East African Asians, the Wahindi

Sorry sorry sanna

2007-09-23T11:22:00.000+01:00

Sorry, sorry sanna....!

Oh gosh! I have been away so long. Life has been hectic but readers have continued to amaze me with their interest and support. Asante sanna, "thank you too much", just as our home worker used to say when overwhelmed by my family's simple generosity. The reason of the gratitude? An odd shillingi here for washing the car or a pat on the back for killing the mouse at the back of the kitchen cupboard.

Wahindis have been appalled by the behaviour of an old Sikh woman from the Panjab who has been jailed for having her daughter-in-law, Surjit killed and then thrown into the River Ravi. Surjit drowned and was never seen again but the old demonic sassu ji ( mother-in-law) will have to learn to swim in the river of truth and justice as she prepares for a lonely existence in jail. Lonely? Not really, the old mama ya matata may have drug peddlers, murderers and prostitues for company. When in Rome, be like the Romans they say but the old bigot will have to swim her way out of self imposed moral malaria. The mosquito of justice has just bitten where it hurts - her conscience.

How many Surjits are still suffering while their mother-in-laws, husbands and new families that are acquired after marriage are stabbing them daily with the knife of mental cruelty? Was this also a problem in the old homeland of the wahindi? What do you think? Of course it was! There were probably no murders and no conveniently located rivers to throw the daughter-in-law into the river of hate but there were many women who were exchanged into the life of mental demise on a daily basis. The notion of exchange comes from acquiring a good for nothing husband who never learned to stand up to his dominant parents but expected the wife to calmly surrender to his lust when the old mama was apparently sleeping.

The wahindi ya zamani has to become the wahindi ya kesho. Lets look forward to morally reclaimed tomorrows when the old morally corrupt acid in the mama is released before they can harm any more daughters in laws.

Kalwant
Wahindi ya kesho

The Asians have not learnt their lesson, they say!

2007-01-15T02:04:00.000Z

Various commentators have responded to this blog, for which I am grateful.

One ndugu (brother) from Kenya, who describes himself as a Black Kenyan says that there is still no "social interaction" between the Asians and the local people. If this is true of all sections of the two communities, I am truly saddened. In all social interactions there has to be a common purpose - business, religion, sport, performing arts and professional links which open up peoples' homes after close working brings them together. Reciprocity is vital as is the need to respect the culture of the host. Food is often an interesting source of definition and intentions. When in Zambia, my boss invited us to a traditional Zambian meal. For us former Ugandan Asians, much of the food was quite familiar and we made quick work of the various dishes on offer. However, the top delicacy was fried caterpillars and we could not bring ourselves to eat them. The host did not take offence when he found out that we were not eating his favourite dish. On an other occasion, we made dry mushroom curry, which did not go down too well with our Zambian friends. It would be good to hear from our commentator from Kenya. What form of social interaction is not taking place and what are the expectations of people from both sides.

Another commentator, this time from Uganda, seems to be saying that the Asian community is 'still' far too much engaged in business and its own affairs. They are not supporting community development projects and helping the poor. What form of support are the Asians in Uganda offering as far as health and welfare is concerned? How are they falling short of achieving common objectives?

I think there is a need to know more about what the commentators have in mind. Both of them raise a common concern - is this reported lack of Asian input going to create adverse consequences for the Asians? In what way?

When in Chengdu, China, do visit the Indian shops

2007-01-07T22:50:00.000Z

During a recent holiday on the Chinese mainland, it was great to visit the old city of Chengdu, that is the one they have preserved and recreated sections to capture the old glory of the Sichuan capital. It was great fun. The new parts of Chengdu are busy, with major traffic jams during the rush hours. The city is undergoing major expansion and coping with the one major blot on Chinese landscape... smog and general pollution caused by burning coal in factories and from emissions from cars and factories. They are doing something about it, we were told.

Imagine our surprise when the music from the Indian film Swades broke out on a quiet Chengdu afternoon. The music was loud but not intrusive. We were told that music was coming from an Indian restaurant located above a gift shop...it was truly amazing but very welcome. I did not have the time to go check it out but when I had passed the shop earlier, there were only Chinese staff working on the ground floor.

That musical interlude brought back memories of our African friends in Uganda and Kenya who used to sing Hindi songs at popular functions. One of such African musicians was a specialist singer of Mukesh's songs. He was working for Gujarati people and had made a safe choice in copying Mukesh who was one of India's greatest popular singers. It was well known that Gujaratis did not like Mohammed Rafi who was a Muslim, except when he sang Hindi bhajans or religious hymns.

I guess it is a matter of time when a Chinese staff member of the Chengdu shop will be singing songs from Bollywood films. The nearest national border around Chengdu runs along the Tibetan side. Did this factor help to explain why an Indian shop should open up in Chengdu? I hope to post a picture of the shopfront soon.

Can anyone help to explain the Indian influence in Chengdu?

Its best to blame the British. For everything!

2006-12-06T20:55:00.000Z

Tales from the pseudo-politicians' infertile imaginations.....

Here is an extract from a speech, " Weeeeh, in Indiaah, were living in perfect harmoneey, Hindoos and Muzlims, just like a rich cream of milk, until the Breetish came and put vinegarrh into the pott and turned us into a blend of crude yellowish yoghurt".

Do you need to know more about this speech!

The source of this speech? Well, just imagine that you were reading my first novel. The inspiration is based on real situations and real people. The idea of good milk turning sour after a drop of vinegar is added to it is a very common, but an old one. Whenever disaster strikes as a result of disunity, that is, when one party or faction is trying to blame an external force which seemingly brought them disaster, it is considered best to blame the British...

I really wish I could go to the Samosa Festival!

2006-11-15T23:55:00.000Z

Zahid Rajan and Zarina Patel of Awaaz Magazine have organised this festival in Nairobi. Details are presented below. I love festivals and have made creating and running them a part of my career.

The programming, content and scope of the events tell me a few things about the festival directors' vision and how they hope to entertain, celebrate and communicate the culture of Asian diaspora. It would be good to be there, talk to the wahindi and their rafikis. They have selected good films and it remains to be seen how the mix of their audiences respond to this offering.

I have seen the films but would see them again. What I would be most interested in is the Photographic and Art Exhibitions. I would like to see how the creators of the work submitted to the Festival see and interpret the cross-cutting themes in their lives through these artforms.

Congratulations to Zahid and Zarina for putting this together. I wish them success. If they are anything like most creative people who are gluttons for punishment, they will be thinking of the next festival before this one has even ended!

SAMOSA FESTIVAL 16 - 25 NOVEMBER 2006

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE OPENING OF THE SAMOSA FESTIVAL ON THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2006 at 6.30PM

AT THE GODOWN ARTS CENTRE (AROUND THE CORNER FROM CAR AND GENERAL, LUSAKA ROAD AND NEXT TO THE GIRO BANK)
PLS CALL ON THE NOS BELOW FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

PROGRAMME

Photographic and Art Exhibitions Open Daily 10.00am - 5.00pm (Entry Free)

Thursday 16 November 6.30pm - Opening of Festival

Friday 17 November 7.00pm - Indian Dance Night: Entry 300/- pp

Saturday 18 November 10.00am - 4.00pm - Childrens Activities
7.00pm - Kachumbari Sounds: Entry 300/- pp

Film Shows at Alliance Francaise at 6.30pm (Entry Free)

Tuesday 21 November - 'Water' by Deepa Mehta

Thursday 23 November - '15 Park Avenue' by Aparna Sen

The Godown Arts Centre: 555227, 555770

Zahid Rajan and Zarina Patel Awaaz Magazine Website: http://www.awaazmag.com/P O Box 32843 NairobiTel: 0722 344900, 0733 741085 Alternative email: http://uk.f862.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=zand.graphics@gmail.com

I have no evidence but I shudder to think...

2006-11-12T23:23:00.000Z

Do you know of any unwanted and forgotten children...?

It seems to be well known, fully accepted and clearly documented fact that many American soldiers fathered children during their tours of duty in Vietnam. It seems that almost all of of these children were left behind to be brought up by their Vietnamese mothers. I am not aware of any concerted efforts that were made by American servicemen to go back to 'claim' their partners and their children. I think this is an aspect of the war in Vietnam that has not been well documented. I have not come across any serious book which deals with this subject. There was also major occurrence of intermarriage between white men and Indian women during the British raj, leading to the formation of the Anglo-Indian community, which was culturally rich and an achieving one for that.

I would like to know more about what happened in Vietnam and would welcome information from reliable sources.

During the time I was in school in Kampala, one often came across children of mixed race whose fathers had decided to bring them up as Asians. There were notable names in school and divulging them here would be irresponsible. Many of them did well and in the case of a few they also made a name for themselves in several arenas.

So what did really happen to children who were fathered by Ugandan Asian men? Were they living in any predominant geographical area eg the capital or the rural areas? Were they supported by their absentee fathers? I would think not. I shudder to accept the reality that the children were abandoned. I have no evidence but one would hope that the children found stable homes and were able to attend schools of their choice.

However, we also know of some Asian men who married African women, set up respectable homes with them and tried to give the women a proper place in the Asian society. I dont think the Asian society was ready for them. It was racist, judgmental and unfair in a situation where the same society accepted mixed marriages where the women were white. For various reasons, more German women seemed to have married Asian men than any sub-category of 'white' partners. I think there were underlying factors which I will return to in a future post.

Where are they now?

2006-11-11T02:48:00.000Z

The private sadness of lonely fathers...and mothers.

The story of Asian migration into East Africa consists of many cycles of arrivals lasting 80 odd years from 1890 onwards. The rapid departure of a different generation of Asian people from 1968 to 1972 also shows how a large number of the descendents of the early migrants and of the late arrivals left the three countries in a relatively short period.

It seems safe to say that the Asians followed patterns of chain migration into Africa in very much the same way that their descendants and the aging band of early Asians left the three countries on their way out to find their fortunes in UK, US, Canada, Europe and other parts of the world.

The pattern of dispersal of arrivals into Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania was fairly predictable. Incoming Asians tended to settle in the main cities, Nairobi, Kampala and Dar-es-salaam and the minor towns while many went to the rural areas to run shops or to build new centres for development under the watchful eye of the colonial ruler. Some communities such as the Gujaratis were fairly sedentary, having decided where to set up their businesses they remained there until they were expelled. Others like the Sikhs, Goans and Muslims were fairly mobile. They were not tied to specific locations to earn their living. They moved where there were better prospects.

One thing that was common, regardless of the pattern of arrival or dispersal within the three countries, was how many older Asians acquired secret African mistresses, partners or wives depending on how they wanted to express their relationship in law or in terms of morality. The African women were also sometimes aware that the men had left wives ‘back home’ and that they preferred to have children with their Asian wives than with their African partners. Many Asian families were made up of children that were born after their fathers went on ‘home leave’ after three or four years. The childrens’ ages confirmed these returns.

There were also many children of ‘mixed race’ born to African wives or ‘consorts’ of the departing Asian men. They were almost certainly hidden away in the bush towns and left behind with their mothers. There is no evidence of numbers involved but the Asian men carried their secret children in their hearts and minds. There was also acute sadness in a few cases that I am aware of …. the men, who did not have any other children or partners after they were expelled. They lived alone until they died. How did those children cope after they were abandoned?

Time for reflection- is it all about job satisfaction?

2006-11-06T23:39:00.000Z

What are you saying?

I am going on and on, because I am getting useful feedback! Many people who know me are sending emails but I have also received a few comments, the first of which I have approved for publication. It deals with what I called the "moods of the shopkeeper". The commentator has a point - does the shopkeeper's service have to do with his moods or with his attitudes? I think there is a lot in that comment.

Let us deal with issue of "attitude" towards servicing the needs of the customer. Not so long ago, a London newspaper, if I am not mistaken it was the Evening Standard which claimed that Asian shopkeepers in London are very "rude". They are constantly talking into their mobile phones, only stopping to take money, never saying thank you, never communicating verbally and fully and, in general, they do not show respect for the customer. Today, our commentator says that this attitude still persists in East Africa.

When I used the word "moods" I was thinking that the shopkeeper's 'job' is not an easy one. When I go into my cornerstore which is run by Sri Lankans, there is a hive of activity. Those people are busy - bringing in new stock, unpacking, filling shelves, cleaning and also serving customers at the same time. But they are never dull and boring. It is wrong to generalise.

But imagine a shop on a dirt road in Africa or India. The retailers lot is a hard one. The shopkeeper is often isolated, living in overcrowded spaces with a few competitors as company.

Was the attitudinal problem unique to East Africa, or just a feature of the Asian retailers wherever they operate? I am afraid that the latter appears to be more common. I have seen that problem in Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand, the US and Canada. Retailing is a hard life but do they not make it harder for themselves by not taking an interest in the customer?

Perhaps its I who looks too much like a boring customer and am failing to earn respect!

Don't mock us! We are cleverer than you think.

2006-11-06T01:18:00.000Z

Whatever happened to customer service? What about simple respect for the buyer?

October 1972. I am accompanying an elderly Sikh lady on a 'shopping trip' during our last few days in Uganda. She wants to buy a suitcase to carry her belongings on her last journey out of the country in a few days' time.

We arrive at a shop run by Asian traders and the lady asks for a medium sized suitcase. She is shown a suitcase but from this point onwards the buyer's and sellers minds start to show a huge gap. The shopkeeper wants to charge Shs 2000/- and buyer is ready to pay only Shs 200/- " Why are you charging so much for such a poor quality suitcase?" she asks the trader. Then she goes,
" Remember that the Asians have been expelled and they are all going to need suitcases. What will you do with so much profit? How will get the money out of the country?" she asks while at the same time she wants the trader to be reasonable with the price. Attack and advice dont mix too well.

