Pupils from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Nga Maungarongo perform a haka for slain dairy worker Janak Patel outside the Rose Cottage dairy in Sandringham. Video / Supplied
A group of young schoolchildren has paid tribute to slain dairy worker Janak Patel, performing a heartfelt haka outside the superette where he was killed.
On Monday, pupils from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Nga Maungarongo kura (school) gathered across the road from the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham to pay their respects to Patel and those impacted by the tragedy.
After gathering their thoughts, the group with tamariki (children) as young as 5 years old performed a spine-tingling haka as members of the community watched on.
Teachers and parents stood beside the students as they gave a heartfelt farewell for Patel.
Students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ngā Maungarongo school perform a heartfelt haka for slain dairy worker Janak Patel. Photo / Supplied
After finishing their haka, the group stood in silence before walking across the road to the dairy to lay flowers and pay their respects to Patel.
Principal Dianne Pomare told the Herald the children, some as young as 5, wanted to show solidarity with their Sandringham community, saying her students were regulars at Rose Cottage Superette.
“It’s our local dairy so a lot of the kids and staff often pop down there. A lot of the whanau, the parents and the kids were talking about it [Patel’s death] so we wanted to go down and give a gesture of solidarity with the whanau from the dairy and the local community.
“But we didn’t want to be part of the other events because we didn’t want our innocent kids to be hooked up with any other issues people wanted to bring up at the time.
“We wanted to do a traditional gesture for our kids the same as we would do if it was burial at the marae. We would do a haka so that’s what the kids did, and the waiata for everybody. For the community, for the deceased whanau and for the kids as well.”
Two people stood outside Rose Cottage Superette as school students perform a haka for Janak Patel who was killed while working. Photo / Supplied
She says students at the school have felt the impact, especially given many are regulars at the dairy where Patel was killed, and was proud of how they showed their love and support for the community.
“A lot of them were quite overcome with emotion when they saw the flowers and saw the name and candles. It was heavy for us.
“It was very heartfelt. The kids that were there were in junior school. Everyone knows the dairy. I was proud of them for the way they gave it 100 per cent.”
Footage of the heartfelt haka was captured by a local resident who revealed they also sang a waitata (song).
In awe of the children, the local wrote: “They sang and followed with a haka and then some time to think. It was beautiful to see and I am so grateful to be a part of such a well-connected and spirited community.
“Their energy was from the heart and gave me goose bumps. I heard them from over 100m in my own home.”
Viewers took to social media, with many praising the students for their tribute and showing the “true” Kiwi spirit.
“It’s a tough time in New Zealand right now, grateful for these kids who showed who we are. Kia kaha,” one person said.
Another added: “That’s beautiful, these kids are uniquely affected by this and respond amazingly.”
A third stated: “So much love so much respect for this team of children and the teachers that put the thought into this.”
Janak Patel, 34, was fatally stabbed while working at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham. Photo / Supplied
Patel was fatally stabbed during an alleged robbery at the Rose Cottage Superette last Wednesday.
The 34-year-old was farewelled at a service at Anns Funeral Home in Wiri on Sunday.
His wife, parents, sisters and other family were among the mourners, as was Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who hugged Patel’s widow Vijeta during the event.
They had only relocated from Hamilton to Auckland last week to run the Sandringham dairy while its owners were overseas.
A 34-year-old man was arrested on Friday and charged with aggravated robbery and murder following Patel’s death.
A second man, 42, was also arrested and has been charged with robbery. Both men were remanded in custody on Saturday.
Police have also found and seized a car that was being sought in relation to the homicide investigation.
Police are still searching for the weapon used in Wednesday night’s alleged murder, and the drawer from the cash register that was stolen from the dairy during the incident. The clothes being worn by the man accused of the murder were also being sought, Detective Inspector Scott Beard said.
The Herald on Sunday reported the 34-year-old man accused of murdering Patel was deported from Australia earlier this year and stayed in emergency housing in South Auckland.
A manager of the boarding house, which the Herald on Sunday has chosen not to identify, said the man came with a good reference and had only stayed for a few days before leaving abruptly on Monday.
The grounds for his deportation from Australia cannot be reported for legal reasons.
