Dhanuka Dickwella

When a young member of the New Zealand parliament made a Haka at her inauguration in November 2024, she became a global sensation. Known as Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the MP for Hauraki Waikato of New Zealand has been in the spotlight ever since. She was instrumental in making a feisty stand against the repressive policies of the New Zealand’s conservative coalition government who had been steadily reversing the rights of the indigenous Maoris, the first nation of New Zealand. This article is aimed at making awareness of what has been going on in the land of the Kiwis concerning its first nations.

Neocolism is far from a myth. It has always been underway in every part of the globe despite the strong resistance, push back and backlash. After 200 years, one could see a classic example of a despicable act against New-Zealand’s first nation, namely the Marois by two populist parties who are part of the rightwing governing coalition.

Marois are an ancient civilisation that dominated the Polyensian regions for thousands of years. They are a warrior nation that inhabited tens of many tiny Islands across the Pacific. It was the Maroir’s that discovered and settled in Aotearoa, what was later called as New Zealand by its European settlers. Those first nation people settled in  the two Islands hundreds of years before the many European colonial  conquerors landed in that region. 

In 1840 the Maori elders signed a Historic agreement with the British crown known as the Treaty of Waitangi. As it is common for many documents of Colonial rule, this treaty of peace and friendship  too had two distinctly different interpretations.The Maorian  version clearly stipulated that their sovereignty was well preserved. The Maori text says that “ Rangtira” have “Tinrorangatiratanga” which translate to absolute authority of the Maoris over their lands,resources, homes and Taonga or treasured possessions.However the English version had a slight hiccup. According to that version the “ Rangtira” ceded to her Majesty the Queen of England of all rights, power and sovereignty. What else one could expect from a colonial power who would stop at nothing in looting a land that never belonged to them in the first place.

Maroian’s rights were to be protected as agreed but there is hardly any corner of the world where Colonists have ever respected their commitments to the wellbeing of the locals. Their lands were either confiscated or forcefully acquired which led to the infamous New Zealand wars where thousands of Maoris were subjected to inhumane atrocities, death and displacement. As is the case of every first nation in the world, Maorians became strangers in their own lands. Despite the Treaty of Waitangi, Marois ended up being in the bottom of every socio-economic indicator. Not only becoming the group with the least economic opportunity and access to education, health but also as the community with lowest life expectancy. Among the nations of the global north, New Zealand has one of the highest incarceration rates. Guess who accounts for 52% of that ! Despite being just 17 % of the population, it is the Maoris that overwhelmingly dominate the prison population. That percentage is an indication of the socio-economic inequality in New Zealand society where Maoris are stuck in a vicious cycle.

Against this backdrop a huge protest movement erupted during the 1970s known as hīkoi, which put the spotlight on their struggle. After decades of a long fought battle, the consequential governments adopted a number of progressive policies in support of their cause. 

• The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975
• The return of some Māori land
• The Māori language becoming an official language in New Zealand in 1987
• Establishment of the Māori Health Authority – Te Aka Whai Ora
• National ban of smoking 

With the defeat of the Labour government the Maorians rights  became a bone of contention in the New Zealand political arena and reached a peak towards last year. Two nationalistic, rightwing populist parties were up in arms against those very rights. Namely, New Zealand First, commonly abbreviated to NZ First or NZF founded and led by Winston Peters and ACT New Zealand, also known as the ACT Party or simply ACT, led by David Seymour. Both ACT and NZ First have been two political forces determined in undermining the rights of New Zealand’s  historically repressed group. Both men ride the wave of populism fueled by nationalism, an unfortunate  social product of our time. The duo made a stand against the special status given to the Marois by the crown.They claim that those special status were divisive and discriminatory against the majority. The government consequently revoked some of the most important  rights the Maoris won through a long fought battle. 

