Big murderers lurking as small kids: Another Indian murder- 7 years ago

Big murderers lurking as small kids: Another Indian murder- 7 years ago

Thakur Ranjit Singh

No, this is not about the killing of Arun Kumar in Henderson-it is about a similar Indian killing some 7 years ago: The murder of Sai Krishna Naidu in Clendon, Manurewa in 2008. Have things improved? Have the authorities learnt their lesson? I wonder where that murderer, 16 year old then, Tiare Towihi Nathan is – NOW. He would be a 23 old adult now, is he still mad or was that a fake?

The judge ruled that Nathan was criminally insane at the time he committed the offence", and accordingly found him not guilty of murder. He made an order that Nathan be detained in hospital as a special patient, saying he required care for a long time. It would be up to medical experts to decide when he would be freed.

I wonder whether our MP Kanwaljeet Bakshi can use the resources of his office to find out under Official Information Act – WHERE IS THIS MURDERER WHO WAS RULED INSANE IN 2008. Is he really insane, or enjoying life? How about the family of Sai Naidu - the only child of his parents. And how about the verdict of the latest murder of Arun Kumar of Henderson? This will be covered in a FIJI PUNDIT article later.

A blockbuster Hindi movie, appropriately titled "Andhaa Kanoon" which translates to a blind law and justice, which seems to prevail for Indian communities in Auckland., through murders and subsequent sentences

Is the justice system in NZ unfair to the ethnic non- Anglo Saxon families? If, say John Key’s or Andrew Little’s relatives would have been killed this way, would we still have had the lackadaisical attitude of prosecution? Would the justice system remain as questioning and wanting?

Let us go in flashback mode to 2008

A father’s dream of seeing his son graduate and a mother’s dream of dressing her only son as a groom was snuffed out cruelly on the early afternoon of Friday 25 January, 2008.

On that fateful day, Hari Raj Naidu and his wife left their Finlayson Superette in Clendon, Manukau, Auckland only for a short while in the care of their 22 year old son Saishwar Krishna Naidu, an electronic student attending Manukau Institute of Technology.   

 

Indeed, justice seems to have a blindfold, as a community feels short-changed by delivery of some of its rulings

At around 1.30 pm, in walked a shabbily dressed 16 year old Maori kid- , Tiare Towihi Nathan who directly walked inside the counter and attacked Sai Krishna repeatedly with a small knife without any provocation. Despite the efforts of the Ambulance staff he passed away on the scene. In the meantime, the assailant, who appeared not at all remorseful of his hideous and animalistic crime was caught, bashed and handed over to the police by some people who came over to help after the commotion.

When I visited the bereaved Hari Raj Naidu’s residence at his Pelargonium Terrace home in Manukau Heights in 2008, he was too distraught to talk while his wife was still reeling from the shock of losing her baby son. All Mr Naidu could relate was that the heaviest burden for any father is to give shoulder to the coffin box of his teenage son, when the nature intended the roles to be reversed. For Hindus, it is the son who is expected to light their parent’s pyre and perform their final rites. With a few strokes of a knife in the hands of an unruly youth, this right has been snatched from Naidu and his wife.

“In this country criminals and lawbreakers, with the help of so called human rights advocates gain more rights than us hard working law abiding citizens. We are at the receiving end of government’s handout mentality to bludgers who survive on taxpayer benefits and cause havoc in our communities.” said one neighbour.

Anger and disappointment was obvious on the faces of people who had gathered at Naidu’s home to console the family. One angry relative said that it was time for government to review its welfare system and stop fattening the criminal elements. One Indo Fijian migrant quipped that he came from troubled Fiji for security but Auckland was turning out to be worse than the worst streets of Suva.

The anger amongst Indian and Indo Fijian community is expected to materialise in some form of action. Community leaders have expressed concerns at the deteriorating law and order situation, failure of our welfare state and some legislation that unilaterally stripped parents from their parenting rights that appear to have contributed to increasing crime in youths and juveniles. Have religion and community support failed us? Why crime is rife around areas with huge churches and Marae?

But it was too late for Sai Naidu who obviously was a victim of poor parenting and upbringing of a juvenile thug that reflected on the society that we live in.

Sai Naidu was cremated at Manukau Memorial Gardens which saw one of the largest gatherings of mourners in the recent past. The hall, the foyer and the corridors were fully packed and people were some four deep around the hall.

 

Giyannedra Prasad, former Fiji Parliamentarian, a community leader and a classmate of the victims father, delivered a moving eulogy during the funeral service of Sai Krishna Naidu in January, 2008.

Giyannendra Prasad, Auckland lawyer, former Fiji Labour Member of Parliament and former Deputy Speaker, who himself was a victim of George Speight’s detention, delivered a moving eulogy. Prasad attended school with Naidu Senior in Fiji and expressed his utter sadness and dismay at situation of migrants who came to NZ in search of peace and law and order. He echoed the sentiments that people from Fiji moved over here with high hopes, but become victims of senseless, cruel and callous crimes that take away their dreams with sudden loss of their loved ones. He expressed the fear of Indian community Dairy owners who must be thinking, who is next. It appears the anger of the community has transformed into a sense of helplessness and frustration at the inability of the authorities to provide the security for which the migrants chose New Zealand as their new home.

I spoke to prominent Indian Community leaders who called for some form of concerted effort to address the problem of unbridled crime in Auckland. The Indian Community was prepared to take lead in this matter and was prepared to work in cooperation and consultation with the authorities to address the issue as a community problem.

Should this eventuate, it would appear that Sai Naidu’s death would not have been in vain and that is some consolation that Indo Fijian community and the fearful shop owners can have from this tragedy.

PROLOGUE: Indian community did meet some seven years ago, and as happens, unless some mover and shaker is a victim, nobody gives a damn. And same happened, while Indians continued getting killed.

E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is a media commentator and community worker, using his blog site, FIJI PUNDIT, to raise issues which the mainstream and side stream media ignores or fails to highlight. This is one such instance]

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