"Dont worry about the idea of getting money out, Auntie Ji! We have our arrangements in place.... We are not like you Sikhs! We are Gujarati traders and we have our connections...." He made it clear to the elderly Sikh woman that she was in the way and that her comments were not welcome. During the last days of our stay in Uganda, we suffered consequences of escalating demand and fixed supply in this isolated market but never had we seen inflation reaching a factor of 20 plus!

The Asian exodus has created very heavy demand for every single consumer item on display in the shops. Some of the items being purchased are critically essential for the prospective emigrants. Every single piece of "rubbish" that you would have never bought before is now on sale for a markup of 2000% if not more. You are advised to buy quickly, with no comments, and to be grateful for getting the goods. There are hundreds of Asians with fat wallets looking to buy anything worthwhile in order to get their money out of Uganda.

The moody shopkeeper

2006-11-03T00:41:00.000Z

The recycling of the shopkeeper's moods

I want to share a couple of memories with you. Here is the first one.

I am going back to 1961 where I am standing in a shop on Mengo Road, in Mengo, on the outskirts of Kampala, the Capital of Uganda. The Asian trader who runs the shop is bent over behind the counter, attending to a few chores and just as I walk in, he greets me and asks about everyone. I start to look for the notebook that I had come in to buy. "Yes?" he asks, looking at the African woman who is also there, examining the shiny saucepans on sale. "Do you want to buy this, do you have the money?" he asks with thinly disguised impatience. The woman says something meekly. The trader cannot hear anything, nor can I.

" I say! Do you want to buy these sufurias", pointing harshly at the saucepans.
The woman nods, with a half smile but also half closing her eyes, an expression which brings her rounded cheeks below her small eyes into prominence. They are shining with the oils in her body. The shopkeeper starts his questioning again.
" Show me your money, you, or get out!" he shouts. " Maney? ah haff maney" the woman pleads," but it is at houme.... How maach?" she asks having decided which saucepan she wants. "No! You go!" decides the shopkeeper.

Turning to me he says," These ------- people dont have the money and they come in here to waste my time!" he explains. He asks me if I have noticed a smell in the shop. "I cant smell anything" I reply. He says that a smell has been left behind by the woman.

Just then an Asian 'lady' walks in and starts to admire the same saucepans. Turning to him, she asks for the price. He readily gives the price and waits expectantly but also aware that the woman is going to haggle. After a bit of offer and counter-offer, a sale is made for Shs 20/- with no change given. The Asian woman has hardly walked out of the shop when Karin, the local German doctor's wife comes in. " What lovely saucepans! Come here Helga" she shouts to her colleague. " Oh! Mr Patel! How much are these lovely saucepans?" she drools.

" For you, madame, only Shs 45" replies a beaming Mr Patel. " No, no, no, no, noh! Too mach Mr Patel!" at which the trader says, " OK, you doctor wife, I give you for Shs 35". Helga, who has also been watching says," No. Shs 30, final,OK?" with uncertain authority. Mr Patel starts to pack the saucepan. Karin starts to pull some Ugandan notes out of her purse and hands over Shs 30, and starts to walk out with her shining new saucepans.

"Here, madam!",says Mr Patel," Holding out two shillings," You doctor wife! I give you special discount!"

In the course of some twenty minutes, Mr Patel has managed to get rid of one African customer, sold a saucepan to an Asian woman for Shs 20 and then offered a special deal to the German woman for Shs 28/- " I dont think there is any smell in the shop" I remind him. " Dont worry," replies the shopkeeper," These bloody Africans..." he mutters to himself just as he returns to his chores behind the counter. " I am expecting more notebooks next week. You come back, OK?" he speaks out from behind the counter. I realise that he has figured out that I am not going to buy that notebook. He has got rid of me but very politely.

Life in a seller's market

2006-11-02T19:11:00.000Z

Some reflections of Asian business in East Africa

The use of the red colour in the title has a purpose. East African Asians have always made good money from their business ventures in the three countries. Here is a hypothesis - had they been running those business ventures in other markets outside East Africa, they might have not done too well and even incurred horrendous losses. The red ink of the auditor would have made life very unpleasant for them.

The East Africa of 1950 to 1972, when I was there, was a seller's market. I expect that things have not changed much since. There were three ingredients of monetary success - fast growing populations, increasing purchasing power and high profit margins made possible by protection from competition.

These conditions did not just create "the dukawallahs' delight" but also created the environment for higher level investors to make a good bit of money. The dukawallah was the trader, the merchant, retailer or dukandar, who bought at low prices and sold with high profit margins. Simple? Oh so simple but there were hidden costs and sacrifices.

While there were a tiny number of Asian business failures, the majority of Asian businessmen made good investments in markets which wanted more and more suppliers. One group of Asian business houses that did not always do too well were the Sikh building contractors. They loved their drink more than their businesses and, I dare say, even their wives. Notably, a few Sikh contractors also became multimillionaires. Most Asians found themselves running businesses that were operating in expanding markets for consumer goods. As the East African business environment has 'peaked', the Asian businessmen have tried to move into capital goods which require higher costs of entry. Allow me to come back to this later.

And now, lets go back to the red ink. The Asian businessmen also made mistakes which were shielded by the very buoyant markets. I will highlight a few of these 'protected' failures next.

"The Last King of Scotland"

2006-10-30T01:02:00.000Z

Another film about Idi Amin

This is the title of a new film about Idi Amin.

I have not seen it but the tail-end of a radio review that I managed to catch suggested that it is well made, with the actor who was playing Amin could well be in line for an Oscar nomination. Amin is not an easy character to portray on the screen and I guess the film has done well to attract such reviews. I would welcome some discussion on the film here.

I say that much as people try to ridicule Idi Amin and his throwaway one-liners and the easy aspects of his character, he remains a complicated person to play.

The film is shot partly in Kampala. It would be good to see scenes of my birthplace again.

However, one of the most harrowing memories that I have of my childhood is how we saw a dead body on the road to Entebbe Airport. It was being hit repeadtedly by passing cars travelling at such great speeds and those who did not see it in time had no chance of avoiding it. This goes back to 1971, a few months before the expulsion of the Asian community.

There was also a problem with law enforcement. A driver who was involved in an accident on Uganda's roads dared not stop after hitting anything - another person, a dog or a farm animal. A large collection of local people would converge on the accident spot in no time and provide summary rough justice. Many drivers who stopped after an accident were assaulted with vast compensations being demanded by the roadside at any time, even before the matter had been reported to the police.

The love for hot seats

2006-10-21T16:25:00.000+01:00

Oh, how they love committees

Have you ever studied the constitution of an oldstyle Asian organisation?

The constitution is like a tiger's footprint that experienced game wardens can 'read' to describe the age, weight and sex of the tiger that may be standing behind you in a safari park
The constitution is like a blood sample. A medic can can analyse the blood and tell you a few things that your wife should not know about
The constitution is like a wine in a bottle without a label. A trained wine merchant can taste a small amount of the product to tell you the age, source and other properties of the wine
The constitution is not like a cover of a book. It cannot hide the story or provide an ending that you did not plan for.

Many years ago I had the joy of analysing constitutions of Asian societies, temples and cultural organisations. The aims and objectives often bore little or no relationship to the work being carried out by the people. The choice of vocabulary took you straight into the dying moments of the British Raj in India. You could feel the tensions and strife that could erupt if the clauses in the document were not followed. In other words, the constitutions were used to closely define the do's and dont's of the organisation to the extent that you felt safer by staying away.

Then there was the regular problem of understanding the positions in their committee structure. The positions were created to fill the demand for seats by aspiring leaders who could not contribute unless and until they had a title to define their role. However, the status of the aspirants outside the committee detemined the title they were awarded in the committee. So, far from having a person as an ordinary member of the committee, their position in society warranted that they should be appointed as fourth deputy assistant secretary general. It made sure that the person's mind was in perfect focus at all times and that in the event of any open-ended task required urgent action, his status as a secretary precluded him from serving as anything else.

You had to remember that the fourth assistant secretary general could be needed at any time especially if the first three assistant secretary generals had gone somewhere else. You also had to remember that the fourth assistant treasurer could not be asked to help post some urgent mailing about an event. That was the role of the public relations officer or any of his six assistants.

I think I have made my point but I forgot to tell you my title. In general the constitution also told you what the organisation was not! It told you that there was no trust amongst the members, that competition for recognition was rife, that the six treasury roles only had to account for a budget that was less than £500 per year. It was a committee structure with a lot of Chiefs and no Indians.

Jokes aside, this preoccupation with status has had an impact on social and community organisations. Leaders had been described as 'gatekeepers' who decided that there was no problem with high blood pressure in their community, their children were not malnourished or susceptible to abuse, that the women did not need help in dealing with depression. You had to be aware at all times that there was no mental illness in the Asian community. Our social and familial institutions worked so well that mental illness did not have a chance to take root.

All this evidence could not be ignored. It had the wonderful effect of ensuring that the Asian organisations ruled themselves ineligible for grant aid. I leave you to work out the rest but are you sure that you can manage that task without an official title?

Freedom of the pen... I mean keyboard

2006-10-21T01:18:00.000+01:00

Flashbacks

“Ah was angry but a was only joking, you know. I did not say to these Asians, ‘Now you must go, go now….now!,” He is reported to have been saying in his sleep. “If you want to talk about axepulseans, listen to me” he thought. It was nanni, Moses who was also expelled. Do you remember the story of Moses? He was the man in the cinema who had stopped the waters of River Nile. The waters had actually been separated. Eeeeh! Only the feesh could jump from one side to another. Those feesh were clever, you know.

Anda, I remember how the Asians walked through the river. Moses was a British agent. He did not separate the waters of the Nile. The British gave him varray, varray large plastic sheets. He used those sheets to separate the watars. Moses was Israeli. That is why I asked them to leave as well. Amin slowly fell asleep. The electric fan had also stopped working and a persistent mosquito flew slowly around his ear, like an aircraft encircling the Ngorongoro crater. “Thees moskito, ah must speak to Mr Singh”.

There is some truth in this...

2006-10-21T00:51:00.000+01:00

The Sikh Temple in Kampala

The next day, Amin decided that he had to go the Sikh temple in Kampala to find Mr Singh. He arrived at the temple with a peaceful demeanour. “I am looking for Mr Singh” he announced with a pleasant smile, turning his head a little at the caretaker, just as he started to climb the stairs leading to the first level.

“You are looking for Mr Singh? Which Mr Singh, Mr President, because that is the name for all of us!” suggested the new acting third vice-president of the Sikh temple, who had joined the scene. “I am looking for Mr Singh” Amin retorted. “ I am looking for Mr Singh- elektirician”. It was no use, the Sikh leader decided. A way had to be found to deal with Idi Amin. “I am looking for Mr Singh who fixed the lights in my bathroom. I did not axepeyll him, you know?”.
The people of Uganda bore the brunt of Idi’s stupidity. Or so the Asians think to this day. However, was this a case of self-imposed self-importance? Very little has been written about the exact reaction of the Ugandans after the Asians left. Did they celebrate as they had walked into Asian homes? Did they have any concern when they helped themselves to Asian shops? Was there a civil administration which took charge and distributed the loot? We will never know.

By the way, why did I refer to the 'third vice president' of the Sikh temple in Amin's flashback? Well, the majority of the Sikhs had left the country and there were just about enough men left behind to fill the key posts.

Bear with me please. I am hooked!

2006-10-21T00:44:00.000+01:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

So it was the people of Uganda that really mattered. They looked up to us. They have been through a very hard time after Amin. They deserve our respect and understanding. Dara’s outburst had sent the Indian packing home but did not resolve the issue. Why should the antics of a mad man cause such a rift in our minds?

Idi Amin was approaching his bedroom. It had been a tiring day. They were saying in the streets that the Asians had started leaving…"Why do these fakkas want to leave so suddenly?” he asked himself. " I had only told them very casually that they could leave if they did not want to integrate!” Amin then looked at himself in his bathroom mirror. He stood back with horror when he saw a grey face looking at him with steam coming out of its ears. Amin was terrified. He looked again and saw that the face had been smiling at him. “Heh, Heh! That pictcha is meeh,” he concluded meekly.

Suddenly he shouted, “Where is the Singha-Singha?” meaning his Sikh fundi – the techie or wizard who had looked after the house. “That bugger can repair anything. He knows, I mean everyyythnig, everything- electrics, plumbing, car mechanics and radios” thought Amin,
“But he has not fixed my bathroom light”. And now this face in the mirror was making faces at him. Amin shouted for help. A night watchman came slowly to the door. Amin turned around and shouted,"I asked for Mr Singh, not you. Now go and get him”. Idi Amin’s respect for the Sikh had led him to address his favourite fixer as “Mr Singh”.

The guard replied,” Sah, the singh mann has gone. He left for India two days ago”. Amin was full of rage. He had not expelled Mr Singh…why did he go as well? Amin was convinced that the Sikh had been brainwashed by the British. They had lured him away with promises of land outside London. Noh, I have an idea, he thought.

How I witnessed a bit of crossfire

2006-10-21T00:36:00.000+01:00

The People of Uganda matter to us

My friend, also from Uganda, was rather annoyed by my constant reminder that it was the people of Uganda who mattered then as they do now. I had been saying that the antics of a mad man must never be allowed to create a rift between us and the people of Uganda who loved us so much. “Loved us? What are you talking about? Where have you been?” He challenged me. Ah well, its time to explain I think.

