Can you speak Gujarati?

Would you try to act as an interpreter without knowing anything about the issues being discussed?  

 

I did, and I was only ten years old.

A good friend sent me a test which would decide whether I could speak good Gujarati. I promised that I will take that test.

 

When in Kampala, in the mid 1960’s I used to accompany the neighbouring massi (an elderly aunt) and her newly arrived bahu (i.e. daughter-in-law) who had arrived from India, to the Missionary run Mengo Hospital in Kampala. The bahu had some women’s problems. Now both massi and bahu could not speak to the English doctors. I was recruited on my mum’s expert recommendation and at the hospital I managed to ask all of the doctor’s questions in Gujarati and then relay the answers to the doctor in English, not for a moment understanding the connections with the daughter-in-law’s acute sensitivities or even getting embarrassed myself. I was only 10 years old and did not know anything about the “issues” involved! I did all the interpreting so well that even the doctor smiled at me. They say that ignorance is bliss but in this case ignorance was exploited.

 

Consider this. The doctor asked the poor girl to go into the private examination area, which was basically a high level mattress stuck in a wooden tray, in the corner of the room, surrounded by two long curtains. The girl did not move. The doctor politely waved his hand slowly and stopped at the opening of the curtain. ‘Please step inside, I would like to examine you’, he told her. The bahu could barely speak and looked at me. I also waved my hand skillfully and added that she was to be seen by the doctor. She asked where I was going to stand. I stood still outside the curtain. She then looked pleadingly at the mother-in-law who said with informed authority, “Jao beta, jao” and the young girl slowly walked into the area behind the curtain.

 

The massi and I stood outside, expectantly looking at each other and then at the curtain.  I do not what the massi was thinking but I was quite ready for another question from the doctor. Instead massi and I heard a few deep hums, with hushed words from the girl. “Ba! Aa boley chey ke sarlo utaru”. Massi, always quick on the uptake said, “ Koi baat nahin, beta…utari dewo”. Just as I realised that I had been left out of the loop, I asked Massi “Sarlo kiya hota?” The massi ignored my question and looked away. When she looked at me again she realised that I was waiting patiently for an answer. She explained that it was an undergarment by showing me a tiny bit of her own; it was basically a large underskirt.  The doctor completed his examination and came out from behind the curtain just as the massi’s sarlo was being hidden away. I will not discuss the bahu’s confidential medical case here…

 

It only occurred to me a few years ago that I would have been dropped from that role if I had been a smarter child. In today’s culture, exposing a child to questions relating to a woman’s body cycles, anatomy and her mental health would be labeled as ‘abuse’. So any talk of speaking Gujarati sends my mind into a spin!

 

The East African Safari is waiting for you…

 

Talent undiscovered..

The East African Safari Rally of the late 1960s and early 1970s is the one that I came to know the best. It also produced so many new and unknown rally drivers. I mean the real but unofficial ones, the unrecognised self-sponsored copycat drivers who came into their being every time the rally was taking place. There was a great deal of over-speeding, hair-raising turns and fast get-aways from traffic lights with screeching tyres when the rally was in one’s town. Young African boys called every Sikh ‘Joginda Singha’ while equally well known drivers like Jamil Din and Shekhar Mehta received loud applause when the African supporters read their Uganda number plates on their cars. I am sure many a young lad sat in their roadside wreck (resulting from accidents and rejected vehicles and old cars awaiting repairs for decades) and drove them in their imagination at reckless speeds. Imagine the joy in those young minds when they were flying in their imaginary Datsuns and Peugeots.

The best car in the African mind was the Japanese Datsun, popularised by Joginder Singh and which became a top level brand that inexplicably disappeared. Perhaps the purchasing power of African markets did not count for much.  Were there any other reasons why the Datsuns appealed so much to the Africans?  Had Japanese reliability scored highly over loyalty to the British.

Those were the days … during the wet Easter holidays when the Safari Rally, then considered the toughest in the world and probably the richest and best managed with a route that went through three EA countries.  No one came to know about any behind-the-scenes wrangling, if indeed there was any, but the Safari was able to show how Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania could work effectively to run a major internationally respected event. ‘Ah but, the management was in the hands of the muzungus,’ I can almost hear someone say. It does not matter whether the white man was managing the event itself; no safari could have taken place if the three countries had not committed themselves to a policy of cooperation to host this celebrated event. The political will which made the Safari possible was exemplary. The fact that border crossings and movements of teams was allowed on trust was truly amazing.

