Reasons for Expulsion of Asians
Asians came to Uganda during the building of the Uganda railway. Despite its completion, they remained in Uganda, grew in numbers and dominated its commercial life. In 1972, Amin expelled them in the 'Tororo pronouncement' by giving them 90 days within which to leave. Details of the factors behind this move are the subject of this discussion. Both Amin and other observers gave the following reasons for the expulsion of Asians:-
Expulsion was a struggle to end neo-colonialism. Amin looked at Asians
as agents of British colonialism hence by expelling them he would make
Ugandans enjoy fruits of their independence. Amin was fighting
neo-colonialism. The imperialists were using Asians to control
political, economic and social activities indirectly. They were using
multi-national companies such as Baroda Bank, Shell, and Madhivanis to
exploit Uganda. British economic interests in Uganda, particularly
trade relations, were mediated through an agent class that was
predominantly of Asian origin. The economic war was thus interpreted as
the final stage to decolonise Uganda.
Asians were despising Ugandans in their own country. They looked at
Ugandans as not being intelligent, could not be trusted and as being
politically raw. Asians were rude to their employees and customers.
Asians were commercial middlemen who only exploited the economy. To
Amin, Asians were "milking a cow without feeding it". They were
foreigners exploiting Ugandans through paying very low prices for
coffee and cotton and yet their goods were very expensive.
Amin's character contributed to his expulsion of the Asians. Amin was
racist; he told Asians that Uganda was not an Indian colony. The world
was horrified by his racist comments but he refused to listen to the
pleas of world leaders to reconsider his plan.
The influence of Gadaffi and Nasser inspired Amin to overwhelm the Asians by chasing them from Uganda. Both leaders had embarked on policies against foreign dominance. Nasser had nationalised several private enterprises including the Suez Canal. Gadaffi had expelled Italians from Libya etc. This encouraged Amin to follow suit by trying to put the economy in the hands of Ugandans.
The influence of Gadaffi and Nasser inspired Amin to overwhelm the Asians by chasing them from Uganda. Both leaders had embarked on policies against foreign dominance. Nasser had nationalised several private enterprises including the Suez Canal. Gadaffi had expelled Italians from Libya etc. This encouraged Amin to follow suit by trying to put the economy in the hands of Ugandans.
The influence of Hitler was one of the triggering factors for the
expulsion of Asians. Amin had referred to Hitler's correctivesness in
exterminating the Jews for being saboteurs in the German economy and
Amin linked the Asians to the Jews. Amin made public remarks in favour
of "Hitler's method of dealing with the Jews." That is why Amin was
nicknamed the "Hitler of Africa" by the sympathizers of the Asians.
The economic war was a strategy to get Asian property so that Amin could reward himself and his supporters and to expand his power base. In otherwords, Amin would appease himself, army officers and his colleagues through sharing the over $500 million worth in Asian property and businesses.
The economic war was a strategy to get Asian property so that Amin could reward himself and his supporters and to expand his power base. In otherwords, Amin would appease himself, army officers and his colleagues through sharing the over $500 million worth in Asian property and businesses.
The need to expand employment opportunities led to this move by Amin.
Many Ugandans were unemployed due to Asian dominance of the economy.
While commenting on the reasons for the expulsion of the Asians, Amin
declared that the Asian community had frustrated attempts by Ugandan
Africans to participate in the economic and business life of their
country; that Asians had used their economic power to ensure that
Ugandan Africans are effectively excluded from participating in the
economic life of their country. Thus by expelling Asians Amin could
replace the vacant positions with Ugandans.
Amin wanted to create black millionaires. The influx of Asians had
widened the income gap between Africans and Asians. Therefore,
expelling Asians and enabling Africans to manage industries and other
Asian businesses would enrich them. In fact Amin was seen telling
Makerere students that the economic war would produce black
millionaires. Amin wanted to put the economy in the hands of Africans.
Asians were frustrating African attempts to participate in commercial
activities of their country
There was need to minimise capital outflow. Asian economic gains were
less used to develop Uganda but were repatriated through multi-national
corporations eg bank of Baroda. The Asians therefore earned the enmity
of the indigenous population as obstacles to Africans' economic growth.
Their expulsion would hence mean diverting funds to Uganda's
development.
The Asians were keeping huge sums of money in Banks abroad. This money was being made fraudulently in Uganda.
Amin claimed that Uganda's population was high. Asians were multiplying
at a fast rate eg by 1972, about 83,000 Asians were in Uganda and more
were expected to come. This was a risk to the Ugandan population, which
by then stood at 9.7 million. Indeed the expulsion had been proceeded
by deliberate measures of harassment of the Asian community in this
case by subjecting them to a census when no one else was being counted.
The expulsion had its roots in the social exclusiveness of the Asians.
Amin accused the Asian community of failing to mix freely with the
black citizens of Uganda. The Asians had no dealings with the general
population other than transaction of business. Asians were sabotaging
government policies and failing to integrate in the African community.
They discriminated Ugandans according to race and refused to share
housing estates with them. According to Kirunda-Kivejinja, in his book
Uganda: The Crisis of Confidence, Asians and Africans lived as oil and
water; they could not be forced onto one another except with the aid of
a soluble agent or external force. Asians were acting contrary to
Jawaharlal Nehru's earlier demands that the Asian community integrates
and identifies completely with the wishes aspirations and lives of the
indigenous population.
It is alleged that Amin himself was annoyed by one Asian widow who
rejected his desire for marriage. This widow was from the Madhivan
family based in Jinja. Rumours were circulating in Kampala at that time
to the effect that Amin had made advances to an Asian widow who, not
willing to be added to Amin's harem, refused and left the country in a
hurry. Amin turned against the whole Asian community, harrassed it and
then expelled it.
Obote's Common Man's Charter of 1969 laid foundation for the expulsion
of Asians. This was a socialist oriented document aimed at ending
colonialism in all its forms internally and externally. Obote had
already in 1969 declared the nationalization of 60% of all large
foreign owned companies in addition to expelling the Kenyan workers.
When Amin overthrew him in 1971, he decided to continue with the same
programme of cleansing Uganda of foreign elements.
The advice of master opportunists is what probably influenced Amin.
Amin's introduction of the Africanisation policy to put business into
indigenous hands was upon the advice of Wanume Kibedi and other
opportunists. They expected to reap prosperity from the spoils of the
economic war.
Amin had approached Britain for financial aid and they refused so by
expelling Asians, it was his plan to punish Britain. This was because
most Asians were British citizens.
Failure to serve the government after studying. The government from 1962 had sponsored many Asians to study medicine, law, engineering but very few of them returned to serve Uganda.
Failure to serve the government after studying. The government from 1962 had sponsored many Asians to study medicine, law, engineering but very few of them returned to serve Uganda.
The Indians in civil service refused to work upcountry. Amin said that
many Indians had resigned from government because they were transferred
upcountry.
Asian involvement in corrupt tendencies. They were accused of bribing
their way through in all the economic activities they were carrying out.
Lastly, Amin said that he was instructed by God to expel Asians. Amin's
alleged dream also instilled in him courage to chase the Asians, Amin
claimed that on August 5 1972 he had a dream in which God instructed
him to expel the Asians within 90 days and those holding British
passports. He used this to justify his move against the Asians
National Movements and New States in Africa