I am also reminded of a curt remark made by an Indian who worked with me in Zambia. “Most of the Ugandan Asians,” he remarked,” were sons of coolies”. The Asians, in his view, had no identity and no culture. “On the other hand, my father was a Rai Bahadur” he said. “That was his reward for working hard during the Raj and, not only that, mind you, he was working at the highest level in the administration”. My friend Dara Singh was also there. “Oi shaitan”, he said,” Be careful, don’t celebrate the raj too much. I am warning you”. The man from India was not to be subdued. How could anyone overlook his father’s achievements in India? Dara asked,” Do you know why your father was rewarded by the English?” The Indian said, “I have told you already,” sensing that Dara was brewing something. Dara was quiet for a few seconds and then blurted it out,” Your father was an arse-licker. He had served the angrez with such passion that that they rewarded him with a title”. Dara was not to be challenged. He was big and powerfully built just as his namesake, the Dara Singh who was India’s top wrestler.

The nostalgia is overpowering, but nah!

2006-10-20T20:14:00.000+01:00

Why East Africa is losing its charm for some Wahindis

Gosh! I have been away for far too long... I must write more regularly. My sincere apologies to at least one regular reader who complained today!

"The nostalgia is overpowering, but nah!" said my friend. " Who wants to go back to Uganda and why, tell me why, after those ------- threw us out of the country when we were doing our best".

Here in lies a problem. Who should be angry and with whom? It was Idi Amin who expelled the Asians- lock, stock and barell. It was "the Dada" who exercised all his powers vested in him by the State. It is likely, if you try to read Amin's mind as the events unfolded between August and October 1972, that Amin stood in front of a mirror and said," Look, you. I mean 'you'. You have axepelledd those muhindees single handed." Power can be very reassuringly sweet if you are an Idi. You can expell the Asians with no problem about accountability. The mind of the dictator works with alarming detachment, almost in the same way as you drive a car whilst you are drunk. You know where you are going but the detail does not matter. You do not even notice that the person who was trying to stop you was a policeman.

Idi looked into the mirror and saw a very hazy figure. "Noh, it kannot be meeeh", he reprimanded himself. He stood there for a while. Then he looked around and noticed that the lighting in the room was very dull. "Must get those fakking fundis to repair the lights" he thought. Fundi, the techie was the clever Asian who used to fix his lights. " I am telling you thees" said Amin. " I am telling youh, we kaynot be in the duck just becos the muhindi has goan" he reassured himself.

The axepelled Asians who went to make their homes in the UK, US, Canada and elsewhere have fond memories of Uganda. They remember their childhoods there. They recall how they had made so many plans to work there, make the best of their lives and their dreams. The entreprenurial ones think how the Idi-o-tic Amin robbed them in their prime. The older ones who did not know that they were 'pensioners' until they realised that Idi Amin had cheated them by defining them by their age. Also, looking after old parents was no problem for the average Asian family. In fact, there was an element of virtue attached to it old parents must be looked after. This was in the Hindu scriptures. No, you must not ever deny your parents. There was the story of Sarwan puttar, ie Sarwan the docile son who had carried both in his parents together during his journey through life. Sarwan was the model son that evry Asian parent wanted.

The East African experience does matter to the axepelled muhindis...they have not lost their love and affection for the people of those countries. They still remember their childhoods in those countries with a tear in their eyes. It is their children who were born and bred in the new countries of UK, USA and Europe who have no interest in Uganda. After 34 years, Idi's refugees who left in their prime in 1972 are dead, dying or getting old.

My friend concludes,"Uganda is history. Kenya is sunk with corruption. Tanzania made a mockery of itself by adopting those stupid doctrines under Nyerere."

I am lost. I must respond to this in the future.

By the way, my friend meant "buggers" when he referred to them as -------. Have you noticed how so many Asian people use this vocabulary without knowing its real meaning?

No news from the Wahindi in the UK

2006-09-07T01:13:00.000+01:00

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?

Jimmy moved forward to smell the women

2006-08-31T02:00:00.000+01:00

Jimmy was uncontrollable, lunged forward at the women.....

Jimmy slowly walked up to the women and stood there in silence. The women were getting very nervous and those in front of the queue looked around for some signs of comfort. There was no other person in sight. What was going to happen to them?

Then the women heard Jimmy starting to growl. He turned around to see if Mr Singh had followed him. There was tension in the air as Jimmy assessed the situation and started to plan an attack. Again the older woman in the front of the queue decided to use the presence of her mind and ask loudly," Whose dog is this? Why has he been left without a leash?" Mr Singh quickened his pace and caught up with Jimmy and the women. There he was, making growling noises and giving the women a fright. " Jimmy come" said his master and then repeated it several times. Jimmy turned away from the women and came back to Mr Singh, walking by his side like the well trained dog that he was. Mr Singh took no notice of the women who had by then started to carry on with their journey.

Then, suddenly, he heard one of the women say," Jimmy come, come here, Jimmy come" and next heard the whole group of women bursting out in a loud laughter. They were trying to copy Mr Singh talking to his dog. Then one of the women reminded the others how they had been terrified when Jimmy had walked up to them. They also realised that the Asian dog owner had not done much to comfort them. 'Jimmy come, come on"- how strange that this angry dog was willing to listen so much to his owner. One of the women thought, it was quite a strange name for a dog. She had never heard of a dog with the name of 'Jimmy come'.

The time when Rozio made excellent vegetable curry and lentils

2006-08-29T01:37:00.000+01:00

A story of the 'houseboy' who became so good

This was the term, considered to be harmless and accurate enough for describing the hundreds of domestic workers who worked for East African Asians. Some families used the term 'house servants' but in our household we decided that it was insensitive to call them servants. There was also a moral view - no person could become so important and so high and mighty in life that another person would become their servant. Over a period of time I decided to settle for the term, 'domestic worker'.

One such worker was 'Rozio'. I believe that his correct name was Aloizio. 'Rozio' was the result of constant mispronunciation and 'Asianisation' of his name. Rozio first came to work on a building site as a labourer. He impressed the Sikh building contractor with his hard work, courtesy and good nature. He was also very clean and did not smell of tobacco, an aspect that Sikhs were generally very averse to. Smoking was strictly forbidden in their religion and anyone who smelt of tobacco was considered to be lowly and unhygienic. Alcohol was also forbidden in the Sikh religion but no one minded their house workers having a few drinks from time to time, even when they smelt like a distillery. In fact many a house worker benefited from their habit. The 'bwana' or master was sometimes generous and gave them a few drinks to reward them for hard work. But I am digressing...

Rozio's hard work and cleanliness was further rewarded when he was promoted to the position of the site chef, working mainly for the Sikh craftsmen. Many building sites were located hundreds of miles away from the main towns where the contractors and their skilled Asian staff used to live. The staff had to be fed and good, clean Indian food had to be made available. The African staff had to fend for themselves and on a construction site, several fires were lit in the early evening to cook the dinners for all the people who worked on the site.

Rozio soon became an expert cook for the Sikh craftsmen. They taught him how to cook good Indian food with a rich Punjabi flavour. Rozio made good progress and found himself being offered high pay and even a bed in the 'Indian yard'. Then someone discovered a product which was in the form of a cube and wrapped in a yellow paper. He showed Rozio how to add it to the Sikhs' lentil soup or 'daal'. Rozio's daal became a talk of the town and many visitors were treated to this extraordinary vegetarian dish cooked by an African worker.

Then one day, when on a trip back to his family home in Kampala, the Sikh site foreman had taken a cube from Rozio's kitchen. He showed it to his wife. He told her that when the 'daal' was just about ready to be eaten, all one had to do was to add one cube of the additive to it and bring the whole dish to another boil. The result was a fantastic lentil soup. And so the daal was made and when the foreman's family sat down to eat, one of the sons, who had been educated in England said, " Wow, this is truly a great daal". "Do you like it?," asked the old foreman excitedly, " ...Rozio puts this special thing in the daal to make it taste so good". " Let me see it," said the young Sikh. A cube was quickly taken out of the box and presented with great pride for the son to see. Then the young man said," Do you know what this is? This is Oxo. Do you know that this cube has beef stock in it and that is what has been used for flavouring your vegetables and daals?" Beef was strictly forbidden. No Sikh would openly eat beef or a beef product in those days. Most of the Asian staff at the building site were older Sikhs who had vowed never to eat beef.

The Sikh foreman was absolutely distraught and then became angry. That 'bllady' Rozio had been feeding them beef stock. He must be sacked the very minute they returned to the building site. Then it occurred to him that someone else, another Sikh, had bought the Oxo cubes for Rozio to use in his cooking. Rozio was saved but the Oxo cubes were banned from the Sikhs' kitchen forever.

Running Away from Dad - 2

2006-08-29T00:07:00.000+01:00

We can take ourselves out of the sakati .....

....but we cannot take the sakati out of us! The sakatis are still live in our memories.

I have been unable to write for two weeks but I am sure many of you will want to know how the issue of the accidental kicking of a football into Mrs Chana's dinner was resolved.

It was simple. Dad went quiet for the next two days but every single moment in his presence was tortuous. When was he going to ask me to explain my bad behaviour? How was he going to deal with me?

After the fourth day, his silence began to trouble me. I was concerned - why was he not asking me to explain my bad behaviour? He must know that it was a serious case of misconduct. After another two days, I decided that I may have to remind him of the incident! He must deal with it. His silence was punishing me. After another few days, he called me to his room. I decided that the time had come for me to prepare myself for a beating. I knocked at his open door, something I had never done before. He turned around, looked at me and said," I am going to see a film. Do you want to go with me?" I knew then that he had no intention of discussing that issue! Who would want to miss the chance of seeing a film? It was 'Ben Hur' and dad decided that it was important for me to see it for educational reasons.

I have never forgotten the day we saw that film. Ben Hur had intervened. He had saved me from a pasting.

Running Away from Dad - 1

2006-08-15T02:13:00.000+01:00

How to use visitors as a human shield!

For many former East African Asians, their lives in the 'sakati' system provide endless nostalgia. The sakati was an orderly cluster of flats facing a common rectangular compound not different in layout from today's 'designer' courtyards in Central London's gated properties. They are shared spaces and are bordered by buildings. All sakatis had families living at the perimeter, with the front doors of their flats or houses facing the common area. Each sakati was a community, consisting of households which mostly got on well with each other but there were some which did not get on too well at all. Sakatis bred healthy and open minded people in most cases. There were sakatis which bred vendettas, encouraged the firing of emotional Hisbullah rockets in the form of insults and taunts. Brinkmanship between families was rife. It prevailed across the compound in abundance.

There was very little privacy in the sakati especially where a family chose to have a literally open door policy. Any one could call at any time, bring a dish and take away a dish if they got the smell of what you were cooking. Sakatis were like a community of ants or bees. If you stood at a vantage point, you could see families at work and play almost like a children's activity book which has small windows that open out into various activities. I am thinking of 'advent calendars'.

Anyway, one day a group of boys decided to have a football match inside the sakati. The evening was approaching fast and we had to produce a result. The boys were totally oblivious to the red hot charcoal fires that were cooking the evening meals of many families. They had lost track of the time. The African sunset would soon plunge the sakati into darkness. The lighting was poor. Some years ago there had been a serious incidence when the neighbour's newly married daughter-in-law had bumped into someone's grandfather. Anyway, a high ball came towards me and in the semi-darkness I decided to head it but could not control the direction into which the ball was going to go.

The ball landed in a large saucepan of a neighbour, Mrs Chana, who had just finished cooking a rather oily chicken curry on the coalfire. Her cooking was actually not very good. I remember that she always overspiced her food and added tons of chillies to her curries. Both of their older sons came home seriously drunk after their evening hockey games. They wanted the hottest curry you could find on Ngara Road. The ball hit Mrs Chana's dinner with a rather low, heavy and muffled thud. That was very bad news. From the sound I guessed that the ball had landed right in the middle of the saucepan. I knew that the damage had been done. Mrs Chana started screaming and I decided to run out of the sakati and pretended to have nothing to do with the ball in the chicken curry ....

On reaching the sakati's main door, I realised that we were about to receive visitors; a meanish uncle and his family were approaching the sakati entrance. As I have said before, unnannounced visitors were quite common. It did not matter that they timed their visit to include a meal. They asked me why was I running away at such a speed. Was my father at home? "Stop and talk to us!" shouted my aunt. As I was turning at the corner at top speed I ran into another neighbour who was returning home from work. " Yes, dad is at home. Go right in" I yelled as I ran out. All was quiet for about twenty minutes as I stood under street light and got my breath back. Then I realised that I had to go back.

On reaching the front door, I looked towards Mrs Chana's house and found that their door was shut. Had they picked out the ball from their their meal and were they eating the curry? I decided that it wasn't important at all to find out at that stage... the more urgent issue was how to survive once I got home.

Then I heard dad say with remarkable calm," Dont worry. He is going to come back sooner or later. He sleeps in the bed in the verandah and I will be able to see him". Our visitors were my insurance policy. I decided to enter the house and go straight to the visitors, be very sociable and cheerful and sit very close to them for protection. Dad could lose his temper without any warning. There was every prospect of stopping a missile in the form of a shoe. Dinner followed and soon the visitors left. An eerie silence followed and I knew that dad would spring into action at any time.

" How was school today?" he asked. That was not a good start. Any question about school at that time of the night was a prescription for disaster. Dad was slowly preparing his ground but it put me on the defensive. Any confirmation about lack of progress at school would be badly timed. His anger about the loss of Mrs Chana's cooking was apparent. In addition it had given dad control of the situation. I realised then that I should not have run....I was in deep trouble and dad knew it.

To be continued. Some facts and names have been changed to protect identities. I have also taken some artistic licence and added a bit of fiction.

Time for Some Humour

2006-08-14T10:18:00.000+01:00

Time for a change?

For the next few weeks I will look at the humourous side of our lives in East Africa.

There is no intention of offering racist jikes, an action that I deplore.
There is no plan to pick on any single community each time a comment is published.
Any references made to communities will refrain from using any form of insulting language.
There will be no references to religion, culture and customs of any community.

