Museveni regrets Indians’ expulsion by Idi Amin in 1970s

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

Nearly 52 years after Ugandan dictator Idi Amin expelled the Indian community from Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni acknowledged the decision as a mistake and expressed gratitude for the Indian community’s contributions to Uganda.
This rare expression of regret was made at the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit 2024 in Kampala, Uganda, acknowledging the historical trauma inflicted on the Indian diaspora.

Expulsion of Asians from Uganda in 1970s:

In August 1972, Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of around 80,000 Indians, as well as thousands of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, who had been integral to Ugandan society.
The expulsion took place against the backdrop of anti-Indian sentiment and black supremacy in Uganda, with Amin accusing a minority of the Indians of disloyalty, non-integration, and commercial malpractice, claims that Indian leaders disputed.
Amin defended the expulsion by arguing that he was “giving Uganda back to ethnic Ugandans”.
This expulsion impacted many, including individuals like former U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel, who trace their roots back to Uganda during Amin’s regime.
President Museveni, speaking at the NAM summit, highlighted the Indian community’s role in Uganda’s economic development, noting that the convention centre where the summit was held was built by one of those affected by Amin’s decision.

Non-Alignment Movement (NAM):

NAM is a forum that is not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
Drawing on the principles agreed upon at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia through the initiative of President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser, Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, President of Indonesia Sukarno, and President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah.
After the breakup of Yugoslavia, a founding member, its membership was suspended in 1992 at the regular ministerial meeting held in New York during the regular annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.
As of October 2019, the organization consists of 120 member states, including the non-UN member state of Palestine, as well as 17 other observer countries and 10 observer organizations.
Approximately, two-thirds of the United Nations’ members are represented in the Non-Aligned Movement, and they comprise 55% of the world’s population.

Source: TH