Dear Dr Parmar, once again, you are being racist.

Open Letter to Dr Parmjeet Parmar

From Rights Aotearoa

14 July 2025

Dear Dr Parmar,

We saw your letter today to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland regarding the Kaihōpara Raukura – Māori Graduate Programme.

You argue that the job description is potentially unlawful for expressing a strong preference for Māori applicants. You cite sections 22 and 23 of the Human Rights Act 1993, but neglect to mention section 73—which explicitly permits measures to ensure equality where disadvantage exists. You should have kept on reading, but you are being wilfully ignorant.

This is one of those measures.

Māori remain starkly underrepresented in academia. Appointing someone Māori to support Māori graduates is a proportionate, lawful, and necessary response to that ongoing inequity. It is entirely consistent with the purpose of the Human Rights Act 1993—and indeed with human rights law globally.

In fact, this approach aligns with the very principles enshrined in Article 15(4) of the Indian Constitution, which you may be familiar with - because you seem to be unable to escape your caste privilege. It allows for special provisions for disadvantaged communities, recognising that formal equality is meaningless in the face of entrenched inequality.

To call the University's actions racist is to weaponise the language of rights against the very communities it was meant to protect.

Please stop being racist. We have had enough. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rights Aotearoa