• Repeal of Oranga Tamariki Act section 7AA that will have a huge impact on children under state protection
• De Establishing of the Māori Health Authority which will deteriorate what is already terrible condition in Maori Health 
• Lifting the National smoking ban that could be catastrophic to the Maoris health
• Revoking the usage of Maori language as a national language is discriminatory at all accounts

Just reading through those revisions, one could feel how far the current government under the influence of Nationalistic coalition parties were willing to go. As a matter of fact it was  not just to undermine the progress the New Zealand society has made in national reconciliation but also in pushing the first nations down to the bottom of social hierarchy.The populists did not want to stop just there. Their final goal was to introduce another dangerous bill that would have turned New Zealand’s delicate social fabric in tatters. Their bill known as “Treaty Principles Bill” was aimed at redefining ‘The Treaty of Waitangi’. Sugar coated with the statement  “ Equal rights for all confirming in law that all New Zealanders have equal rights, as promised by the Treaty of Waitangi”, the bill was to rewrite history destroying what was left for the Maoris. That interpretation was supposed to take away the special protection and acknowledgment of Maori’s right to land. If passed it would have opened the doors for a consistent, systematic neocolonial exploitation adventure by the  greedy corporations.

These racially charged policies would have torn New Zealand’s tolerant social fabric for good.

But the world did not fail the Maoris in New Zealand. Tens and thousands marched across New Zealand against the bill and there was an outpouring of global solidarity with the Maoris. If the nationalists were successful that would have set precedent  to an unprecedented wave of assaults across the globe against the indigenous populations and their rights in every corner of the world. The democratic world came together and took a stand against New Zealand’s right wing conservative government backed by the two racist populists parties and did everything at their capacities to stop this madness from taking place. Finally on the 11th of April 2025, the Maoris Haka was finally heard and respected. 

As citizens of the world it is time we all  make a Global Haka against the despicable anti democratic, neocolonist  agendas creeping under our societies in the guise of democracy.  Once they are done with the first nations and marginalized groups, that success would be repeated a few foils higher in all those lands that were once safe heavens for the colonists. 

About the Writer

With a master’s in International relations, Dhanuka’s expertise is in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, among other things. In addition to being the Executive Editor of The Asian Reviews magazine, he works as a guest writer in the Chicago-based Armenian Mirror-Spectator on Caucuses-related geopolitical issues and contributes as a columnist and a guest speaker to the Indian-based Force Security magazine.

He was a grassroots Politician, a political campaign Director, and a council member of a local government body in a small town in rural Sri Lanka. Before entering active politics, he led his foundation in supporting youth and the underprivileged. Currently, he consults youth groups on political activism and general political trends.

He is a poet, blogger, and an enthusiastic climate and social activist who strongly believes in making a better world for future generations. A patriotic Sri Lankan who is a father of a loving daughter.

A soul is departed from the living earth. Where to, no one really knows. As her body warmth climbs down and reaches zero, her memories, once treasured souvenirs too, start to leave her surroundings. An auction of a dead person’s belongings by her loved ones is just a regular activity in modern day culture. Thousands of years back, those belongings were buried along with the departed. In the cosmopolitan world we live in, it does not make sense and the way the world has evolved does not support that idea any longer. For once there is no space and secondly it doesn’t make sense to destroy what is reusable in a world that is scared of resources. Besides, who has the money to build a Giza or a Taj Mahal?What could be reused should be reused and what could be sold should be sold. There is no ethical conundrum of that.

Well, of course there are exceptions and exceptional situations. If you were a world leader, a persona who was responsible for changing the course of humanity, the world would guard and preserve everything that belongs to you. Perhaps even your T-shirt. Or perhaps if you were an equal of Lenin, they might even preserve your dead body. If you were a larger than life person, your legacy perdures your after life on earth.Tutankhamun wouldn’t have thought of becoming a global sensation 3300 years after his departure, probably. But such could be life on earth.

