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My Name Is Ashok

It's 50 years since President Idi Amin CBE, 'conqueror of the British empire', expelled his country's Asian community. Ashok Patel wants to find out why.

When Uganda's Asians fled Idi Amin and his men fifty years ago, many settled in Leicester. Ashok Patel was just thirteen and he still remembers how these refugees changed his school and his city, particularly the Golden Mile, a stretch of banks and shops and restaurants where he grew up. He wants to know why the community was expelled and what happened next. His first interviewee is his wife. Both she and her sister Sunita say that watching similar flights - from Syria and Ukraine - is a horrible reminder of those traumatic times.

"I've always been curious why communities are fighting each other - not just here but right around the world. Why is it we can't all get on?"

Gripping inside contributions from Manzoor Moghal, who knew Idi Amin and met him for supper after the president had fled to Jeddah; Ugandan Asian, Priti Raithatha, who says the community was partially responsible for their fate; and the captain of a Leicester golf club, Dixit Chauhan, who has been organising a tournament with the Ugandan members of Kampala golf club.

Manzoor Moghal is the author of Idi Amin: Lion of Africa

The producer is Miles Warde

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 15 Aug 2022 11:00

Broadcast

  • Mon 15 Aug 2022 11:00