Steely nerves behind the friendly smile

New Zealand's first Gujarati policewomanBharvi Bhatt.

Acall at Papatoetoe (an Aucklandsuburb) police station one afternoonto meet up with NewZealand's first ever Gujarati woman constable,and the reply from an officer wasthat she was at a shared lunch and wouldbe back soon. Sure enough she did. "Hello,I am constable Bharvi Bhatt," she introducedherself with a broad smile and a firmhandshake, looking at ease in her crisp blueuniform, hardly betraying the fact that itwas her first week as community constableat the station.

"I hope I didn't hurry you through yourshared lunch," I said. "With me sharedlunch is a bit different," she smiled. "I ama strict vegetarian and during these sharedlunches which are great in terms of teambuilding and sharing information, I end upeating my own veggie lunch. But my colleaguesare sweet enough to understandand are in fact quite proud of it."

That candid and confident reply says agreat deal about this woman from Barodawho came to New Zealand about sevenyears ago for, like all migrants do, a betterlife for her family and kids. And like manymigrants, too, it was hard for Bharvi's familyto get into the groove of Kiwi life."We were pretty well placed back inIndia and thought New Zealand would beeven better, but it was a bit of a struggle,"she said. Eventually, her husband decidedto return to his roots but Bharvi begged todiffer. "I am not one to give up so easily,"she said. "After all, I was here for the sakeof the kids' future. I wanted to be independentas well. It was just a question of stickingaround for some more time, which Idid."

Single parenthood brought with it itsshare of inconveniences for this deeply traditionalIndian housewife and she struggledhard to make ends meet. "But myindependence also spurred me on to takemy own decisions and take risks," she said."I began to think. Everyone I knew waseither a check out clerk or working at a callcenter or some such job. I just wondered ifthere was anything different I could do.And then it suddenly occurred to me that Ihad a childhood dream that I could neverhave dared to follow if I was in India givenmy family background and pressures –which I thought I could now do withoutany such discouragement: I decided to jointhe police force."

Bharvi discussed it with her young children,who supported her decision – andthat's when she made contact with the NewZealand Police with a view to apply. Atfirst instance she was found to be physicallyunfit. "I never had non vegetarianfood in my life, but like all good Indianvegetarians I was raised on desi ghee, so itwas showing up a bit," Bharvi laughed.A strict regimen of gym workouts, exercisesand jogs brought her up to the requiredfitness levels but not before it was awhole year after she was first rejected. "Iwas overjoyed," she said. But with that acceptancecame the question of what to dowith the children when she would be awayat the police academy at Porirua for sixmonths as part of her intensive training.

"I had to take some hard decisions. I gotmy son, who is older, to stay with a relativein Auckland and sent my daughter back toIndia to live with my folks. It was hard butthe kids were very understanding."The training was grueling, Bharvi said. Itwas physically exhausting but one thatbuilt confidence and developed her personality."The problem, of course, was food. Iliterally starved on some days," she said.Raised in a conservative family as a strictGujarati Brahmin, anything other than vegetarianfood is impossible for Bharvi toeven think of eating.

Having made it through the police trainingcollege successfully, she is proud of herachievement, especially having done itwithout compromising her core values likeher adherence to vegetarianism. "I suppose,where there's a will there's a way,"she shrugged in a matter of fact manner.Before taking her most recent assignmentas community constable at Papatoetoe,Bharvi was a frontline constable. "This rolegives far more opportunities to interactwith the community and I am looking forwardto it because this area has so many Indianresidents." She hopes to use her Indianbackground and the fact that she is one ofonly two ethnic Indian women constablesin the New Zealand Police force to buildbridges with the community.

"There has to be greater and friendly interactionbetween the police and the community,which can only contribute in abetter way toward safer communities,"Bharvi said.

Stepping out for a picture, she smiles forthe camera most winsomely, more of whichthe residents of Papatoetoe and surroundswill soon see in real life around their communitiesover the coming weeks andmonths.

"Everyone I knew waseither a check out clerkor working at a callcenter or some suchjob. I just wondered ifthere was anythingdifferent I could do.And then it suddenlyoccurred to me that Ihad a childhood dreamthat I could never havedared to follow if I wasin India given my familybackground and pressures– which I thoughtI could now do withoutany such discouragement:I decided to jointhe police force."

[ BY DEV NADKARNI ]