Escaping Idi Amin review – there’s a happy ending to this awful tale … and it should be a lesson to us all
The BBC has released a two-part documentary, 'Escaping Idi Amin,' featuring firsthand accounts from four individuals who were forced to flee Uganda in 1972 when dictator Idi Amin expelled the Asian community.
The contributors to 'Escaping Idi Amin' hardly make any direct comparisons to the present day, but the parallels between Uganda's 1972 expulsion of its Asian community and contemporary attitudes toward immigrants are obvious and deeply shaming.
Idyllic life turned to terror
The documentary features four main witnesses who would become British citizens but were Ugandans born and bred when Idi Amin took power in 1971. Bharti, Harminder and Paresh were between nine and 11 years old at the time, while Maz, who has died since filming his interview, was in his early 20s.
They recall an idyllic existence that didn't immediately feel threatened when Amin seized power by force. However, the situation quickly deteriorated with political opponents being murdered and mass graves appearing. In August 1972, Amin announced the expulsion order, targeting Asian Ugandans who had formed a comfortable middle class of doctors, shopkeepers and professionals.
British resistance to refugees
In the UK, a toxic debate raged over accepting the refugees. Far-right demagogues, led by Enoch Powell, convinced many that immigrants were the cause of their problems. Despite the fact that Asian Ugandans held British passports due to colonial history, many Britons were enraged at their arrival and unmoved by moral arguments or the economic potential of these highly educated professionals.
Every time I talk about it, it destroys me a little bit.
Trauma and rebuilding
The documentary details the racist purge in Uganda, which began with street harassment and escalated to checkpoints and curfews. Harminder's father was taken away by soldiers but eventually returned, while many others imprisoned were never seen again. Families realized they were in mortal danger and fled to join desperate queues at the British consulate.
Despite the trauma, there is a 'happy ending, of sorts.' Bharti, Paresh, Harminder and Maz made new lives in Britain and contributed significantly to their adopted country. Bharti, for example, worked as a social worker safeguarding children in care for 40 years. The documentary serves as an urgent lesson about the dangers of scapegoating minorities and the resilience of those forced to rebuild their lives.
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