Shailesh Vara, envoy Nimisha Madhvani attend Peterborough event to mark 50 years of Ugandan-Asians' expulsion
The parliamentarian and the envoy, both of whom are Ugandan-born, spoke about the challenges that the migrants had faced after being thrown out of Uganda by former dictator Idi Amin.
A special event was held in Peterborough on Friday (4) to mark 50 years of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda and it was attended by, apart from dignitaries such as MP Shailesh Vara MP and Ugandan high commissioner Her Excellency (HE) Nimisha Madhvani, people who had left the east African country in 1972 and arrived in the UK to start a new life.
Around 50 families had settled in Peterborough after being expelled by former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and they had faced an enormous challenge to begin from scratch again. Many of them took part in the event and recalled the past.
Kishor Ladwa (third from left), with Shailesh Vara MP (fourth from left), and Ugandan high commissioner Nimisha Madhvani (fifth from left) with others at an event organised in Peterborough to mark 50 years of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by former dictator Idi Amin in 1972. (Picture: Office of Shailesh Vara MP)
The event took place in the constituency of Vara, North West Cambridgeshire, which also includes a substantial part of the cathedral city of Peterborough.
The 62-year-old MP, who is an Ugandan-born to Indian immigrants, spoke about the challenges the families faced on their arrival to the city and praised Charles Swift, a former mayor of Peterborough and city councillor, for his decision to invite families to the city despite facing strong resistance from some local residents.
He also recalled the valuable contribution that the families have made to the city and how the entire UK, which collectively took in 28,000 people, benefited from the migrants.
HE Nimisha Madhvani recollected the ordeal that people suffered at the time of their arrival, and mentioned that she was also among those who had arrived in England after being expelled by the Amin regime.
She spoke about the current Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni’s desire to welcome people back to Uganda, as tourists and investors, and that she looked forward to seeing people from Peterborough visit Uganda as well.
Among other speakers at the event were Kishor Ladwa, president of Peterborough Bharat Hindu Samaj, who recounted his personal experience as a young boy arriving in the UK and in particular Peterborough.
The event concluded with a garba dance, performed by local residents, and a meal.
“I was very pleased to be part of this important anniversary, especially being marked in my constituency," Vara said after the event.
"The Asians who arrived in the UK from Uganda have made an enormous contribution to the country in all walks of life, and they continue to do so.
"I am especially pleased that those who arrived in Peterborough, a substantial part of which is in my constituency, have helped to enrich the city and surrounding area so much by all that they have achieved and done since their arrival.”
A BRITISH Indian charity is building a sports and community complex in west London to strengthen local cultural ties. The project, known as the India Gardens Sports and Community Complex, is being developed by Shree Kutch Leva Patel Community (SKLPC) UK and is scheduled to open in June 2027, a statement said.
The 18-acre site in Northolt, valued at £1.1 million, has been designed as a modern hub for education, sport and social activities.
Approved by the Ealing council in 2018, it is one of the largest community-led developments of its kind in the area.
Once complete, India Gardens will provide 34,000 sq ft of internal facilities, including a cricket pavilion, sports hall, nursery, members’ lounge and multi-purpose spaces for weddings, exhibitions and cultural gatherings, the statement added. Outdoor areas will feature landscaped gardens, walking routes and sports fields.
SKLPC UK said the centre will serve both its 25,000 members from London and beyond, and it will also open its doors to schools, clubs and residents.
It described India Gardens as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to celebrate shared roots, while creating a space for learning and recreation.
Founded in 1972 by members of the Kutch Leva Patel community, SKLPC UK began as a group of migrants who met to preserve their traditions and mutual support networks.
The organisation opened its first Samaj Hall in West Hendon in 1980 and now operates centres in Bolton, Oldham, Cardiff and London. Over the decades, SKLPC UK has combined cultural work with philanthropy, raising more than £1.75m for disaster relief and charitable causes, including more than £1m for victims of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat. It continues to promote education and welfare initiatives such as its Saturday school and the Vadil Sammelan, launched in 2024 to support senior citizens.
The India Gardens project symbolises its commitment to community service and intergeneration engagement in Britain, the charity said.
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