Phew! All these preconditions probably makes the task easier, not harder, and leaves one to reflect on genuine incidents where the above safeguards can be respected.

Community leaders became gatekeepers and 'askaris'

2006-08-11T12:06:00.000+01:00

How to lead by default

East African Asian communities often chose their leaders by using highly original selection criteria. Any person had a good potential for becoming an Asian leader as long as :

They had visible wealth to sustain their power base. It did not matter if the money came from their businesses- for no one ever looked into company accounts to see if they were in debt to the hilt. The Asian was a good leadership prospect as long as they drove the latest model of a gleaming black Mercedes Benz, even if they did not own it and even if it could be claimed by bailiffs at any time.
They had the historical links with the caste of the majority community. This was paramount as the caste system was imported from India to help maintain inherited power and status. Power was not acquired on merit.
They had the ability to speak reasonably good English. Their command of the English language put them in the front of the race as long as they were successful in nurturing the British. The Asian old guard was largely loyal to the colonial masters and were hungry for recognition by them.
They were married to a rich man's daughter. Financial status was an automatic prequalification for leadership even if the money belonged to the wife's father. You had to be seen in 'posh' circles of society.
They were doctors or dentists. No one had any time for a veterinary surgeon, entomologist or weather forecaster. These professions reflected low esteem and were a waste of time. Doctors had power for obvious reasons; they kept you fit and well.
They were office bearers of service clubs such as the Rotary and Lions. This type of affiliation confirmed their popularity and ability to lead.
They could speak on a public platform reasonably well. " It gives me great pleasures, to welcomes yous to our celebrations" said one leader in a welcome speech to a dignitary. His sense was that the multiple and overwhelming pleasure of welcoming the visitor had to be communicated very openly. Respect for the visitor had to be evident. The use of the word 'you' was harsh and disrespectful. 'Yous' had a connotation of 'thou' or 'more than one'. I learnt many years later that some Indian maharajahs liked to be counted not as one for each maharajah, but as 1.25 or 'sawai' which made one larger than life of the ordinary mortals they were supposed to lead. I am sure someone else will have a better explanation or can help express this with more contextual authority.

The outcome of such leadership selection criteria was that they did not understand community priorities; did not take risks to speak on behalf of the community they led, did not show enterprise and innovation and denied that there were any problems in their communities. One of the key strategies was denial.

They maintained that the social ills that occured in other societies did not 'happen' in the Asian communities. There was no domestic violence, wife beating, child abuse, abuse of servants, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness and even high blood pressure. These were the conditions and diseases of the highly irresponsible and decadent people in other communities. They were a reflection of social decay which had never taken root in Asian communities. After all, the Asian family was well known for its sound value systems, they took care of their elderly parents and never mistreated the 'servants'.

Such was the unshakeable belief in the Asian community that younger Asians who acquired university education in East Africa and who challenged the old guard were automatically sidelined. Question: Did these leaders migrate to the west, expecting to continue to be the leaders of the Asian communities in the new lands?

What's it got to do with age?

2006-08-02T02:29:00.000+01:00

One of the characteristics of highly regulated educational systems in the ‘western’ countries is that students are placed in schools by using standard admissions criteria – age, level of attainment, parents’ address, ability to pay and so on. However, the placing of students in primary and secondary schools in the developing countries still presents some interesting challenges. In towns and cities where there is a high level of rural to urban migration and also the resulting deprivation, students may start primary school as much as five to seven years late compared to the average age of entry which is five years.

East African Asians migrated to the three ‘EA countries’ and one of the first actions they had to complete was to get their children into primary and secondary schools. In Kampala, it was not uncommon to have school mates who were five to ten years older than one because they had either started school late or their parents had migrated into the East African countries when their children were ‘too old’. I am reminded of many such friendship scenarios, some of which were very funny but a few were also sad.

The relatively older children tended to be poor performers than their friends who had started at the right age mainly because the older children had missed entry level basics which formed the platform of the school curriculum. But the older children were more socially and physically mature, often causing confusion in their social life, sporting and educational competitions. Nowhere did this cause more problems than in the area of personal relationships. There were boys and girls who were so much older than the average class age that they could not fit in. Their classmates could not trust them or have meaningful friendships. There were also a few humorous episodes where younger children had crushes on older children or vice versa. Could older children easily fall in love with younger children or the other way around?

After all these years, it is interesting to see how children in schools with a wide spread of age bands coped with each other. Did the age difference stimulate competition or inhibit it? Did it encourage bullying? One aspect has been painful to remember. Parents of older girls had no choice when they performed less than satisfactorily at school. They just waited for the girls to reach the legal age of marriage, which was 18 and no sooner had they reached this age they found themselves married to older Asian men. Other older boys missed further education which was more regulated and the competition for places was severe as there were fewer places.

It occurs to me that the steady stream of Asian migration into East Africa, especially for families with children of various ages must have had many effects on education, competition and attainment.

Many of the above observations also apply to African children who started to join schools in the cities. Many of these schools were built for Asian and 'European' migrants. After independence the schools were desegregated, and rightly so. However, many of the African children from rural areas were much older than their Asian classmates.

There are studies here for someone to work on.

The search for Gregory

2006-08-02T00:18:00.000+01:00

Once a teacher, always a teacher

Kololo Secondary School which is based in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, stirs up fond memories for hundreds of Ugandan Asians who went to study there from the mid 1950s to late 1972, when the Asian community was expelled from that country. The school was recognised as a centre of excellence, as an achieving school and a source of immense pride not only for students who went there but also for their parents. Many former Ugandan Asians who went to Kololo have formed affiliated groups and organised fundraising dinners for the benefit of the school. Groups have organised reunions and meetings in the United Kingdom, USA and Canada.

One subject that invariably comes up at Kololo 'oldboys' or 'oldgirls' networks is teachers. What happened to them? Where did they go? How did they survive? Such was the impact of the Asian exodus that students lost contact with each other and lost contacts with their teachers.

The name of Mr Greg Gregory came up a few weeks ago on various chatlines. A number of former Kololians persevered and someone produced enough information to help me trace him to England. A search engine provided a link and I wrote to him saying, " Are you the Mr Gregory who......". This morning, Mr Gregory's reply was waiting for me and he said, "Yes, I am that teacher" or words to that effect. Mr Gregory is the inventor of the Block system, a system of education and learning that places the responsibility for learning on the student. It encourages the student to develop ideas, plan and carry out research and to complete assignments related to subjects identified by the curriculum. That is my understanding 40 years after working in a block. Further information is available from Mr Grefory's website www.rggregory.com.

Mr Gregory was an innovator by any standards and the challenge that faces people who break from tradition is that they have to defend themselves and their vision. This is even more so when a teacher is seen to take radical action which unsettles the traditionalists in a school. Mr Gregory had no problem dealing with his critics. He won the support of the Head Teacher, the late Mr Raval. It was not until my own children started to work on projects during their secondary school education that I realised how much Mr Gregory had done to offer to me the skills for research and learning, even if they may not be too evident in this blog!

Former Kololo school students will be celebrating the successful 'search for Gregory' and I know many chatlines and meetings will be talking about the old block system. I hope to interview Mr Gregory in the next few weeks. I hope that my description of the Block system, as summarised above, will withstand Mr. Gregory's scrutiny. Once a teacher, always a teacher.

The dominant sassoo, the weak sons and the suffering bahus

2006-07-25T23:50:00.000+01:00

For sassoo, read dominant mother-in-law and 'bahu' means daughter-in-law

For many 'working class' East African Asians who used to live in the "sakati", the communal compound or enclosure, the antics of the dominant sassoo made hilarious stories, though not for the seriously undermined 'bahoo' or the daughter-in-laws. In fact the sassoo was ever prevalent - she was not just a working class demon. The sassoo thrived on the functions and values of the extended family which gave her the power and the influence in every band of socio-economic Asian society in the East Africa that I remember. Only some sassoos used their power with control and led happier lives.

The sassoo was a political maestro. She made sure that her dominance was felt only by the daughter-in-law without creating any negative 'vibes' for the sasur, the father-in-law or for her sons. She was astute enough to ensure that her husband always saw her as the benevolent custodian of the family purse and welfare. She was the empress and the queen in equal measure. She was chief accountant and strategist without a business plan.

The sassoo was a psychological manipulator. She played on the fears and insecurities of the daughter-in-law. In one case, she ensured that where the daughter-in-law was driven to subservience by her inability to produce a male offspring; she acquired additional powers to extract favours and services from the daughter-in-law. The option of sending the young daughter-in-law back to India was always kept alive. The sassoo had considerable power over the son, who wanted a son and was prepared to send the helpless wife back to her parents. In another family, a replacement wad been known to have been procured in the form of the daughter-in-law's sister.

The sassoo was also a tyrant. She devised the domestic workplan for her 'labourers', the bahus.. Work was piled on to fill the time available to the bahu. It kept her out of mischief and ensured that she did not have the time to plot against the sassoo.

In one case, the sassoo had five sons. She would have a bath in the morning. She used to come into the sakati with her wet hair and immediately summon a daughter-in-law to dry her hair. Another 'slave' was deployed to massage her back and legs. A third girl was ordered to cook a light snack and sweet tea, while daughter-in-law number four was put in charge of all the children, including her co-bahus'. After lunch time, the sassoo was tired and needed a rest but before she fell asleep in the sun, she had a daughter-in-law put up a makeshift tent where she slept with well punctuated snoring. Daughter-in-law number five was the best cook. She had to prepare the evening meal on most evenings.

By late afternoon, the sassoo's operational regime started to change. She became benevolent. She urged her daughter-in-laws to go and have a wash, dress up very smartly and put on bright make-up for their husbands. She wanted her sons to see happy and cheerful wives. It was not out of order to issue a final reprimand to any bahu who had crossed her path. The worst punishment was suspense- will the sassoo complain to the sons about the deviant behaviour of their wives while they had been at work? Even worse was the husband's response. On some days he supported his wife by ignoring the sassoo. On most days, the son thought it appropriate to insult his wife in the sassoo's presence... there was always time to make up later in the night.

When the sassoo became ill, the bahus established a well co-ordinated nursing programme. All worked in shared contempt for the sassoo and many a time they caught each other thinking of the bliss that was about to descend upon them when the sassoo would finally die. And when the sassoo did pass away, the bahus had to orchestrate their weeping and wailing. What would the people in the 'biradari' or the society say if the sassoo's death was not mourned with loud wails over prolonged periods?

The family in my story had serious problems when the sassoo died. After a few months, the bahus threw off their yokes of misery and subservience and started to assert themselves. The sons found themselves driven to support their wives. The household broke up. The sassoo's tyranny had also been the cementing bond in the family. After her death, the bahus would have no reason to tolerate each other. The sons went to look for separate houses where they would live independently for the rest of their lives.

There was the slight problem of the surviving sasur, or the widowed father-in-law. Which of the sons were prepared to 'adopt' him? It was a life-long committment.

This is a real story but was brought to the surface when I read this case on the BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/5210060.stm.

Were East African Asians Racists?

2006-07-14T01:50:00.000+01:00

Please note that the emphasis of this question is on the past.

This question has been raised many times before. It reflects a realisation by younger Asians that perhaps their parents were racists, judging by the way that some of them treated their domestic workers or 'house boys'. Domestic workers were a key resource and made a major difference to the quality of life of the Asians. These workers made sure that the houses were clean, the Asians' clothes were properly washed and ironed, cars were kept in smart and gleaming condition and gardens were well maintained - all to bring credit to the owners.

Despite these benefits, many domestic workers did not earn much money in certain households and had to be satisfied with the poor terms and conditions of work or leave. Others did rather well especially when they ended up working for the more prosperous Asians in the community. However, this was no guarantee as some earned a pittance regardless of where they worked. In the absence of a minimum wage stipulation by the African Governments, domestic workers were exposed to exploitation.

Allegations of racism were not made at that time - when the majority of the Asians were still living in the EA countries. It appears that the Asians became more aware and sensitive to racism when they were themselves exposed to real or perceived insult by virtue of the colour of their skin in the UK, Canada and US in the early stages of these migrations from 1968 onwards.

House workers were not allowed to get involved in the cutting and cooking of food. In some households, the workers were even barred from entering the kitchen. It had less to do with race, cleanliness and hygiene but more to do with the religious mindset of the Asian housewife. Many were strict vegetarians and believers in puritanical approaches to the practice of their faiths. They were entitled to practice their religions as they wished but the implication was that an African domestic worker would "pollute" the food if they were to touch it. There was a strong notion of "sooch" or purity that it also barred non-vegetarians, smokers and even Asian men who had not had a bath from touching the food in their own homes. The followers of these doctrines of sooch were mainly older Hindu and Sikh men and women. It goes without saying that they extended these rules to other environments, such as work and community as well.

Most Asians were very generous when they discarded their old clothes and other household items. The houseworker had the first choice! However, the same person was barred from using the Asian's crockery, cutlery and drinking glasses because of the impositions made mainly by older housewives and mothers. I remember one domestic worker drinking tea from a newly opened tin can with sharp jagged edges. Others were required to hold on to their own drinking utensils and to produce them only when asked.

Racist acts were easy to justify by the Asians when the victim was seen to be a threat to the sanctity of the Asian household. However, the relationship changed when men had to work with African workers outside the house. There was generally no problem. This is where the problem of racism appears to unique in East Africa. The Asians were not advocating racist pratices in the open environment.

How would the community cope with this allegation today? The idea of holding on to "truth asnd reconciliation" would be attractive but did the perpetrators of these racist acts, mostly the older Asian women, have any idea that some of their men had 'dangerous liaisons' with African women outside the home? It goes without saying that there is some possibility that at least a few Asian men had no choice but to leave their 'mixed-race' children behind in East Africa when they had to migrate to the West. This is a secret that will remain with them until they die.

