Commission?
By the same flawed and poisonous reasoning employed by Bishop Tamaki, any religious leader in India could
claim justification to incite hatred against all New Zealanders who live in or visit India for the actions of a tiny
minority of wrongdoers.
We categorically reject such collectivist hatred and double standards. Violence or prejudice by any individual or group must be condemned on its own merits, without painting entire communities or nations with the same brush. Have Hindus in New Zealand ever burnt down a church in this country? Yet Bishop Tamaki is openly inciting his followers to burn Hindu temples in New Zealand. This is not reciprocity or “tit for tat”. It is unprovoked, one-sided
incitement to arson and violence against a law-abiding minority that has never threatened or harmed Christian places of worship in Aotearoa.
DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE LEGAL ACTION
By publicly calling to “purge New Zealand of Hindus” and to “burn temples down,” Tamaki has engaged in explicit
incitement to violence, property destruction, and potentially murder. “Purge” implies forcible and violent removal.
Burning occupied temples or places of worship endangers human lives and constitutes arson with potentially
lethal consequences. Such rhetoric normalises hatred and can create the conditions for violent extremism, as
New Zealand tragically experienced in the Christchurch mosque attacks of 15 March 2019.
To avoid a tragedy, The Hindu Board demands that the government and the police take suo moto cognizance and
initiate legal action against Tamaki. Minister Mark Mitchell should demonstrate that calls to violence against any
group will not be tolerated in Aotearoa New Zealand.
As the governing leadership team, the Hindu Board of New Zealand directs the activities of the Hindu Foundation of New Zealand and provides strategic guidance to the Hindu community nationally.
-TIN Bureau