Personal property of a deceased is called fittings or chattels. Although distributing them among family or selling that brings no legal challenge, the sentimental value could be quite a disturbing occurrence. Such auctions are a sad reminder of a constant echo we try hard to ignore, a truth that disturbs peace and gives birth to sentiments not necessarily happy. The stark reminder of the emptiness of our life! As children, lovers, partners, husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, friends, work colleagues humans play multiple roles throughout their lives. They take pictures, purchase furniture, buy souvenirs, gather treasures, collect things of interest. All of those possessions make who a person is. A carpet collector, a vass collector, a paintings collector or what not. Even in the poorest of the houses, they will preserve a picture of the family. Each of those items means something to the owner who is gone on a journey to the unknown. Each of them completes who one is. But as one lies dead in a far away cemetery alone, or burnt and scattered as ash, their loved ones rips the world they built for years. One buy one they sell what made a person, shred their possession like removing bricks of a house. From the favorite reclining  chairs, to the rich book collection to one’s utilities. At the end perhaps the house one lived in would also be sold. After a while there is absolutely nothing that will remain of who one once was. There can not be billions of Tutankhamuns in an overpopulated world where people die by hunger.

A minimalist thus would be the real winner in a life’s journey when one thinks of this truth. A minimalist would live with the means to live but not necessarily to possess the possessions purchased out of greed. But even while knowing a hard truth people would not choose to follow the path of  minimalism.Minimalist or not, you will be met with the maker one day. So what difference does it really make? When what’s on the other side is not known, why worry about suppressing your cravings. Why not enjoy the materialistic riches and appease your soul’s greed ? Who gave those words a bad name ? If religions were meant to guide humanity for a simple life, why do all the religious establishments remain so rich, painted in gold, draped in gems and showered in wealth ? Something is broken in that system or humanity supports a fraud because it has been the tradition.

When humanity was organising into a civilization, they had to think of what and how the order would look like. First to be born were the leaders. Those selfless, strong men fought with their muscles against the wild beasts competing for dominance  like their human counterparts. It was a savage battle for control,food, land,  populating and becoming the alpha beings of the earth. Often it was the animals who won with their might, sharp teeth, piercing nails, lightning speed, strongest senses from smell to sight. Humans were the prey. The battles for water holes, battles for an innocent impala favoured the wild beasts as they were gifted with extraordinary savagery. Then one day it all changed. A human whose name we could never know discovered the single most important discovery of our entire civilisation. Fire !!! Fire and ignition of it made our history what it is and us who we are.

Predating the fire or just after the discovery of fire, there were no organised religions. Perhaps one worshiped the forest which gave them food and shelter or the rain which helped them cultivate their grain or the sun that made life blossom. Who created the organised religion and for what reason could only be defined looking at how the current world functions. Who would need the protection of divinity, cover of the holy, blessings of the almighty and the endorsement of the high priests the most ? Not a human dying from starvation or a war that he had no part to play with ;not a poor voter who has been taken on ride after ride by every government ; not a  migrant dying in the high seas.

Maybe it is the very leaders who lead humanity that really need the organised religions to organise the society and tame their thoughts to suit their tunes. Looking at Tutankhamun and an auction of the chattels of an ordinary dead human of our time, all one could conclude is that life has always favoured the rich and mighty. They would live gloriously while they are alive and even after their deaths. While those Toms, Dicks and Harrys will see their chattels sold, lands distributed, names forgotten before the dawn of another year, it will only be a Tutankhamun who will emerge from a hidden cave, sunken palace and be placed in a Royal museum with their wealth intact.

About the Writer

With a master’s in International relations, Dhanuka’s expertise is in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, among other things. In addition to being the Executive Editor of The Asian Reviews magazine, he works as a guest writer in the Chicago-based Armenian Mirror-Spectator on Caucuses-related geopolitical issues and contributes as a columnist and a guest speaker to the Indian-based Force Security magazine.

He was a grassroots Politician, a political campaign Director, and a council member of a local government body in a small town in rural Sri Lanka. Before entering active politics, he led his foundation in supporting youth and the underprivileged. Currently, he consults youth groups on political activism and general political trends.