Highlighting East African Asian Leaders 1

2006-07-08T14:04:00.000+01:00

Celebrating East African Asians as leaders

Let us challenge the notion of leadership! It is not just about people who make it good in business or those who become political or religious leaders in furthering their own agendas or seeking support to serve any popular or unpopular cause. Many natural leaders may even work, innovate and contribute without seeking the mantle of leadership. There are others who do not even recognise that they are leaders! They just put their heads down and just get on with delivery.

Ruth and Andy DeSouza, based in New Zealand have launched the AEN Journal July 3rd , providing a space for intelligent and critical discussion on issues facing ethnic communities in New Zealand. Launched by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres at the Human Rights Commission's Auckland Office, the speakers included Dr Ashraf Choudry (Labour party MP), Pansy Wong ( National party MP), Ruth DeSouza and Andy Williamson (Editors) and the Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua. The journal features articles written by key thinkers in the ethnic sector in New Zealand and overseas.

This is an open-access online publication. Its aim is to offer a refreshing and challenging new perspective on what's going on in ethnic communities. Issue 1 of the AEN Journal is available athttp://journal.aen.org.nz/ and includes a Guest Editorial by the Race Relations Commissioner and articles by Maori Party Co-leader Tariana Turiaand Mervin Singham, Director of the Office of Ethnic Affairs. It features a viewpoint on the Palestine-Israel problem from a New Zealand Jew and a New Zealand Muslim. International contributions come from UK-based psychiatrist Suman Fernando, discussing racism in the mental health system, and US-based human rightswriter Amy West. West challenges New Zealand to ensure our Immigration Act review is balanced; “changes made to protect borders from perceived terror threats come at a high cost to the safety and future of refugees.” Tze Ming Mok and Kumanan Rasanathan provide an edgy and humorous discussion on labels and how they can be used strategically to obtain resources but risk 'siloing' and homogenising groups.

Contributors to Issue 1 include: - Joris de Bres, Race Relations Commissionner- Tariana Turia MP, Co-leader of the Mâori Party- Mervin Singham, Director of the Office of Ethnic Affairs- Dave Moskovitz: The Israel – Palestine Problem: The perspective of a NewZealand Progressive Jew- Anjum Rahman: The Israel – Palestine Problem: The perspective of a New Zealand Muslim- Andy Williamson and Ruth DeSouza: Representing Ethnic Communities in theMedia- Suman Fernando (UK): Stigma, racism and power- Amy West (US): Seeking Asylum- Kate Woodd: Cultural diversity and context-Tze Ming Mok and Kumanan Rasanathan: Should we be pushing for a Ministry ofAsian Affairs, a Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, or neither? A ‘Socratic’ ‘dialogue’ between two ‘Asians’- Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua aka REV MC: Pasifika Hip Hop Poetry Doing the Healing.

I have been thinking about developing a 'Socratic' dialogue on a issue that interests me and have had some questions about its viability as a vehicle for expression. I will read the last article first!
I am sure East African readers will join me in congratulating Ruth and Andy for their commitment, energy and leadership in bringing this new publication to the market. The fact that it is available online without a charge is a reflection of their selfless approach to their work. I will also provide links to their work in future posts.

Lets first talk to East Africans before we offer aid!

2006-07-03T03:26:00.000+01:00

Ought we not first consult with East African educational leaders?

One thing is very clear. We, the 'wahindi' loved the schools we went to in Kampala, Nairobi and other towns in East Africa. Judging by my private mail, I should be able to pursuade quite a few readers to write about their own experiences in future posts. There are already several websites which feature history and nostalgia but also stories of achievement.

There is an overwhelming desire to 'help' schools, and East African education in general. There is not much clarity on what help should be offered and how it should be made available. The problem with offering 'handouts' is that we may raise high expectations of the results and benefits of any support that is provided. A greater problem is that sporadic support may also demean the recipients and undermine the ownership of change.

What is needed is an ongoing, well researched programme of collaboration, not ocassional handouts. African governments, large international donors and sponsors are already paying for programmes of education although more support can be justified to improve the quality of core provision.

What may be also necessary is that East African Asians, who now live abroad, should consider funding the incremental areas aimed at providing a richer educational experience, reward for character development and leadership and promoting access to open learning, to think of a few examples. However, before we embark on fund-raising initiatives or start tapping other fundraisers, we need to talk to East African educationists, headteachers, school governing bodies and other local potential partners. What do they need to improve the current educational provision? Much as money tends to be the preferred medium of support, many educational institutions may also welcome support in kind - equipment and expertise.

There is a need to ask East African educational leaders and innovators to help us identify their needs and priorities. We need to create a mechanism to receive their feedback and to assess their responses by using suitable criteria. Perhaps the answer lies in working with our embassies, aid agencies and donor departments of Governments in the UK, US, Canada and elsewhere.

Whatever we do, if there is still a wish to support African education, lets move away from tokenism to collaboration, partnership and engagement.

Let us first talk to the East Africans who are now in charge and who recognise their priorities better than we do. The alternative is to send small amounts of money but continually challenge their probity. Let us not punish them for the failure of some of their politicians.

Dealing with Nostalgia

2006-06-26T00:02:00.000+01:00

Why one's old school still matters so much!

Most Asians have strong memories of the the schools they went to in East Africa. I find that my older brothers and their friends also fondly remember their time at school. It is the secondary school that East African Asians went to that matters most, partly because they remember the experience of their formative years but also their triumphs and successes not only in academic terms but also in their participation in sport, their trips for camping, boating or any outdoor activity, their rows and friendships with their teachers and the generally happy times they had at school. There are also many memories of laughter, sometimes at the expense of a teacher and other times at the expense of a student. There is also the perennial talk of how all the boys in a class fell in love with a certain teacher or a particular girl. Remember this is a recollection of life of Asian males. I have no idea of what the East African Asian women remember of their schooling!

Many Asians also talk about how they did very little work at school and got away with low input. This can also extend to how they cheated their parents to other cases where they feel that their parents did not supervise them enough or were not capable enough to monitor their education closely. Had this been the case, they might have done better in their new homes in the west. The Asians always refer to successful boys and girls who were high achievers and how they have done well in the countries they migrated to by virtue of how they worked hard at school. Of course, achievement at school is not the only indicator of success. Many people develop later in life.

Talk to any group of Asians from Nairobi, Kampala and Dar-es-salaam, the names of a number of prominent schools always come up but generally adding up to less than 10 schools overall which have played a major role in the development and lives of East African Asians. Those Asians from Kampala recall their days at Kololo, Old Kampala or the Aga Khan Schools. British Asians with backgrounds in Nairobi refer to a number of elite schools which were high on academic achievement and also excelled in sport. There are similar recollections of schools in Tanzania.

My own days in Kololo Secondary School in Kampala made a major impact on my life, not to mention the Sikh primary school that I also went to. It is a great joy to be in touch with primary teachers who taught me as long as 45 years ago and also teachers from Kololo Secondary School.

Where does all this lead to? The East African Asians' nostalgia needs to be tapped and turned into a positive force. Schools in East Africa have received help from Asians, some of whom hold fundraising dinners for their old schools. There is the occasional news of the old boys' and old girls' fundraisers but there is no strategic action which can convince the heads of those schools that the East African Asians can be relied upon to become real friends of the schools they went to. One or two people who have come back from Kampala report that the heads of schools are worried about tokenism from 'do-gooders' who have handed over the one-off cash donations, which are warmly welcome but do not help to address the real needs of the schools. The most painful remark to be heard in recent months was that East African Asian visitors have made pledges which have not materialised.

Are you thinking of what I am thinking?

Living with the new "host" communities

2006-06-25T23:22:00.000+01:00

What's in a name?

The other day I was in a community gathering which was attended by people from many backgrounds. There were East African Asians, people from India and Pakistan and also, people from the English community. I know they were English because I heard them talking to each other.

Then halfway through the proceedings, the secretary said," I must say a few words in English because there are a few people from the host community among us today". I noted the use of the term "host" community with amusement. It was a clear indication that the announcer's understanding of migration was different from many Asians who feel that they are as much the host community in the UK as anyone else. Most British Asians have discarded the notion of migration as that of going off to distant lands to live in someone else's country. They feel that they are at home. The UK is their home and they are as much the hosts.

However, there are many areas of confusion, some of which can be interesting. Many Asians in the UK continue to harbour the feeling of "us" and "them" but much depends on the issues that are under consideration. When there is talk about the rising incidence of teenage pregnancy or carjacking, the most common Asian reaction is that this is a problem in "their" community, meaning the English, or the "white" community and that such matters should not concern them. However, when the discussion turns to issues such as unemployment or high interest rates, they see those areas as a common problem which affects all sections of the communities.

This form of selective owning of the issues has not received the consideration that it deserves.

A Secret Admirer of the Ismaili Community

2006-06-11T02:18:00.000+01:00

A view from the outside

My previous post refers to issues within the Sikh communities in East Africa that I left behind in 1972. I think I have asked hard questions to analyse the work of the Sikh community. I wanted to ascertain how and why the Sikh community had set out to achieve a wide range of objectives. It took me many years to learn that the leadership of faith-based organisations cannot be expected to achieve the wide range of outcomes that my questioning implies.

Faith based organisations led by Asians were successful as long as they were able to fulfill the requirements of their legal mandates or conditions for charitable registration in the countries in which they operated. They had to deliver their faith based objectives, and no more. However, East African Asians found, in many cases, that their religious organisations were also required to fulfill other roles such as liaison with African Governments, ensure representation at civic functions, comply to the emerging social policy requirements. They had little choice even when many of them were not capable enough to do so.

These assertions do not tend to apply to the case of the Ismaili communities in East Africa. Here was a community which appeared to be 'successful' in many areas of proactive engagement. They appeared to have a good balance as far as their vision and objectives were concerned. They had the patience to develop organisations with suitable structures for delivering their multiple programmes. They had mostly a clear basis for being accountable to their general public and to the Aga Khan, their spiritual leader. This would suggest that they monitored their programmes and took care to remedy any weaknesses. The results of such an accountable approach to management of large and small projects could be seen through many success stories - schools, hospitals, dispensaries and community support projects.

How did the Ismaili community succeed? Do the Ismailis also think that they were successful?

I am pleased to hear from a reader, Mansoor Ladha, who lives in Canada. Mansoor is researching for a book on the Ismaili community. Born and bred in Tanzania, Mansoor held senior positions in journalism in Tanzania and Kenya before going to Canada. He worked for five years as a journalist before buying two weeklies which he ran for 25 years. He is interested in hearing from Ismailis who lived in East Africa. Mansoor can be contacted by email mlpublish@shaw.ca

I also look forward to hearing from Ismailis who can discuss the reasons for their success in East Africa. Would they also be interested in discussing the key aspects of their approach to development? Were Ismaili organisations focused but also flexible in meeting changing needs in the East African environment?

2006-06-09T09:55:00.000+01:00

A secret admirer....

Have there been times when you have looked at your own community, that is, its inner workings, its leadership and its successes and failures and decided that some other community is doing better than your own? When this happens people secretly admire the other community but are not able to share that secret.

The question of leadership is unavoidable in these debates. East African Asians, during the period leading to the 1972 expulsion, almost certainly found that their leaders were mostly thrust upon them. The main contenders for representation and leadership came from faith based organisations.

I am going to talk about the Sikh community, a grouping that I came to know well as a member of that community. In general the Sikhs had minimal political experience with no ambition to propel themselves into the civic society with the aim to lead a political party. With the exception of four or five people in the whole of East Africa, Sikh leadership came from faith based organisations. There was some intra-Sikh factionalism based on the Indian caste system which meant that their leaders came from two distinct ‘pathways’ but both factions drew from a pool of people who actually knew little about the religion and were not always qualified to lead. Their main endorsement was their wealth, which was largely generated by their success mainly in the building construction industry. The Ramgarhia Sikh contractors became leaders and their energy and knowledge went into – you’ve guessed it, building temples or developing them. This appeared to be the case in Kenya as well as Uganda.

The Sikh communities have always been prone to a high level of fragmentation, especially in the UK. This results in the formation of a larger number of organisations with members distributed amongst them. Because each temple can only sustain one president and his team of henchmen, those with leadership ambitions go on to start new splinter groups that are differentiated by minor identifiers. They aim to build more and more temples. But the boomerang always returns to hit one in the back of the head. It is now acknowledged that there is excess capacity in the temples of the UK based Sikh communities but the multiplication of the temples has continued. The boomerang is debt. It has also multiplied. Having said all this, there is no evidence that a Sikh temple has ever gone into receivership owing to its inability to service debts anywhere in the world. The Almighty always lends a hand.

When one talks to the Jaat Sikhs, who are traditionally farmers, they say that the builders and artisan Sikhs who came from the Ramgarhia caste have helped to create an asset base that is quite disproportionate to the size of their communities. Both Sikh factions in the East Africa of the 1960s did not build schools, hospitals, playgrounds or housing for poor African communities. But they did not also look after their own poor, ill or elderly with the exception of offering a few scholarships for Sikh school children who went to Sikh faith schools. That was the picture until 1972.

The fragmentation of the Sikh communities, the servicing of high debt charges and the high maintenance costs of bricks and mortar and lack of strategic vision have also meant that, in the main, the Sikhs in the UK have not built schools, hospitals and playgrounds for the needy. There is a hypothesis for a PhD dissertation in these lines. Why did the fragmentation take place in the Sikh communities? How many rival Sikh temples did it create? What was the impact of the size of the congregations and how does each temple cope with their debt service boomerangs? Are my questions valied and sustainable? Can these questions be applied to analyse the status of other Asian communities?

