Should we specify it as an act of racism? Of course not, the people’s protest against government’s plans to allow Ugandan-Asian industrialists to grow sugarcane on protected forestland is not an unusual phenomenon. Rather the demonstration in Kampala on 12 April 2007, where one Indian national was killed during outrage, was described as ‘hooliganism’ and not ‘racism’ by representatives from the Ugandan government and private sector who held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi on 04 May organized by the Indo-African Society. At the well-attended conference the Ugandan delegation, which also included senior diplomats from the Ugandan High Commission, conveyed their heartfelt feelings and condolences for the ill fated outcome – the death of Devang Rawal of Ahmedabad – that occurred during the mass demonstration in Kampala.

What was the demonstration all about? The protesters, who were predominantly environmentalists, condemned the Ugandan government’s plan to handover one-third of the country’s largest protected rainforest Mabira to Sugar Cooperation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) – a subsidiary of the Mehta Group of Companies. According to Ruhakana Rugunda, Ugandan Minister of External Affairs, the land in question was indeed part of the protected Mabira forest, but it had already been cut down by squatters who had been living on the land. The government had already evicted the squatters and therefore, SCOUL asked for the land in order to expand their adjacent sugar plantation. It was not made clear (at the press conference) if SCOUL had lobbied the government to evict the squatters as a means to getting permission to expand their plantation. If it was the case the fact may have raised the ire of the hooligans who prepetrated the violence.

Expressing his annoyance over some media that unfairly over-sensationalised the issue, Mr Beyendenza, Acting High Commissioner of Uganda said, “You have the responsibility for portraying what’s happening in Uganda. I hope you media people will convey our truthful feelings and true reflections of the event to the public.”

Clarifying the story behind the death, Mr Mukesh Takkar, Translink, Uganda said that Devang Rawal was travelling in a wrong place at a wrong timing. He further explained that a motor car driven by a Ugandan of Indian origin accidentally knocked down a couple of protestors, but left the scene fearing reprisal. This sparked rage by the radicals in the demonstration and Rawal who was riding a motorcycle behind the car was the next in line. He was subsequently killed. Strongly condemning the violence in the incident, Ugandan President Mr Yoweri K Museveni termed the perpetrators in the demonstration as ‘anti-national’.

The Ugandan delegation included four Ugandans of Indian Origin (some of their families have lived in Uganda for over a hundred years), who passionately drove home the point that Uganda is not a racist country. These included the Mr Sanjay Tanna, MP – Tororo Municipality; Mr Parminder Singh, Deputy National Treasurer; Mr Sanjiv Patel, Representative – Indian Association of Uganda; and as previously mentioned, Mr Mukesh Takkar, Representative, Translink. The Deputy High Commissioner, Ms Nimisha J Madhvani, who also stressed the point, is also a Ugandan of Indian Origin. Minister Rugunda asserted that the case of the Mr Sanjay Tanna is an absolute example to highlight how liberally the people of the country elect their leaders, irrespective of caste and creed. On the lighter side, the Mr Parminder Singh said that his indigenous Ugandan friends had given him the African name ‘Katongole’.

On the day after the conference the delegation was scheduled to go to Ahmedabad in order to express their condolences to the Rawal family. Minister Rugunda announced that while there, they would be handing over two compensation cheques, one for $10,000 from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and the other for $22,000 – money that was voluntarily donated by citizens of Uganda.