He is a poet, blogger, and an enthusiastic climate and social activist who strongly believes in making a better world for future generations. A patriotic Sri Lankan who is a father of a loving daughter.

The Kremlin, the White House, and Buckingham Palace are places that resemble a basic factor of civilization, namely the concept of Power. Each of those locations is a center of power that can not only change its inhabitants and the country they are located in, but the whole of humanity in split seconds. The same magnitude is held by the Vatican, Mecca, and Sacred Tooth Relic Temple of Kandy, but in an entirely different context. Wall Street, the London Stock Exchange, and Beijing Financial Street carry the power of commerce. As each locality seems to have an influence larger than its physical size, it begs the question of what a Tea Shop holds in terms of power.

A proper description of what kind of a Tea shop is subject to the discussion is needed as a prelude. In most parts of Asia, one will not miss a small boutique where people sit, read a newspaper, or play a game while enjoying a cup of tea. In the not-so-distant past, each village had one such entity where you could also buy your groceries. The most important thing about such tea shops is that they functioned as the place where people gathered to talk, make conversations, reveal messages, pass news, exchange ideas, seek clarifications, give opinions, engage in heated debate, and argue on many topics from religion to politics. There was a spicer side that dealt with the teashop’s surroundings with its visitors having a knack for a little gossip about the village dwellers and local celebrities. While the establishment’s primary purpose was to make profits, it gave rise to a well-sustained ecosystem that included everyone in a village. It was the postman’s break point, a policeman’s information center, and the local hub of trade. Undoubtedly, a teashop owner enjoyed an enormous civil power, yet without the ecosystem of its visitors, those powers meant nothing.

Although times have changed and the tea shops have evolved from their ultra traditional outlooks becoming more chic, clean, and perhaps changed their palate, none of their functionalities have changed. Tea shops are still a central hub of communications where People still gather to carry out civilizations.

While one has to agree wholeheartedly that no Tea shop in the world could push the red button to fire a nuclear missile, announce a strict religious decree, impose a new tax, or declare wars, the tea shops really do hold the power to change the outcome of any such decisions. The crowd that gathers is who pays tax, who would take a gun and go to war, who would donate to the religious establishments, pray to the gods the leaders say are true, and perhaps start a revolution. No, they are not just the foot soldiers who carry out the orders, but an integral and powerful part of that power chain. What they talk, the opinions they create, the arguments they make reach not just the households but an entire network of grassroots.  

High on a cuppa, two ordinary people could give birth to a revolutionary idea that can easily ignite a nation’s patriotism, nationalism, or even racism. Perhaps a shared grievance could become a rallying call for a nationwide strike, a concentrated boycott movement, or an armed rebellion. A scribbled note in a tea shop could be the lyrics of a song that touches the hearts and minds of a generation. Conversations made, arguments sustained, debates deliberated, lyrics sung, notes scribbled, anger expressed, emotions shared among the ordinary folks in a teashop thus carry a weight that outweighs brewing a storm inside a teacup instead creating a butterfly effect which could cause a violent storm. In Chaos Theory, it is said that a butterfly flapping its wings in one place could, in theory, alter atmospheric conditions that eventually lead to a tornado or hurricane in another location. That is the magnitude of power a Teashop and its patrons hold. One has to look at a teashop in the same spirit, merit, mindset, and relevance. The pillars of power rest on national parliaments, presidential places, political party headquarters, militant garrisons, tech hubs, and wealthy financial centers, all come down to what takes place inside a teashop. 

Times have changed and the inhabitants of teashops have evolved. Whether they carry a Mamoty on the shoulder or a sleek laptop, or whether they drink a sugary plaintea or a fancy Matcha iced latte, it will be the teashops and their visitors who will decide how the world functions and the direction of the civilisation. Any ruler, political or otherwise, who fails to comprehend the intricate, unparalleled, unique nature of this power center is prone to end up being just another footnote of history. 

