Indian-origin honored for contributions to New Zealand Sign Language

Auckland: The Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust New Zealand has honored Tahseen Sultana with a Certificate of Appreciation and a Service Medal for her exceptional “Service to Heritage Language – New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).” The award ceremony took place at Chawla’s Manukau, Auckland, where community leaders and dignitaries gathered to celebrate her achievements.

NZSL, the primary language of New Zealand’s Deaf community, became an official language in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act. Tahseen’s work has played a significant role in promoting awareness, accessibility, and understanding of NZSL across diverse communities.

Tahseen Sultana, Lead Teacher at the Deaf Education Centre at Kelston Girls’ College and Managing Editor of Dhanak Magazine New Zealand, has dedicated 22 years to the Deaf community, 14 years to wider multicultural communities, and 12 years as an educator. Her leadership has made a long-lasting impact on education, cultural preservation, and inclusive communication in Aotearoa.

Former Honorary Consul of India, Mr. Bhav Dhillon, presented the award and commended Tahseen’s “dedication, leadership, and exceptional service to New Zealand’s multicultural framework.”

In her acceptance speech, Tahseen stated, “This honor is for everyone who believes in the power of language as a tool for identity, access, and expression.”

Born in Hyderabad and now a proud Indian New Zealander, Tahseen holds academic qualifications including B.Sc, M.A., B.Ed, Advanced Diploma of Teaching (ACE, NZ), and Diploma in ESHI (NZ). She is widely regarded as a cultural leader and advocate for heritage language preservation.

Her recognition by Bhartiya Samaj is further complemented by acknowledgment from Roopa Aur Aap Charitable Trust New Zealand, highlighting her extensive contributions to community welfare and linguistic diversity.

Beyond NZSL, Tahseen has been a strong advocate for promoting Urdu language and culture in New Zealand. Through literary events, education initiatives, and journalism, she has helped ensure the preservation of Urdu as a meaningful cultural expression within the South Asian diaspora.

In reflecting on the importance of Urdu, Tahseen said, “Urdu is a language of love, poetry, and deep heritage. I am humbled to play a small part in keeping it alive.”

This recognition reaffirms Tahseen Sultana’s influence as a dedicated educator, advocate, and community leader, strengthening the cultural and linguistic fabric of New Zealand.