South Asian Heritage Month: Reflecting 50 years on from the expulsion of Ugandan Asians

A man who was one of 80,000 Ugandan Asians who were forced out of Uganda five decades ago says he will always be "grateful" to Britain for providing he and his family with safety.

Akbar Vohra, who lives in Macclesfield, was born in 1960 in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

His grandparents, who came from India, eventually settled in the British colony where they owned businesses and worked in local government.

His parents also settled in Uganda where they had an affluent life, with them being the first people in their area to own a television and a car.

Who were the Ugandan Asians?

The history of Asians in Uganda can be traced back to the 1800s where Indians were sent to British colonies in East Africa to help build railways.

They quickly became entrepreneurs and took up jobs in lucrative sectors such as banking and tailoring.

In 1972, the year of their expulsion, Ugandan Asians contributed around 90% of the country's tax receipts.

But the backdrop of this remarkable success was a growing anti-Indian sentiment which was capitalised on by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Amin accused a minority of Asians of being disloyal and “sabotaging Uganda’s economy and encouraging corruption”.

He also defended the expulsion by arguing he was “giving Uganda back to ethnic Ugandans”. 

As a result, Asians who primarily saw themselves as Ugandans, were ordered to leave generations of work, family, and relationships in just 90 days.

Due to being part of the British Empire, many had successfully applied for British citizenship - decades before they were expelled.

Akbar recalls: "My memories of Uganda were very happy until as a whole group we were told we need to leave because 'you're pariahs and bleeding the system.'"

Idi Amin famously remarked: "I want to see that the whole Kampala street is not full of Indians."

Akbar says violence in Uganda was not uncommon.

He said: "I have seen, I did see people killed or being killed so I do have memories of going to see one man being stoned to death. I'm not sure how that's affected me.

"Clearly for my parents it was a big jolt to have lost everything, all your monies are frozen, you're taking a suitcase and fifty quid and starting a new life."

Despite being forced to leave behind most of their life, Akbar recalls how people were stripped and searched - with any valuables they had on them being confiscated.

"When I got to the airport, we also knew that we would all be checked. Some people tried to hide the jewellery in children's teddy bears ," he said.

"And I was stripped and searched when I was there, 12-years-old, on my own.

"He asked me, 'Have you got any valuables on you?' and the only thing I could show him was a magnet and blue marble. They were my jewels really."

Eventually, Akbar and his family made it through the airport where they embarked for the UK.

He added: "I think we whooped when the plane took off, and then we landed at Stansted Airport.

"I was in shorts and a light shirt. It was evening, the doors opened and I was freezing. My knees were shaking and knocking and I was so cold, I've never been so cold.

"I can remember getting a slightly oversized blue duffel coat and putting that on and thinking: 'God that will keep me nice and warm.'"

Despite the bitter British weather, Akbar is warmed by the reception his family received when they began to rebuild their life in Britain including being support in housing, employment and education, to simple tasks such as lighting a coal fire.

He added: "Grateful is the one word that I would use for everything that was done for me, my family, when we arrived here in the end of September 1972 and subsequently."

Akbar reflected on what would have happened had his family not been able to come to Britain, remarking they wouldn't have had the success they have in Britain.

For more than 30 years, Akbar has been based in Macclesfield and was working as a consultant anaesthetist in the NHS caring for thousands of patients over his career before his retirement.

He is an honorary professor at the University of Manchester where he has lectured and trained students and doctors across the world; and he is even planning to go to Uganda to train doctors.

He said: "I've loved my work and you've got to stop sometime.

"I've filled and am overflowing my clinical work looking after patients.

"I've probably anaesthetised more than 15,000 patients and looked after even more in intensive care.

"I have children and mothers running up to me in Manchester Airport  and saying 'Oh you're Doctor Akbar! You looked after him when he was on neonatal intensive care and look at him now!'

"So all pleasant memories of my life at Manchester Royal."