No news from the Wahindi in the UK

Are East African Asians tuning in into UK politics?


One of the charges that were levelled against East African Asians in the days the prior to Idi Amin's expulsion of the Asians was that the 'Wahindi' did not engage in local politics and that they chose to watch important developments from the sidelines. There was a view that this lack of engagement showed that the Asians did not see themselves as stakeholders in the political and "community development" process. The Asians, on the other hand often perceived their role to be 'neutral' with a curious meaning. They felt that it was for the Africans to debate the issues between themselves relating to 'their' country and as such they had 'nothing to do with their problems'.

The Africans saw this attitude as a further example of Asian preoccupation with their own self-interest. The Asian was branded as 'parasitic' resulting in allegations that they wanted to maximise their gains without recognising their obligations to put something back into the country that was making them richer and richer. Asian leadership did not see the need to advise their communities.

How have the UK based East African Asians fared under New Labour in the UK for example? For those who are supporters of the Labour Party, how do they perceive the current leadership crisis? Have they taken a view on which UK political party will serve their interests best?

Lord Navnit Dholakia, the former Tanzanian Asian, has developed strong roots in the Lib-Dem party. Did Lib-Dem groups see Lord Dholakia as a splendid contributor as their Chairman?