About the Writer

With a master’s in International relations, Dhanuka’s expertise is in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, among other things. In addition to being the Executive Editor of The Asian Reviews magazine, he works as a guest writer in the Chicago-based Armenian Mirror-Spectator on Caucuses-related geopolitical issues and contributes as a columnist and a guest speaker to the Indian-based Force Security magazine.

He was a grassroots Politician, a political campaign Director, and a council member of a local government body in a small town in rural Sri Lanka. Before entering active politics, he led his foundation in supporting youth and the underprivileged. Currently, he consults youth groups on political activism and general political trends.

He is a poet, blogger, and an enthusiastic climate and social activist who strongly believes in making a better world for future generations. A patriotic Sri Lankan who is a father of a loving daughter.

“Each relationship between two persons is absolutely unique. That is why you cannot love two people the same. It simply is not possible. You love each person differently because of who they are and the uniqueness that they draw out of you.”

William P. Young,

Hundreds of such beautiful quotes are scattered all over the usage among us humans. Irrespective of what each of them stands for or its truthfulness, the nature of relationships and everything around them is subject to change. It has been on a constant evolution from its inception. The times, society, climate, and rise of religions and cultures all impacted the very definition of what relationships meant. In the era of information humanity lives in, relationships have reached a completely strange plateau. A new reality called virtual space has emerged turning the whole thing upside down.

The most basic component that governs a relationship is the forming of one. There have been tens of traditional ways of meeting a potential partner ranging from classic Victorian practices to 21st centry chic ways. Out of the buffet of relationships forming, a few could be highlighted for comparison’s sake. From volunteering for a social cause to hanging out at a dog park to flirting over a bar counter to introductions through mutual friends to a dancing class, attending a social event, working out at a gymnasium to yoga class have been commonly used by relationship seekers to meet a partner. The rise of big tech paved the way for dating through social media in this century. All of the above are tested and proven methods. One can not ignore relationships born out of accidental events, too. In some cultures, relationships are arranged by the parents’ initiative through the services of matchmakers with the end objective of marriage.

The classical era of relationships is either reaching its lifespan or seems to be unable to survive the rise of a new phenomenon. This so-called new trend is causing further diminishment in the value, usage, and effectiveness of the old-school methods. Post-2010 saw the rise of a new titan in the sphere of relationships –  namely, Dating Apps. From Tinder to Bumble to Grinder to Bado, hundreds of Dating apps are there catering to different interests, demographics, and relationship goals. From cold Alaska to Ouagadougou in the hot Burkina Faso to tropical Colombo to the tiny Pacific island of Vanuatu, every human settlement is using dating apps to connect with one another. While marriages in many population centers are rapidly decreasing, the number of users of dating apps is increasing a fewfold every single year. That is a self-explanatory situation and seems to have an inverse correlation.

While the user experience is on an individual basis, depending on intent, context, and culture, one has to give credit for its role in revolutionizing the world as we know it. It begs the question of why a person would opt to go online instead of a more authentic and meaningful in-person moment. Irrespective of cultural constructs and societal norms, even in the most conservative countries where traditional relationships are the order of the day, dating apps have taken the lead. But why?  Among the many possible reasons, there seems to be an undeclared political landscape that governs the relationships in the virtual spaces. Not necessarily the much-contested politics of gender but an intense competition for supremacy among individuals beyond gender. Something we could identify as “Politics of Relationships”.  What is the nature of the virtual space that resembles the powerplays in the physical world, though? 

In this space, the social security number, passport details, and marriage certificates are not prerequisites to prove who a person really is, allowing an individual to become anyone at all. Everyone projects who they want to be, and they make up stories to suit their interest to match their profile and to make headway to the relationship objective. You could be Shakespeare, Angelina Joli, Andrea Bocelli, Rajini Kanth, or simply your childhood hero. Who is behind the face could always be far from reality. There is no doubt that there are tens of those who go by their real details and are their real self. However, the need to present a higher version of oneself as an achiever, go-getter, successful human, and someone worthy of another’s time and attention is fundamental to this.

