Osborne: Uganda’s loss was Britain’s gain

A reception was hosted by Chancellor George Osborne to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Ugandan Asians, forty years since their arrival onto British shores. Held at 11 Downing Street last Tuesday evening, the swanky event brought together around 100 guests.

Guests, on approach to the famous black gates to the corridors of power, were asked to present their invitation card along with photographic proof of ID. Following security, they then walked through Number 11. Inside, staff welcomed guests and directed them to the room where everyone had gathered. Wine and fruit cocktails along with Indian canapes were served, as guests mingled and exchanged hugs, handshakes and business cards.

Then, following a call for silence, the Chancellor and event organiser Shailesh Vara MP, were at the centre of attraction.

Ugandan-born Tory MP Shailesh Vara, who welcomed guests and looked at the Chancellor at brief intervals during his five-minute address, said:

The story of the Ugandan Asians is an extraordinary one. It is a story of resilience, hard work and triumph. People came here with nothing but the clothes on their backs and made a success of their lives in so many ways.”

MP Vara - who was elected to Parliament in 2005 and five years on made history when he became the first Indian origin Minister in a Conservative government - said a brief few words in his mother-tongue Gujarati, “tamaro dikro”, or “your son”, he began, then translated: “Forty years ago when they arrived, in their wildest dreams never would they have imagined that they would be at Downing Street at a reception hosted by you Chancellor. Nor would they have imagined that one of their own would be speaking to them in Gujarati.” There was rapturous applause. MP Vara then shared a tale of two refugees in a resettlement centre where one says to the other, ‘we’re in a country where shops open at 9am, shut at 5pm, and lunch is an hour’. The other smiled and replied, ‘we’re going to be rich’, which prompted laughter.

In his four-minute address, the Chancellor said:

Uganda lost something very precious and that was a tragedy. We blame the monster Amin, not the people of Uganda who suffered terribly. Uganda’s loss was Britain’s gain.”

The then British Premier Edward Heath, he added, had taken a “brave and difficult decision, but it was the right moral decision”. What began as an act of international charity taking people in, said Mr Osborne, “was actually one of the best economic decisions this country took.”

MP Vara introduced the Chancellor to some of those people who told him of their personal experiences. These included John de Souza who spoke of taking food to the late industrialist Manubhai Madhvani when he was locked up in prison and Mansukh Ladwa who, along with his family, was given refuge in a resettlement centre in Wales. The Chancellor commented that success had not been confined just to Business, but it had been extended to the Civil Service, Arts, Culture, Media and of course Politics, where he paid tribute to the achievements of MP Vara.

It was humbling to see MP Vara collect his parents, Lakhmanbhai and Savitaben, from the main gates through to Number 11. Also present were MP Vara’s wife and other members of his immediate family. Amusing it was to see guests, for many of course a lifetime opportunity, organise their jewellery and outfits in a desperate attempt to look slick as they posed for the photographers and film crew. Guests included Alvaro Collaco, former Ugandan Finance Minister, pink-clad Baroness Bottomley (Virginia) of Nettlestone, Anilbhai and Gitaben Solanki of Taj Foods, serial entrepreneur and one of Britain’s richest Asians George Jatania, Jivanbhai and Ranjanben Shingadia, CB Patel and Kokilaben Patel, editor/publisher and associate editor, respectively, of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, Auni Jaffer, media professionals Rahul Joglekar from NDTV, Dhruv Gadhvi from Zee TV’s popular Out & About programme, Liaqat Asaria of Asco International, solicitor Azim Suleman, investment tsar Hasu Manek, chartered accountant Chandresh Dinesh Pankhania, Kalpesh, Sailesh Solanki and their father Ramniklalbhai from Asian Media Group and couple Kanesh and Nikita Mashru. There were a few apologies, including from Manubhai Madhvani’s sons, who were abroad.

Eagle-eyed leader of Wandsworth Council, Ravi Govindia MBE, commented on the importance of one’s cultural identity. He said he felt enormously proud to see so many female guests resplendent in saris, “a symbol of India”, and “one of Gujarat’s greatest assets”.

Hats off to MP Vara, the only politician of his ranking in the UK from the Shri Sorathia Prajapati Community, a denomination of the Hindu community, for not only organising this historic event but for also remembering his Indian Gujarati roots. Also for inviting unusual suspects, those folk who were there for him right at the dawn of his journey, and still stand by him shoulder to shoulder, come sun or rain, wishing him an even brighter future. MP Vara – could he be Britain’s future Premier?

Separately, this week in the Ugandan capital Kampala, a strategy summit took place at which top decision-makers from the aviation sector joined tourism stakeholders to plan and discuss air service development across Africa. Speakers included Patrick Amama Mbabazi, Uganda’s Prime Minister, Maria Mutagamba, Tourism Minister, Dr Titus Naikuni, CEO, Kenya Airways and Dr W Rama Makuza, Managing Director, Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda.

Picture: Chancellor George Osborne with Shailesh Vara MP with his parents Lakhmanbhai and Savitaben and sister Minakshi.

Dhiren Katwa, Senior News Editor, Asian Voice