Christov Brooks-Brown
Remembering the Ugandan Asian expulsion 50 years on.
Inspiration for a short story
“My short story is about the wonder found not only in the beauty of a precious jewel but the twist in the tale of the custodians of it.
“It is inspired by my family’s journey as asylum seekers from Uganda to the UK in 1972, escaping Idi Armin’s dictatorship.
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More about the background to the story
“Remembering how my family’s precious possessions and jewellery were stolen while they were fleeing for their lives got me thinking. The seeds of this story were then born.
“I was 8 when I took this photo with my 35mm camera in 1982.
“This is my lovely mum with one of her brothers (she looks like a teenager but she would have been 33 in this photo!). Only ten years earlier, something terrible had happened to my family.
“I am proud of my ethnicity. My family came to the UK In 1972 literally fleeing for their lives.
“Decades earlier, Britain had colonised India. My grandfather, from the Indian Punjab took the opportunity to be used by Britain to then colonise Uganda, East Africa. Their role was the building of the roads, railroads and the communications infrastructure. My mum was born there in 1948 and grew up in the capital, Kampala.
“By 1972 the Asians were contributing to 90% of the Ugandan economy when President Idi Amin told the Asians they had 90 days to leave the country or else! He threatened them with terror, jail, rape and torture.
“The British government airlifted the Asians (who mostly held British passports) out of the region but they were trapped. With road blocks in place they could only get to the airport via specific army-controlled buses and only after they had signed-over everything they owned to the Bank of Uganda…their homes, their businesses, their money. My family left with only the clothes on their backs – and being a tropical country - these were not suitable for when they arrived in Britain during the winter of 1972. When they arrived they were clothed, fed and offered great kindness – despite this being an era of Enoch Powell and the National Front, my family tell me they were met with love.
“These were educated, successful and decent people who came to the UK with nothing. My family were people that worked hard. They were professionals. My own mother was an RGN working for the NHS as a theatre nurse. My aunties and uncles went on to become professionals and business owners and I am extremely proud of them all. They rebuilt their lives.
“With so much hysteria and bigotry being peddled by the press and certain social media platforms, I ask that we all keep our critical thinking skills alive, and speak out for the victims – the normal people like you and me (who this could happen to at any time – don’t be complacent, it's a strange world out there) and accept that as a greater human family, we can accommodate those in need who will in turn contribute positively to our community in the years to come.
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