Completed/Confirmed Events

• 18th September 2012 Press release issued by The India Overseas Trust - British Uganda Asians Core Committee highlighting 40th Anniversary of the Expulsion.
• 18th September 2012 Whitehall meeting confirming support of UK Government. This was followed by further planning meetings under the auspices of Department for Communities and Local Government.
• 13th October 2012 Shri Praful Patel 40^th Anniversary speech at Hariben Bachubhai Nagrecha Charitable Trust Diaro/Musical Evening in East London.
• 16th October 2012 Inaugural Leicester Event in partnership with International Siddhashram Shakti Center (ISSC): Thanks giving Katha/Recitation of Ramayana (9 day Navratri program) and Awards Ceremony. Core Committee represented by Praful Patel, Mrs. Shardaben Manubhai Madhvani and Shri Vasant Karia/International Siddhashram Shakti Centre represented by Guruji Dr. Rajesh Parmar. Special guest: George Hussain Obama (half-brother of President Obama). Live coverage on Aastha TV. A number of leaders of the Leicester Community were honoured at the event.
• 13th November 2012 Thanksgiving Havan and Pooja at the Murugan Temple in East London organized by Shri Praful Patel & Family. Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms, the former Cabinet Minister attended the Pooja and spoke about the achievements of Uganda Asians.
• 5th – 12th December 2012 Flight to Greenham Exhibition organized by New Greenham Arts Centre, with Dinner on 6th December. The 40th Anniversary Core Committee was happy to associate with and support this event. Our Core Committee member Jaffer Kapasi, OBE spoke at the function.
• 6th December 2012: Mr. Shailesh Vara MP and Lord Dolar Popat of Harrow respectively sponsored debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords. The debates commemorated the 40th Anniversary of the arrival in Britain of Asians expelled from Uganda, noted their contribution to Britain and welcomed their integration into the fabric of the nation. They were unanimously carried.
• 15th June 2013 - Landmark Thanksgiving Service at Leicester Cathedral with guest of honour The Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Also in attendance were The High Sheriff, The Lord Mayor and The Lord Lieutenant, alongside many other politicians, dignitaries and UK-wide residents. Event was rranged by the 40th Anniversary Core Committee with local partners the Lohana Mahajan Leicester, Shree Sanatan Mandir Leicester, Muslim Forum Leicester, Jain Samaj Europe, Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat of Leiceste and Sikh Parents Association Leicester.
• 2nd July 2013: Ismaili Centre London Event "Uganda: Perspectives and Prospects" speech delivered by Joel Kibazo (former Diplomat & Journalist) followed by cocktail reception.
• 4th August 2013: Loyal Message to Her Majesty the Queen, Her Majesty’s Government and the British People in the Daily Mail thanking the UK for accepting and embracing the Ugandan Asian Community after the 1972 Expulsion.

Proposed Events

Long Term Events

The purposes of the Core Committee's long term plans are to ensure a lasting commemoration of the expulsion and to positively impact the lives of 38,500 Ugandans.

To achieve the first of these aims, one or more of the following is proposed:

• Commemorative book and Children's educational book (project under preparation and funding under discussion).
• Collection and dissemination of Oral Histories of British Ugandan Asians, in partnership with the Eastside Community Heritage
• Permanent Museum exhibit to commemorate Ugandan Expulsion (project under preparation and funding under discussion).
• Stansted Airport Memorial. Discussions under way.
• Endowment of a Chair in African/Diaspora studies at a prestigious UK University. Discussions are on with School for Oriental and African Studied led by Dr. C.K. Patel.

"To positively impact the lives of 38,500 Ugandans"

Note: all events are subject to securing sufficient funding and manpower.