Conference
28 December 2020

The Sikh youth discussed the Sikh identity at the New Zealand Sikh Youth Conference held at the Otahuhu Gurdwara on 28 December 2020. The New Zealand Sikh Youth resolved to campaign for accurate Sikh census data.

Statistics New Zealand
20 July 2022 and 4 August 2022

Amritpal Singh Mann, then Secretary of the New Zealand Sikh Youth, emailed Hon Dr David Clark, then Minister of Statistics, on 20 July 2022, requesting tickboxes for Sikhs in the 2023 Census forms. The Minister forwarded the email to Statistics New Zealand, who provided an official response on 4 August 2022.

Consultations
14 August 2022 to 19 February 2023

Members of the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand were consulted on 14 August 2022 and members of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association on 6 November 2022, regarding the communication from Statistics New Zealand. The Association commended the New Zealand Sikh Youth on 19 February 2023 for leading an effective campaign.

Campaign
14 November 2022 to 7 March 2023

A video message was recorded in New Zealand and released by Jathedar Harpreet Singh, then Jathedar of the Akal Takhat, regarding the 2023 Census. The Jathedar advised Sikhs in New Zealand to fill 'Sikh' as their religion, 'Panjabi' as their language and 'Sikh' as their ethnicity in the census form.

The New Zealand Sikh Youth released a series of videos and photos that received extensive coverage from Panjabi media. Volunteers, coordinated by the New Zealand Sikh Youth Committee, posted posters, distributed 4,000 guide cards and assisted the community in completing census forms at gurdwaras across New Zealand.