Potraying who you think you are as a way to get who you fancy or what you fancy needs more than a fake profile or cropped-up pictures. In this battle for supremacy, one needs to iron out doubts, consolidate power, and allow one’s influence to grow in the other’s universe. A regular sales pitch, upselling, over promising, sugar coating, sweetening are all common tactics used time and again by most of the relationship seekers. Irrespective of one’s intention of either scamming someone, tying a knot at some point in life, or simply going to bed, this powerplay is in full swing.

What are the principles relating to a sphere of activity concerning power and status in a relationship between a woman and a man or otherwise? What goes inside the mind of a man or a woman, what do they plan to achieve, and how do they assess their counterparts? If mind games are high-end play, there are a lot of factors one needs to take into consideration carefully. An easy yet erroneous way to sum up this would be to call it manipulation and throw it down the gauntlet. But this power politics, it is not the gender, the wealth, and the social status that decides the winner. Surely, they play a distinct role of their own merit but are not necessarily the deciding factors. Rather, the psychological endurance, tolerance, arsenal of words, and stories in hand are all that matters. The charm, rhythm, and not losing the focus and losing the way is fundamental. Winning at any cost or a tactical loss for a strategic win are observed within the dating app users.

Virtual space is undoubtedly a walk into Mordor. Surviving the unknown amidst uncertainties is a Herculean task. Simply because one will find every type of individual just like a real society lurking freely. There are the creepy, the nice, the dangerous, the adventurous, the lying, the cheating, the desperate, the needy, the clingy, the pretentious, the romantic, the lost, you name it. Wandering in this mysterious universe where many fates crisscross while all of them lead to the very same destination is a thing that only virtual beings would understand. Behind every virtual mask, there is a story stemming from real life. Those stories vary from sad to childhood traumas, and some have no idea why they even exist. Seeking validation and recognition to win control over a mutual space ungoverned by normal rule brings the individuals to pursue the basic rules of politics. An undeclared call to action driven by the need for supremacy, control, and power. In this space, the traditionally established patriarchal laws do not work. No one cares whether one is a conservative, traditionalist, or an open-minded libertarian. It is one’s choice, and one can find birds of a feather flocking together even in this domain. It has its own set of rules and norms, which are individually based. Although an ungoverned space, it is intended to end up in a safe space and walk like gentlemen and women even if a common ground is unable to be established. 

If one looks at relationships in a general perception, the popular narrative is that women are in demand. That is either a common misconception or a half-truth. The level of needs of each of the genders differs. At the onset, men want physical pleasure, and there is high competition for that among men. Within that playfield, women are in very high demand. But if one cares to look into the space expansively, a different truth emerges. Comparatively, a higher number of women are out there looking for stable relationships that could end up in some kind of commitment. The contenders for that segment will be fewer men, whereas so many women could be competing with each other. So this tendency tilts the balance where men are in demand within that playfield. Will end this with a quote from the American author Ambrose Bierce.

“ Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage “

The new meaning for relationships has essentially come down to ‘ interests masquerading as a contest of principles”. The time of Romeo courting Juliet is history from another era. 

DHANUKA DICKWELLA

About the Writer

With a master’s in International relations, Dhanuka’s expertise is in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, among other things. In addition to being the Executive Editor of The Asian Reviews magazine, he works as a guest writer in the Chicago-based Armenian Mirror-Spectator on Caucuses-related geopolitical issues and contributes as a columnist and a guest speaker to the Indian-based Force Security magazine.

He was a grassroots Politician, a political campaign Director, and a council member of a local government body in a small town in rural Sri Lanka. Before entering active politics, he led his foundation in supporting youth and the underprivileged. Currently, he consults youth groups on political activism and general political trends.

He is a poet, blogger, and an enthusiastic climate and social activist who strongly believes in making a better world for future generations. A patriotic Sri Lankan who is a father of a loving daughter.