Here is a confession. I have been secretly admiring the Ismaili communities and their phenomenal achievements in the East African countries. It appears to me that they have succeeded in dealing with all the questions that I have raised. More about this in the next post.

2006-06-04T23:28:00.000+01:00

The Wahindis in Kenya - post expulsion and post Moi ....

Talk to people who are returning to the UK from their Kenyan holidays or business and sporting trips, they report in one common fashion, " The Asians are doing really well! They are making a lot of money. Why should they want to leave?"

Let us clarify one key point at the outset. We do not know how many of the Asians still living in Kenya today are citizens of that country. As citizens, they are entitled to work and live according to the norms of Kenyan society today.

Do the Asians have to be seen to be different today (than those Asians who were expelled from Uganda) if they are not Kenyan citizens? That is, different in their attitude, work and play and how they interact with local people? Is this a relevant question?

The people returning from Kenya also report that it has probably become difficult for many Asians to leave Kenya. Many have stayed too long and are aging. Others have not done too well financially but have held on to steady and skilled jobs at all levels. Both groups would find it difficult to emigrate to the countries of traditional choice, UK, US and Canada.

There is also the real possibility that politicians in Kenya have learnt a few lessons from their neighbours where the Asians had to leave following expulsion or the withdrawal of work permits?

What is the make up of the Asians who have decided to remain in Kenya? After all, the Ugandan Asian expulsion took place nearly 35 years ago. Has that event now lost its significance?

At the same time, a new generation of Kenyans have come into power. What do they think about the Asian presence, if at all, and their contribution? More importantly, a new generation of local Kenyans have moved into congested cities. They want jobs, education, health and welfare and safety. The Kenyan economy does not appear to have grown in order to to keep in pace with demand for jobs and public expectations.

How are the Asians and their leaders responding to these developments?

2006-05-29T23:24:00.000+01:00

Yasmin's Juliet, the black Romeo and Papa Kassim

When Yasmin Allibhai-Brown played Juliet to a black Romeo in a school play, a long time ago Uganda, I was also there. No, I was not Romeo but acted as one of the invited guests to the 'party' where Juliet first meets Romeo.

It was an excellent production by any standards. The producer and director was an English expatriate teacher known as Joyce Mann, who tried 'integrated casting' as we know it today. What was exceptional about the play was that it was being performed in 1965 and the parents of the children who were acting in it were predominantly Asian. I was wearing my Sikh turban and my 'wife' was dressed in an immaculate sari. I did not challenge Mrs Mann too much - most Sikh women do not wear the sari. There were other races and communities on the stage, all wearing national and traditional costumes. There was also a character wearing the Gandhian 'dhoti' because I remember that he was struggling with it.

It was only when Juliet kissed the black Romeo, that the reaction of the audience went from surprise and acclaim to shock and sheer disgust. Many people could not cope with the reality of Yasmin's role. Had they come to the play expecting that the stage would be thrown into total darkness at that precise moment? Today, over 40 years later, many Indian films still shy away from showing the kissing scene. Clever cinematographic techniques are deployed and in addition many a bus or even a cow happens to pass in front of the lovers at that precise moment. The speed at which the cow or the bus passes to hide the intimate scene has not attracted any protests.

The Mail on Sunday, May 28, 2006 covered Yasmin's story and 'how her family was torn apart by racial prejiudice...'

Yasmin says that she has struggled to figure out 'why my father froze me out of his life forever...'.
I know one thing for certain. Her father, Mr Kassim Damji was actually very proud of her. When I met him at a school function he talked to me about the importance of good education. I told him that Yasmin was in my class. I added that she was very a clever student and that she was doing exceptionally well. He nodded as if saying that he did not need to be reminded about the fact that everyone acknowledged Yasmin's talents.

What went wrong in that simple and honest depiction of what I regard to be one of Shakespeare's best plays? Joyce Mann was an excellent teacher and director and was trying to portray the multicultural nature of the Ugandan society of the time. Is it possible that she misjudged the reaction of her audiences, especially parents? It was only a school play. Should she have spoken to Yasmin's parents in advance? Would any act of censorship have curtailed Mrs Mann's freedom of expression? It is impossible to say even if Yasmin had agreed for the caution to prevail.

Asian parents were confused. Not many years later, my own father refused to send me to study in England - one of his sons had married an European woman after they had met at a university in the Midlands. My father was worried that I would do the same.

2006-05-28T02:22:00.000+01:00

Talks around the Barbeque fire

One of the first BBQs this 'summer' saw a number of East African Asians gather around the fire for a long afternoon's partying.

The topics of conversation shifted as more people joined in. These are some of the views that I remember:

This, ie the UK, is a great country and there is a lot going for it.
The UK is getting boring and problematic. It might be good to move on to another country.
People with diverse backgrounds will be thrown out of the UK in 20 to 30 years time.

When I challenged the outspoken exponent of the third view, the concerns seem to centre on how Asian success and prosperity was going to make everyone jealous, only to lead to an expulsion in the same way as Idi Amin expelled Ugandan Asians.

Preposterous as these claims may sound, they reflect, in my view a number of things:

The Ugandan expulsion 1972 had left deep scars with many of the people who were affected but they have not had the help and support to deal with the issues and in some cases even the trauma they suffered.
The legal basis on the Asians' status in the UK has still not been understood by many of them.
Many East African Asians have little or no understanding of the UK Nationality Rules and most of the time their fears are fed by sheer ignorance.

The party guests also showed that there is another type of Asian feeling which is similar to the one I have heard in other parts of the world, especially where the East African Asian migrant has been successful, has accumulated savings and also owns property ranging from a portfolio of investments to the ownership of just the one house that he or she lives in. In their mind 'the good old days' in the UK are long gone. The basic issues that troubles these members of the Asian community is what they consider to be "uncontrolled immigration", crime and disorder and inflation. For them the 'joy of living in the UK is over'. They were quite puzzled by the fact that many hundreds of people still want to come into the UK! As I watched the exponent of this view and the people who agreed with him, one aspect that was very clear was that they were all older people. They had worked hard after coming into the country during one of the two waves of migrations from 1965 to 1972. They were actually too old to leave and unless they had substantial wealth, they were not likely to take risks! However, in their mind life in Canada and Australia seemed to be a more attractive proposition.

There was no mention of the type of action that the new Home Secretary, John Reid might be contemplating to deal with the issues that concerned them. More about this anothere time.

Looking just a few yards across the lawn, one saw a group of young people, mostly highly qualified sons and daughters of the same group which now feels disillusioned with life the the UK. Their minds were on the forthcoming World Cup, professional careers that they want to get into and excel and the businesses they were looking into. They were not there to get depressed. They wanted to have a jolly good time with people they had not seen for sometime. You heard loud shouts and outbursts of laughter.

The end of the BBQ brought the stories of doom and gloom to a close. The started to think about the work they had to get to the next day and a sudden sense of urgency started to grip them as they talked about their long journeys home.

Neither the youngsters nor the older people had tried to exchange views and it was quite clear that apart from a few minutes of polite engagement with the older 'folk', they were quite happy to be with their own lot.

2006-05-21T23:37:00.000+01:00

If you are an Asian millionaire, please look away now!

The last few posts have stressed the need for action where East African Asians, the community I know best, have been urged to examine how they can take concerted action on charitable giving in order to make a difference. This is a call for taking a programme approach, based on policies, strategies and action plans aimed at generating long-term impact. It calls for the volunteering of management and organisational skills which have made the communities successful in the first place!

A word of caution, though. The Asian millionaire community in the UK must be already supporting charitable projects. But it is likely that these initiatives are personal and private rather than community based. They are certainly not aimed at leveraging funds from other sources. Private donations have their own place in charitable giving but a better option is to attract more funds to match the Asian pound.

The impact of community wide and organised philanthropy must be achieved sooner rather than later. This post is a challenge, an invitation and a plea - all rolled into one, and in one word - an appeal for joint action.

I am inviting East African millionaires living in the UK to come forward and to discuss the scope for a major and long-term community initiative. They would be placed in control of policy and sponsorship, and I will recruit senior volunteers to respond to their challenge by working on a policy framework and by producing a work programme for extensive scrutiny by 'the donor group'.

My aim is to work with the Asian millionaire community in the UK to get this going. If you have read this far, then you may be converted to working with me. Please email me. kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

2006-05-16T00:52:00.000+01:00

Missed opportunities? Or is there still time to change?

Kersi Rustomji has outlined how informal or voluntary 'triggers' in the Wahindi leadership has resulted in the provision of some informal charitable giving. There are many successful beneficiaries and this form of support is best seen as an example of successful intervention in 'the donors supply chain'. An informal group or a religious organisation may adopt a given cause and continue to support it with intermittent funding, whilst still noting the qualifications that Kersi makes about lack of trust on the part of the donors and the possible failure on the part of Wahindi leaders to forge alliances with the needy communities.

There is little evidence of a structured and formal approach to charitable functioning even in a country like the UK where funding mechanism is fed by proceeds from the National Lottery and significant funding is 'on offer' where applicants can meet attainable criteria. Wahindi leadership has tended to invest their own and community funds in faith based infrastructure, a necessary and logical need in the early stages of migration. However, there is anecdotal evidence that there is excess capacity in religious buildings and associated provision such as language and religious schools in some faiths, in many towns and cities. In other cases, the motivation of splinter groups and disaffected leaders who have failed to work within shared frameworks is still leading to new investment, most of which is likely to add to the existing surpluses.

What East African Asians need to address with more vigour is to apply their collective energy to deal with mainstream issues - alcohol abuse, family planning, mental health, relationship and bereavement counselling for example. In these cases the beneficiaries are likely to be their own members but more significantly, mainstream communities as well. In practice, experience and observation suggests that the reverse tends to apply. Mainstream health charities - heart, lung, mental health and counselling for example are trying to create provision for South Asian communities by dealing with lay Wahindi leadership which may be failing to come to grips with the issues. In some cases the response is denial - teenage pregnancy does not 'happen in our community' or in others, the responsibility for rehabilitation of offenders lies with the state and local government networks. What the lay leadership needs to create is a framework for Asian professionals - doctors, social workers, dietitians to leverage more funds by using community resources to attract Lottery money.

Wahindi leaders may want to take the first step towards addressing their collective social responsibility by first building compacts within their own communities. They need to win the support of the professional and mostly younger members who bring expertise to the table and may also seek control in order to ensure quality. My personal experience suggests that Wahindi leaders connected with the migrations from the 1960s to 1970s tend to prefer control at the expense of delivery, leaving the younger and more professional drivers of change and delivery highly demotivated and feeling sidelined. However, many of them are now starting to work with mainstream charities and it is hoped that they will be able to secure trust from their own leaders in the future.

2006-05-15T10:17:00.000+01:00

Kersi Rustomji comments on 'Shillingi for Recognition'

I am grateful for a response from Kersi Rustomji who writes from Australia. Kersi Rustomji says:

"First my congratulations on a very interesting and what will be a valuable piece in future in the total written material records, that are building around the East African Asians Diaspora.

I was born in Kampala in 1936 but moved with my parents to Mwanza in Tanzania, before I was one year old. I grew up in Mwanza till the age of 9, then after a stint in India settled in Kenya till 1974. I just wish to comment on your Shillingi for Recognition in which you have queried the Indian/Asian attitude to charity toward the indigenous people in East Africa. My childhood and adult experiences are that, in all the three East African countries, it was the Asian community that was in the fore front of charity to the local people. This extended from giving a one cent, centi moja, or hela moja in Tanganyika, to the indigent who came to the houses every Friday, to larger charitable organizations as free dispensaries. My childhood recollections of this in Mwanza, Mombasa and Nairobi is also of the shopkeeper providing the same to the 'maskini,' poor. I knew and know of Asian doctors who assisted gratis at the public hospitals utilized predominantly by the indigenous peoples.Most of these 'public assistance' type of charitable work was carried out on and by 'faith/community' basis rather than a unified Asian/Indian approach. eg Sikhs, Lohanas, Wishas, Arya Samajists, Parsis etc offered these as their own bit of charity responses. This diversified charity behaviour, did not therefore create a whole picture of Asian/Indian charities in the old East African countries. My experience of 2003 in Kenya was that while the remaining Asian/Indian community, offered charitable aid and assistance, it was still somewhat fragmented on faith/community basis rather than a unified Asian/Indian front.However, the unified front sometimes does come to the forefront during catastrophes or crisis on national scale. One of the most common response to my inquiry in Kenya was, that the donors were very conscious of 'magendo' corruption, hence rather cautious of pouring their aid into some of the causes, in large amounts, as transparency was not clear. Many preferred to give aid on personal or communal basis, directly to the causes they supported and trusted. From a national or ethnic basis this may not be the most 'open' charity, but charity does exist, even if not too openly or on very large scale. This is also somewhat true of donating to the previous countries of the Diasporan set, though there are those who do not contribute as they have a strong sense of betrayal..I hope this will be of some assistance to you."

Kersi Rustomji.
Australia.

Kersi Rustomji is the author of an autobiographical work, 'Jambo Paulo, Jambo Mykol'. I hope to provide information on how readers may be able to access it.

Kalwant Ajimal

2006-05-15T01:50:00.000+01:00

An East African in New Zealand

The work of Ruth DeSouza, who lives in Waitakere City in New Zealand provides interesting insights into how her past relationship with East Africa has shaped her motivation and dedication to her work in consulting, diversity action and writing. Ruth's book.'Walking upright here' is available from www.lulu.com

When I first arrived in England as a refugee in 1972, owning a television set was a luxury that I could not afford. I was delighted when a relation, who had migrated from Kenya in 1968 (with all his money intact) invited me to watch a television debate between Enoch Powell and Professor George Hines, a distinguished West Indian academic from London University. Powell was arguing, in essence, that success was a product of culture, that of being born into a superior racial grouping. Hines emphasised the role that nurturing and the learning process plays in human development in all cases.

