There is a sizable community of the Indian diaspora and people of Indian descent in Uganda. In 2003, there were an estimated 15,000 people of Asian descent (mostly Indians and Pakistanis) living in Uganda. At its peak, this community stood at between 80,000 to 100,000 people in the 1960s. However, in 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin issued an order to expel all South Asians from the country amidst a backdrop of anti-Indian sentiment and Black supremacy.[1] In response to the exodus, India, the United Kingdom, and several other countries severed diplomatic ties with Uganda.
  | |
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 15,000[1] (2003) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Kampala and Jinja | |
| Languages | |
| Swahili, English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, other Indian languages | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, etc. | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Others of the Indian diaspora |
After the Tanzanian invasion of Uganda overthrew Amin and exiled him to Libya, many Indians gradually returned to the country over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, and have once again gone on to dominate the country's economy, accounting for at least 40% of it.[2] Despite making up less than 1% of the population, Uganda's Indian community is estimated to be contributing up to 65% of the country's total tax revenue.[2] Ugandan businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, who is of Indian origin, is the country's richest man, with his net worth standing at approximately US$1.2 billion in 2019.[2]
History
edit
British Empire
editIn 1895, construction of the Uganda Railway began. The Imperial British East Africa Company awarded Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee, an agent based in Karachi, with the contract to supply the required labour force. Jeevanjee recruited his workforce from the Punjab region of British India.[3] The first group to arrive had a total of 350 men, and over a six-year period, a total of 31,895 men worked on the project. Some died, others returned to India after the end of their contracts, and others chose to stay. The population was later bolstered by Gujarati traders called "passenger Indians", both Hindu and Muslim free migrants who came to serve the economic needs of the indentured labourers and to capitalize on the economic opportunities.[4][5]
Post-British era
editOver time, Indians became prosperous and dominated much of the Ugandan economy, with some acting in the role of 'colonial overseers' for the British regime, which prompted the rise of resentment and Indophobia.[4] These resentments came to a crisis when Idi Amin ousted Milton Obote by military coup d'état in 1971. The following year, Amin ordered the expulsion of Asians living in Uganda.[6] As a result, many Indians migrated to the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere and began rebuilding their lives. After Amin's death, however, more Indians who were born in Uganda started migrating back.[7][8]
Notable Ugandans of Indian descent
edit- Akbar Baig - Ugandan cricketer
- Anup Singh Choudry - Former judge of the High Court of Uganda
- Avan Jogia - Canadian actor[9]
- Arif Virani - 53rd Attorney General of Canada
- Asif Din - English cricketer
- Bharat Masrani - CEO of TD Canada Trust
- Bhaskar Bhattacharya (filmmaker) - Indian independent film-maker and scholar.
- Charli XCX - British singer
- Chirag Patel - Norwegian Artist
- Hasmukh Dawda - businessman
- Irshad Manji - Canadian author
- Jayesh Manek - Indian fund manager
- Jitendra Patel - Canadian cricketer
- Kashif Siddiqi - English footballer
- Mahmood Mamdani - Ugandan academic
- Mayur Madhvani - Ugandan industrialist
- Miraj Barot - businessman
- Mobina Jaffer - Canadian senator
- Mohamed Vaheed - Philanthropist
- Mukesh Shukla - Ugandan industrialist
- Nandi Rose Plunkett - American musician
- Nandikishore Patel - Ugandan cricketer
- Naomi Scott - English actress and singer
- Nehal Bibodi - Ugandan cricketer
- Mohamed Keshavjee - International Family Mediator
- Omar Sachedina - Canadian journalist
- Priti Patel - British politician
- Peter Nazareth - Ugandan-American author
- Rajat Neogy - Ugandan-American poet, Founder & First Editor of Transition Magazine
- Salma Lakhani - 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
- Shailesh Vara - British politician
- Shekhar Mehta - Kenyan rally driver
- Shimit Amin - Indian film director
- Sikander Lalani - Ugandan steel magnate
- Sudhir Ruparelia - Ugandan businessman
- Wilfred de Souza - Politician and Chief Minister of Goa
- Walter de Sousa - Indian field hockey player
- Supra Singhal - Ugandan swimmer
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b Lacey, Marc (17 August 2003). "Once Outcasts, Asians Again Drive Uganda's Economy". New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ a b c Dawood, Farhana (15 May 2016). "Ugandan Asians dominate economy after exile". www.bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
- ^ Uganda Society, The Uganda Journal, Kampala, 1948, p.7
- ^ a b Ember, Melvin (30 November 2004). Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World. Volume II: Diaspora Communities. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780306483219. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ Hiralal, Kalpana (1994). "Indian Family Businesses in Natal, 1870–1950" (PDF). Natal Society Foundation. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ Dowden, Richard (4 August 1992). "Short-sighted demagogue who played the race card: Idi Amin expelled the Asians 20 years ago. Richard Dowden, Africa Editor, explains why the decision was supported by Ugandans". The Independent. London. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ Cohen, Ronald Lee, 1944- (1997). Global diasporas: an introduction. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-97620-9. OCLC 318266657.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Rajani, Rupal (6 August 2012). "Ugandan Asians: Life 40 years on". London: BBC Asian Network. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ Jogia, Avan [@AvanJogia] (7 March 2015). "My grandmother tells the story of moving to the UK From Uganda in the 60s" (Tweet) – via Twitter.