Prayers for victims of tsunami at Rotorua service

By ABIGAIL CASPARI in Rotorua
Rotorua's Narsinhbhai Patel cried when he saw the devastation caused by the Boxing Day tsunami which killed thousands of people in his home land India.

"Instantly I prayed to God that whoever had lost their lives that he would open his arms and embrace them," Mr Patel said through his son Subhash Narsinh yesterday.

The 85-year-old and his son joined about 40 others at a memorial service held at the Bay of Plenty Indian Community Centre in Rotorua.

Prayers were said in English and Gujarati - one of the many languages spoken in India - for the victims of the tsunami.

A minute's silence was observed at 1.59pm and several people spoke about how they had been affected by the disaster. Around the region, many Indian business owners were to close their doors for one minute as a mark of respect for the tsunami victims.

Speaking in his native tongue during the service, Mr Patel talked about the devastation the tsunami caused throughout the region.

Mr Patel moved to New Zealand to live with his son a year ago and told The Daily Post he wanted to be at yesterday's service to pray again for those people who died in the tsunami and for "supreme peace" for those who had survived.

As a 10-year-old Mr Patel met Indian statesman Mahatma Gandhi and remembers being part of a big group of children running behind Gandhi. As an adult he was involved in the Indian independence movement led by Gandhi.

Mr Patel knows about hard times, having spent six months in jail for his part in fighting for India's freedom from British rule. But he said his time in jail could not, in any way, be compared to how people had been affected by the tsunami disaster.

Another Indian at the service, Kishor Morarji, told people to think about the psychological effects on the survivors, especially the children.

Mr Morarji said it was important people prayed God would give the survivors the strength and courage to carry on despite what they had been through.

Many of the people at yesterday's service were Indian but also present were several members of the Rotorua Ethnic Council as well as other Rotorua residents who wanted to be with other people when the minute's silence was observed around New Zealand.

John Paul College student Jed Horner, who is a member of Rotorua's Southern African Club, said he was there to "stand with the Indian community in these times of need and trial".

Five-year-old Priyal Jeram, the youngest at yesterday's service, sat curled up against a chair, quietly taking in the atmosphere before standing still to observe a minute's silence. She went to the service with her parents and knew why she was there.

"Because lots of people are dead and people lost everything."