City Tycoon Sudhir Rupaleria last evening hosted the Indian Community in Uganda to a dinner at his Kololo posh residence 50 years remembrance after former Ugandan strongman Idi Amin expelled Asians from the country.
In 1972, President Amin decreed and gave Ugandans of Asian origin 90 days to leave the country.
At the time of the decree, Uganda had a population of 80,000 Ugandans of Asian origin and about 27,000 fled the country to United Kingdom while 6,000 emigrated to Canada, 4,500 went to India and 2,500 went to Kenya.
Others sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
The dinner brought many Indians together from Africa and the world as they discussed how events unfolded.
Background
In early August 1972, Amin ordered the expulsion of Asian giving them 90 days to leave the country. At the time of the expulsion, there were about 80,000 individuals of Indian descent in Uganda, of whom 23,000 had their applications for citizenship both processed and accepted. Amin accused a minority of the Asians of disloyalty, nonintegration, and commercial malpractice, claims that Indian leaders disputed. Amin defended the expulsion by arguing that he was “giving Uganda back to ethnic Ugandans”.
In total, some 5,655 firms, ranches, farms, and agricultural estates were expropriated, along with cars, homes and other household goods.
The main celebrations will be held this evening at CommonWealth Resort Munyonyo.