I was reminded of this debate when I was looking at Ruth's website www.wairua.com and the richness of her interest in diversity. I also realised how my own backgound, like Ruth's, was shaped by our exposure to society, life and education in East Africa.

What if Enoch Powell and Idi Amin had been involved in a mentoring relationship? Imagine Idi Amin as Powell's mentee or vice versa.

2006-05-15T01:11:00.000+01:00

'No' from Jatania?

Well, I did send a note to Mike Jatania, one of the Jatania brothers, who have been extensively featured in the UK Press for their success in acquiring top, world class consumer brands for their company.

I have not received a reply but being a patient person, I will not jump to any conclusions so soon after contacting them. They have other things to get on with and so ' the man with a blog' can wait.

2006-05-10T14:54:00.000+01:00

Forget about the Tebbitt test!

This is one is much more important. This is no game of cricket, seriously. How many East African Asians support charitable causes in the country of their origin? The logical line of enquiry would be to establish which of the three East African countries would they support?

Mostly, they do not prefer to support charitable causes in Africa at all unless there is a major disaster or a special appeal to which they can respond. The term ‘country of origin’ therefore automatically refers to the country of origin of their parents. That is their emotional or spiritual home. It the home that most benefits from charitable giving.

Many would say that there is nothing wrong with making that choice. Hundreds of worthy causes in the Indian Sub-Continent deserve support and indeed they must be helped at all times. The main concern is that the South Asian charitable projects may have unfair advantage over the African ones. The problem arises when East African Asian donors make their choices by using subjective criteria and indeed any one of them would be entitled to challenge this by saying,” I can support any charity I like. Its my money you know?”

Lord Tebbitt’s test of loyalty is hopelessly now out of date. It is no longer interesting to find out which team of cricket an East African Asian migrant would support. It is more significant to find out which country’s charities do the East African Asian support for charitable giving.

2006-05-10T00:47:00.000+01:00

Shillingi for Recognition?

"Shillingi'' is the Shilling, the East African measure of currency. In the early 1970s, when most of the Asians were leaving the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, 17 Ugandan shillings could be exchanged for Â£1 Stg.

Asian philanthropy never used to be linked with 'political honours' as the case has been made in the UK during the last few weeks. Instead many of the rich East African Asian families have established their own charitable interests to carry out support programmes for the poor and the sick. In the case of the Madhvanis and the Mehtas, the Ugandan Asian families which build their fortunes by running sugar mills, their philanthropy was visible and well planned. They ran community projects, hospitals and leisure schemes not only for their staff but also for the general public.

I hope to talk to many of the 'new rich' in England. There is one interviewer that the Asians will not be too keen to avoid - me! I am interested in talking to them to bring real human interest stories and their non-businessachievementss to this blog. If I am lucky and they are prepared to trust me, I hope to publish several stories on their philanthropic interests.

2006-05-09T01:11:00.000+01:00

Ja Ja Jatania!

The Sunday Times ( April 30th 2006) reported that Unilever, the multinational, “ is close to selling two of its US haircare brands to the Jatania brothers for between £70m and £82m."

The Jatanias are reported to have an ‘ estimated £850m fortune’ and were said to be in talks to add Finesse and Aqua Net to their growing stable of brands. Reports published today, 10th May, suggest that the Jatanias' company Lornamead has now completed these deals.

This is big business at work. The Jatanias continue to attract interest in the media. This blog hopes to bring further information and news relating to the background of the Jatanias as a former East African family. I am interested in writing more about the 'human side' of the Jatania family.

The blog also hopes to feature other former East African Asians involved in running big business in the UK and abroad. Their work and achievements should be an inspiration to many and their response to what may be seen by some of them as a constant erosion of privacy may also be interesting for this blog. However, we cannot repeat the mistakes that the mainstream Press tends to make! I wish I had not thrown away my copy of the Sunday Times Rich List but I will be working hard to trace Asian families included in the List from now onwards.

Besides, there are many East African achievers who have not made it to the list. Their experiences are also important.

2006-05-07T03:37:00.000+01:00

Uganda becomes Independent, October 1962.

Uganda became independent when I was thirteen years old. My main recollection of that great event is that of fear, apprehension and caution.

The majority of Asians were very concerned about their safety. The rumour mill had been working incessantly. The worst of their fears were that law and order was going to break down at midnight, when the British flag was going to be lowered for the last time and the Ugandan flag was going to be hoisted. The change of rule was going to result in looting and violence. The Africans would fight amongst themselves but most of the anger would be mainly against the foreigners who would suddenly become objects of hatred. This was the summary of fear based on misinformation.

The vast majority of Asian families stayed at home and listened to the proceedings on radio. I recall long speeches being made. Most of them went over my head. I remember when the Ugandan National Anthem was played and the stadium erupted with resounding cheers of celebration. Uganda was independent. The celebrations had started and we were at home. Then someone thought that they had heard a loud noise outside the house. Everyone tiptoed to the window to have a look – the lights had already been turned off by someone with a presence of mind. There was nothing of concern there, only a lone African man who must have started his celebrations much earlier, judging by his unsteady and slow walk up the hill. He was talking to himself.

It was such a great pity that we did not go to the stadium to see the independence ceremonies. The country had seen that transition without bloodshed and we had missed a unique event. Imagine my disappointment when we heard the next day that many of the Asians who were known to us had gone to stadium as well.

2006-05-07T01:11:00.000+01:00

“Wahindi Rudi India”

The word ‘wahindi’ is Kiswahili for people of Hindi background – used in general to describe the Asian community even if they were from other parts of the Indian Sub-Continent such as Pakistan!

In the early sixties, soon after the East African countries became independent from British rule, the Africans started to become hostile towards the Asians. Their resentment showed in simple things like haggling at the fruit and vegetable markets where everyone tried to get the best deal for themselves.

‘Wahindi Rudi India’ simply means ‘Indian, go back to India’. The first time I heard this was when Asian shoppers were haggling at the market. The process had started with goodwill on both sides. The African trader knew what he wanted from the deal but the Asian shopper was also persistent in trying to drive a hard bargain. The bargaining process was interrupted by the African’s taunt,’ Wahindi Rudi India’. The Asian shopper felt disgusted and left the scene and the African did not try to call her back. Resentment against the Asians had been growing but its open display at the market was a shock for me.

Did Asian community leaders ever try to deal with this type of resentment? Did they try to advise their communities on how to modify their dealings with the Africans after independence? What approaches did they use?

2006-05-07T00:44:00.000+01:00

Keeping Idi at bay

When Idi Amin announced the expulsion of the Asian community from Uganda the prospect of confronting Idi Amin on a collective basis was never considered. He was trigger happy and dangerous. The only thing one could predict about the man was that he was unpredictable. But it is also known that he had his own fears about many things.

This episode refers to Amin’s visit to a Sikh temple in Kampala. A few members of the Asian community had decided to remain behind even after the majority had left the country. Amin arrived at the temple and asked for the person in charge. People told Amin that the person he needed to see was the caretaker president of the temple and that he was praying at that precise moment. Amin decided to wait. The president’s prayers were soon interrupted by a rather terrified member of the community to inform him that Idi Amin had arrived at the temple. He was waiting downstairs. The president decided to continue and had no plans to interrupt his prayers. After sometime Idi Amin asked how long the prayer was going to take. People tried to calm him down. Amin became impatient and after a reported one hour he left in a huff.

Why did Idi Amin not harm the president of the temple? What was the purpose of his visit? There was some speculation that Amin had come that day to ask for the keys to the temple complex and that he had been talking of plans to turn the temple into a dance hall.

2006-05-05T16:50:00.000+01:00

Some interesting challenges

Former Ugandan Asians often talk about their days in that country with strong nostalgic feelings. These discussions go beyond the simple issue of enjoying the sun and dealing with household chores. Ugandan Asians are now quite content with washing their cars, polishing their shoes, ironing their clothes and even killing the spiders in the house. Besides you can find the sun in many other places in the world.

On one occasion when Ugandan Asians were exchanging views on an internet chat list the nostalgia went on rather unchecked, much to the consternation of one participant who used words to the effect "If you guys are so concerned about the welfare of Uganda, why don’t you go back?” He even reminded the group that there was no Idi Amin there who could harm them. Consider the implications of that remark!

Going back to the issue of household chores, one of the most unsettling experiences one recounts is about the treatment of ‘houseboys’ or ‘house servants’. The terminology itself is obnoxious. No person can reach a position that another becomes a ‘servant’ to him or her. Most families treated their domestic workers quite well but on balance some workers received more than their share of poor treatment at the hands of their Asian employers. While there is a need to maintain a due sense of balance and proportion, this issue remains an ugly legacy of what was mostly a productive relationship.

2006-05-03T17:12:00.000+01:00

Time for some contentious issues

People in the world of business and economics often work on “what if” analyses. It is all about looking into various scenarios and options to investigate what might happen if given actions or projects could be explored differently to realise the same results using various analyses of risk factors.

My ‘what if’ approach to the East African Asians leaves me with some probing questions, some of these will not be popular, depending on the background of the reader:

What if……

….The East African Asians had demonstrated more unity at the time they experienced hardship? There were fragmented communities and joined at best by religious or cultural allegiances.

….The leadership had been more vigilant and less concerned about their own safety when the community was threatened?

….The Ugandan Asians had tried to block Idi Amin’s threats with a display of common solidarity? People argue that Amin was trigger happy and any attempts to regain respect would have been futile. Really?

….The Asians had maintained a policy of stronger alignment with the British colonial authorities before independence?

….The Asian leadership had worked closely with British Government after independence to prepare a more cohesive platform for managing their relationships with African governments?

….The East African Asian leadership which was largely faith based had tried to win support from their own professional sons and daughters many of whom were historians, psychologists, lawyers and politically aware and sometimes, more capable?

….The faith based leaders had worked more effectively through cross-denominational strategies?

….The professional Asians who could not work with faith based leadership had taken more initiative whilst recognising the deficiencies in the traditional leadership?

….These patterns of fragmented leadership have been replicated in the countries where East African Asians have gone to settle?

The faith based leaders were modest in their aspirations and provided the essential religious and community infrastructure for their communities. They led their institutions mostly quite effectively and in the absence of support from younger and more qualified professionals, they performed remarkably well. They achieved what they had set out to do- to provide places of worship. Perhaps it was unrealistic to expect more from them.

2006-05-03T14:23:00.000+01:00

The Rise of the Middle Class

The rise of the Asian middle class is an interesting phenomenon. In the main, the majority of East African Asians tend to fall into this category more easily than any other classification but it has to be noted that the Asian people who came from East Africa to the geographical areas of interest to this blog - namely United Kingdom, Europe, USA and Canada - were a very mixed bunch. Classifying people into socio-economic categories is fraught with difficulties but the Asian middle class does exist! Don’t take my word for it. Can anyone help?

Having made these qualifying remarks, I see the middle class as a strong, economically viable and culturally vibrant people. They work hard and sometimes also play hard. Those who arrived during the waves of migrations from 1968 to 1972 are parents in their 50s and 60s. They have grown up children and many of them are in the professions with the majority of older children working in service industries. Why is this grouping of people interesting? I am afraid you’ll have to wait until I come back to this subject with some views!

2006-05-03T11:18:00.000+01:00

A few words of caution

Many of my views are not supported by research or an evidence base. They are a personal view and they apply in their entirety to the East African Asians and no other sections of communities where Asians people from diverse backgrounds have migrated from different parts of the world.

I have made a few generalisations. Despite all these shortcomings, I reckon that my main assertions are valid and do provide hopefully interesting challenge at a time when the contribution of Asian wealth at the top of the United Kingdom’s enterprise economy is receiving more credit and recognition than the aggregate contribution that East African Asians have made by generating and investing billions into the UK economy during the last five decades. I am interested in finding out how East African Asians have been getting on with their lives in other parts of the world, notably USA, Canada and Europe.

2006-05-03T00:42:00.000+01:00

Adjustment to new lives

It is important to address the impact of the developments highlighted earlier on Asian family and community life. In the main, East African Asian migration to the new countries resulted in a high level of adaptation. Their success in bringing about this change is not fully recognised. In addition to finding suitable employment, they invested heavily in their childrens' education.

Asian community groups were also founded and many community organisations that were based largely within the religious temples and mosques also began to deal with more accurate provision of support. The temples and mosques played a major role in developing community cohesion and gave birth to new expectations. Many Asians took full advantage of these developments and worked hard on adjusting to their new environments. Their success, in terms of developing a new community order, was far greater than what has ever been researched and recorded.

There is a view ( also not substantiated by proper research) that the relatively high incidence of alcoholism amongst the East African Sikhs, for example, is explained by low levels of self esteem resulting from their inability to find jobs that they would have considered to be worthwhile. It is a credit to hundreds of Sikhs who came to the UK from Kenya in 1968 that they were willing to work in relatively lower level jobs compared to their previous positions in Kenya. There is anecdotal evidence that they all felt under-utilised by the UK job market. It only valued paper qualifications obtained in the UK. Others reported that these jobs also kept them apart - many of the East African Asians did not have the communication and social skills that were valued by British employers. There were articulate and well educated East African Sikhs who were driven to work in factories. What they seemed to lack was the experience of learning to survive and learning to learn in an industrial and commercial economy.

