K. S. Bakshi
Prior to migrating to New Zealand, Kanwal had 23 years of business experience. In New Zealand Kanwal has been active in a number of business ventures including real estate, wholesaling and the fashion industry.
Bakshi is actively involved in the NZ Indian community and is the Deputy Chairman of the India Trade Group Inc and Executive Member of the Auckland Indian Association.. He is the Vice Chairman of the Hindu Heritage Centre’s Management Committee and the Secretary of the Auckland Sikh Society. He was a founder member of Sikh Naujawan Sabha, an organisation which focuses on assisting teenage children to meet their full potential.

He is married to Irvinder Kaur and they have two sons

Rajen Parsad
Rajen Parsad, an old friend of ARSP, has a distinguished career in New Zealand in both practical and academic social work. He holds a Ph.D. from Massey University where he worked as Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Social Police and Social Work. He has served on international projects at the UN’s regional headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, and in 1993 on a child welfare project in Croatia. He has appeared frequently as an expert witness before New Zealand’s Family Court. He has been Race Relations Conciliator, a member of the Residence Review Board, and the Chief Families Commissioner.

Rajen Parsad started his working life as a spot welder in a factory in Auckland.

Both the new parliamentarians have been members of GOPIO New Zealand.

Altogether six Asians have entered Parliament—two of them are these two Indians. Indians have been in New Zealand for the past 120 years but there was nobody of Indian origin in Parliament. Indian immigrants will now have a voice heard in New Zealand’s Parliament.