2006-05-03T00:14:00.000+01:00

Radical upheavals

In Uganda, there was worse to come. A notorious army general, Idi Amin Dada, who had become popular as an entertainer and as a boxer decided to turn his mind to politics and to do more important things. On one occasion, he opened his speech with words to the effect, “ I am different because I think” he told an audience at Makerere University, the foremost university in Africa. “ I can think,” he repeated. I was in the audience. Then Amin went on to add words to the effect.... “Now when I left home today, I did not know what I was going to say in this very speech, but I am now talking beautifully to you now because I can think” Amin said that he had immense confidence in his capabilities, a factor that put him above others. But what was most important was his ability to think on his feet.

Amin also showed a predisposition to manage Uganda by drawing his inspirations from his dreams. He is said to have reported that he had been visited by God and that only he had been told to take a few urgent actions. Some people explained these outbursts by referring to his increasing discomfort caused by syphilis. Others said that Amin had resorted to dealing with his demons by inventing a unique form of self healing and group therapy – he started to share his traumas publicly. Idi Amin soon expelled around 90,000 Asians after he had reported this dream.
Most East African Asians with relatively good backgrounds and skills made less than welcome career starts in the UK even though many of them were able to transfer their skills to a vast range of jobs and career opportunities. Those who joined the UK civil service had to accept lower level positions. Others worked in industry and commerce and were much valued owing to their experience, their good command of English and their business skills. A few of them progressed to senior supervisory and managerial positions but the majority of older East African Asians have been retiring in careers that they feel had not allowed them to achieve their full potential.

2006-05-02T01:18:00.000+01:00

Africanisation and Disillusionment

Many Asians became disillusioned after losing relatively senior positions in the old East African civil service. ‘Status’ is a relative term and in some cases it meant just having a white collar job. East African Asians worked well in low to middle ranking positions that were mostly several grades below their English managers. They rejoiced in the recognition that the managers gave them for turning out high quality and reliable work in secure professions such as the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, banking and teaching.

Other East African Asians worked in technical and service industries, where they were either self-trained or trained on-the-job but felt that they had been performing better than their African counterparts. They had held secure positions and had enjoyed advantages from being there first and by forming support networks to help each other.

They did well until the time came when a new word entered the vocabulary –“ Africanisation”. Their coveted jobs were opened up to local Africans and the Asians became victims of unfair competition as they saw it. The loss of jobs meant that the Asians had to leave. In most cases, there was advance notification- the Government just would not renew their work permits.

2006-05-02T01:16:00.000+01:00

And now, some very bad news

There is also some bad news. A few Asians have found more comfort in prison. Its free to them and only costs the taxpayer a few bob a week. A tiny number of East African Asians have been caught whilst engaged in commercially fraudulent activities, tax evasion and benefit fraud. Just when does crossing the line become too much? Let us keep this in proportion. It might be more useful to pursue this topic when more accurate and reliable data can be obtained.
Asian communities are appalled to see violent street crimes that involve young Asians. Who can blame them for instantly rejecting the young wayward members of their community? How can you understand their disgust when they see young Asians put on serious charges for an increasingly wide range of offences?

2006-05-02T01:13:00.000+01:00

You can never get rid of fear

Many East African Asians who came to Britain had lost their trust in good government and lost their confidence in a constitutionally managed State to such an extent that they also built second homes in the Sub-Continent, just in case there was another expulsion, this time from the UK. The speeches of Enoch Powell had left them in turmoil. Physical attacks on the streets have also made the East African Asians very nervous.

2006-05-02T00:50:00.000+01:00

Dealing with some false impressions...

There are also concerns relating to what we do know about those ever-present Asian newsagents and operators of convenience stores who continue to provide tremendous benefits to the communities in which they are based. The average shop unit provides living rooms above and behind the shop. This is where the average Asian newsagent's family has lived - on busy and noisy city streets, in close proximity to street crime, drugs and even vice and most importantly, with no safe playroom for their children.

High street bank managers would also certainly confirm why they consider Asian shop-keepers to be better or safer customers - their labour costs are low as the average Asian family subsidises the business. The storekeeper’s wife, old parents and children all 'pitch in' and do various jobs free of charge. This level of family support makes the business competitive but it does not generate a rightful and proportionate amount of wealth for the family as a whole. It is good for the business balance sheet but not too good for generating self-esteem for the workers who provide free labour. Is this necessary?

It seems that the Asian housewives invariably lose out by not being able to work at a full market rate. Owing to the high cost of childcare, the wives should only have to work in the shops when the children are small. In practice, the housewife continues to support the shop even when the children have gone to school as the business cannot afford to recruit outside help at market rates.

There are some key questions. Does the average East African Asian shop-owner's wife acquire an unhelpful dependency relationship after being held 'captive' in the same shop environment and in many cases the shop is the only workplace they know where the husband provides minimal training, and even that only under pressure. On the other hand, does the opportuntiy to work in the shop provide lessons and skills that can be transferred to toher sections of the UK economy?

Also, many newsagents and owners of food stores do break out of this cycle of dependence on the extended family and make substantial progress to be able to buy shop no 2, 3 and 4... Others have made enough progress to separate their businesses from their personal lives and are able to buy homes in better parts of the town or are able to move to more affluent boroughs. The shop front amy also become a mask for other businesses. Many Asian shop owners trade in stocks and shares on a regular basis. Others get involved in property development. It is remarkable that East African Asians have been able to move into more challenging and profitable lines of business after making a start in retailing.

The emergence of the next generation of Asian shopkeepers from Sri Lanka, South India and Bangladesh also merits exploration. These entrepreneurs saw their marketing catchment areas differently in many ways. Some comparisons would provide useful and continue to endorse the value of Asian business acumen.

However, there are other positive outcomes in the lives of Asian who came from Uganda, for example, but the benefits are not quantified in the language of wealth. The Ugandan Asians who fled from Idi Amin's atrocities soon realised that they could enjoy a good night's sleep in a secure and safe environment. They realised probably for the first time in their lives that their civic rights were protected and even guaranteed. Their investments were secure and no one was going to nationalise their business at short notice, or worse, at no notice! Also the Asians were not going to be forced to run shops but only as long as they did so in the rural areas, where conditions were harsh and markets were tiny. Government officers and politicians in African countries made those decisions for the Asians; the rural areas needed supplies and commerce but rural Africans did not have capital and experience to start viable retail businesses which also offered a wide choice!

To me, it is more satisfying that a whole generation of children born to Ugandan Asian parents are making much better use of their parents' freedom and voting rights in a country with a respected democratic tradition. This is much more significant to some than any bid that Mr Mittal makes for a steel company or how many drug companies are owned by Asian pharmacists.

But there is some bad news for the Asian newsagent. In many cases his children do not want to carry on working in the shop anymore. Many hundreds of children have enjoyed access to good British education and are now in the forefront of various professional careers, others have acquired marketable skills for working in the professional markets and service industries, and yet many others have gone on to set up new businesses, not as newsagents but as entrepreneurs in non trading environment, in the new cultural economies also, using internet technologies to sell.

2006-05-02T00:12:00.000+01:00

Asian children are making changes

The children of the early migrants seem to want to "breakout of the family mould" and start their own lives where possible, but along very different lines. They want to be independent and adventurous. Newly married daughters-in-law are seeking early exits from the perceptively prying eyes and sometimes disastrously toxic presence of their domineering mother-in-laws. On the other hand, young Asian couples are also facing the same prospect of coping with high property values and having to learn to manage their personal finances without becoming riddled in debt that is offered by the same credit card companies and easy loan schemes which may have impoverished their non-Asian neighbours.

Very few Asian parents want their sons to leave home. At the same time, the sons do not see this type of dependence on their parents to be an issue. The coexistence can be explained away by using powerful constructs from culture. Indeed, while there are hundreds of success stories of the Asian extended family system, there are also many notable problems.

2006-05-01T23:56:00.000+01:00

The first majority choice

A fundamental choice that early East African Asian migrants had to make was about where they wanted to live. The majority chose to live near family and friends and in the process bought or rented houses mostly in the less affluent parts of British towns and cities. With a few exceptions, they are probably still living there thirty or so years later. The majority of Asian families are not much different as far as their capacity to earn a living from a fairly narrow range of jobs and occupations is concerned. They own the same types of houses and work the same long hours as most of their neighbours but what seems to make them visible may be their attitude towards enjoying the material comforts of life and their practice of the sharing of family wealth. This may also sometimes explains their distinct patterns of spending.

The large and extended family structures of the past are proving to be unsustainable. They are rapidly breaking down. Only about 20 years ago young adults, mainly sons, stayed at home when they got married. This was also seen as a demonstration of their respect for the family values that were articulated by their parents. While they were able to cope with the loss of personal freedom and privacy as a result of their decision to remain under the direct control of ageing parents, many are recognising that the cost of raising their own children and paying for their education has spiralled. Until only a few years ago, an 'average' Asian family from East Africa also had notably different views about their children's choice of leisure and employment. For example working in the local McDonald's or Tesco stores was regarded as menial and a low level employment. This type of work was considered to seriously erode the family's image in the eyes of the tribe or 'clan' and even other Asians in their neigbourhood.

2006-05-01T23:37:00.000+01:00

Let us be positive.. But also realistic

I estimate that business and financial success of only the top 20 to 30 Asian families has produced individuals and families with 'very high' net worth. However, there are several critical aspects about wealth creation that are not always apparent or have not received serious interest from research organisations. I think this an important area for research but I am not aware of any institution or individual who has made the wealth of East African Asians a serious subject of study. Who should be carrying out the research and for what purpose? How will it help in understanding the success of a small number of East African Asians? Why are the lessons important? To whom?

The Sunday Times Rich List

The Sunday Times newspaper publishes a Rich List, an interesting publication which has provided regular insights into the prosperity of a small number of very rich East African Asians who have made it into the list. Before I became interested in producing an analysis for this blog, I used to throw away my copy of the Rich List. Why should I waste my time by drooling over the wealth of other people? How is this going to make a difference to my life?

One of the issues that interest me now is: The Sunday Times Rich List provides
up-to-date information of the emerging wealth of East African Asians. Assuming one accepts the Sunday Times writers' criteria for measuring and updating wealth, how do the people who are featured in the list actually feel? How many lay people, charities and potential business collaborators are actually driven to make contacts with the people in the list? One would imagine that the publication of every list must result in a wide range of unsolicited contacts. Is this a good use of the list? Is it a fair use of the list? How do the rich feel and respond? Where the rich receive requests for charitable donations, how many of them actually support requests to fund the various causes?

To be fair, how many of the East African Asians in the Rich List have their own schemes or have registered their own organisations for supporting their preferred charitable causes in British society today? Should we leave the concern for philanthropy to them, after all it is their choice how they use their money. The answer to this is not as clear-cut as it may appear on first reading. Does success produce a responsibility for the less advantaged sections of the community?

2006-05-01T23:26:00.000+01:00

Success may also be a problem!

It is not often realised that stories of success of East African Asians may also have negative outcomes. While some of the following assertions may sound academic or unrealistic, a number of questions do arise, such as:

Is there a danger that the East African Asian could become a target for hatred or jealousy? Success does not appeal to everyone.
Asian wealth is not uniformly shared amongst all sections of the community. Asian affluence exists alongside Asian poverty, but this fact does not appear to attract attention.
Questions relating to distribution of wealth do not seem to be challenged.
East African Asians have a unique propensity to make vast fortunes- this may also create the impression for some people that they are making the fortunes that they do not deserve.
The Asian community is fully self-sufficient and may not need external support in terms of welfare. Are the Asians deserving of various sources of external support such as programmes funded by the National Lottery, projects run by mainstream charities and indeed, ongoing support from government agencies?

There is a need to examine what may be called the “The East African Asian Dilemma”. More about this later.

2006-05-01T23:17:00.000+01:00

Why is success important?

East African Asians may take pride in making such assertions about success. The achievements of some of their contemporaries in the business arena, for example, is a clear indicator of their hard work and perseverance. For many East African Asians, the mere confirmation of the resounding success of other Asians is a clear motivator. If one individual or group can succeed under the conditions that prevail in the UK market, others can! For yet another type of East African Asian, the success of the early arrivals in the UK also provides critical lessons to learn from. How did a particular entrepreneur do so well in his market? What did he do right? What did the person do wrong? Clearly these lessons are important for any new aspiring Asian who wishes to work in the same markets, say, pharmaceuticals, hotels, retailing and wholesaling.

Asians have also done well in the professions and the success of the emerging Asian middleclass is also seen as a testimony to the same work ethic that led to the celebration of the success of millionaires.

This is not the story as some would have it

2006-04-30T04:58:00.000+01:00

The UK Press is full of stories that highlights the success of the East African Asians and the vast amount of wealth that they are said to generate and the control and influence that they are said to have on the UK economy. These reports also produce the 'evidence' to support the proposition that East African Asians are all doing very well and that they are not only gaining an increasing share of wealth but that they even 'control' various sectors of the UK economy.

Does this sound familiar? The same judgments were made of the Asians before they left East Africa during the mass migrations of 1968 and 1972. However, the recent reports in the UK do not deal accurately with numbers, and sometimes the reports also tend to inflate the extent of the economic power of East African Asians in the United Kingdom in order to celebrate their success.

This is not the story as some of us know it. I want to tell a different story in this blog, not only to explore the issue of the economic success of the East African Asians in the United Kingdom, but I also want to look into many other aspects of their lives. I am also interested in investigating whether lessons have been learnt. How have the Asians who still live and work in East Africa assessed their position since the major exodus of Asians from Uganda?

There is the impression that the former East African colonial countries 'ejected, rejected or expelled' a mass of 130,000 Asians and that they all arrived in England at the same time with large amounts of family wealth. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality the number of arrivals probably equated to about 30,000 families or households and this factor alone casts a different light on the patterns of income generation and expenditure of Asian households. Why have I used the words "rejected, ejected or expelled"? I hope to return to this issue on another day.