There were also those famous rivalries; between motor car manufacturers who were producing  vehicles thousands of miles away for major markets but saw the Safari as a viable proving ground for their new models. They also tested their future models. The safari tested the technology which was expected to dominate their marketing campaigns in Europe, Japan and the Americas as they fought for consumer and corporate budgets. The other rivalry, which had dangerous overtones, was between well known drivers, some of whom were important enough to be able to switch cars and sponsors at their own choosing, or so they led you to believe. So if you were a Bert Shankland or a Joginder Singh, you could negotiate terms with manufacturers. But you had to win it at least once. The European drivers such as Erickson and Moss also came with high expectations and were determined to beat the locals. One of the best outcomes for the East African Asians was that relatively unknown local drivers, in early parts of their careers, were able to take part in a major international rally and enjoy some success. There were also good indications of emerging African drivers and crews who were staking their own claims as serious players. It is sad that the development of local talent was cut short as a great local sporting event came to a virtual stop. This is by no means to belittle the rally which still takes place in Kenya and feedback from readers is most welcome- especially with regards to the issues that I discuss here.

Sadly, I lost the personal and close contact with the Safari Rally after 1972. One also heard of reports that the international spread of the rally was being curtailed as collaboration between the East African countries started to break down. In fact, the Safari was a minor casualty in comparison with the breakdown of major collaborative arrangements which existed under the East African Community or economic union. The need for collaboration to run railways, airlines and heavy industry to reap economies of scale was the logical thing to do but trust had broken down during the Idi Amin era.

Returning to the social and economic impact of the Safari in the early days, the nostalgia is still gripping. The daily lives of people were dictated by arrival and departure times of the rally, not only in their own towns but also major regional towns. Media coverage was good enough with the radio being the dominant source of update.  The newspapers provided excellent daily reports. Television started to cover the event during the late ‘60s. The rivalries between manufacturers was not analysed in the media competition between countries was immense. The British Ford and Triumph models competed fiercely with German cars, primarily Mercedes and Volkswagen. France was a strong contender with Peugeot making a strong impact on the market; a fact which translated into sales of hundreds of taxis. The luxury car market was dominated by Mercedes and one or two years the ‘Benzi’ did rather well. Of course, the entire competitive position greatly changed as the Japanese made progress in challenging European domination. In some years there were other new entrants with novelty interest. The most memorable were the ‘Comets’ from America, which tried to challenge the dominating players. However, they were not successful and soon bowed out. These were the cases where the experienced drivers risked their chances of winning the Safari Rally but they made sure that they won enough money from eager sponsors and manufacturers before the Rally even left the starting ramp.

The logistics that supported each team were phenomenal. I had the chance to look into one team and found the management of the support teams very professional and exciting. I still have memories of team captains huddling over their radios to keep in touch with navigators in each of their cars. Team captains and their crews were so persistent and patient – an excellent lesson in practical management.

Some of the key questions which were never addressed were:

• What did the major manufacturers achieve in terms of boosting the international marketing of their vehicles? There were major markets in West and Southern Africa. Competition in European markets must have been very significant. Interest in South American and Far Eastern markets must also have been extensive. However, it appears that there was no publicly available analysis of marketing campaigns and their commercial success that could be attributed to the Safari. Most of the dedicated analysis was high level and confidential marketing data. It just happened that when I later worked for Ford Motor Company in their head office in the UK, I saw some exciting pictures of the Safari. But the company was by no means gripped by the Safari and it appeared that Ford was more interested in translating the success of their rally cars to capture a greater share of the African market. The margin of comfort which came with colonial rule soon disappeared- African governments and local authorities made their own procurement decisions and buying British was no longer guaranteed.

 

• What was the economic benefit of the rally for the East African host countries? How much ‘new money’ did the rally bring into the African economies every year? How did the usual beneficiaries of popular sporting events the hotel and tourism markets share the greater spend during the upsurge of visitors during the Easter vacations? Media interest was very significant with newspaper advertising showing a significant increase during and after the event. It will be never known how the economic impact of the Safari would have translated into real jobs in the East African countries but it does appear that potential benefits of the Safari Rally as a major business and economic catalyst were not maximised by the participating countries and the respective tourism industries. However, any information which contradicts this view is eagerly awaited.

 

• Was the rally really ‘owned’ by East African countries? Or, was it just a play ground for the rich Europeans? There are two ways of looking at this. Did the rally organisers and sponsors invest time and effort in building relationships with governments?  On the other hand, did the governments and local authorities make special efforts to support the rally and encourage it to develop stronger roots in their respective territories? Again, not much is known but any anecdotal feedback from readers would be most interesting. A couple of years ago I managed a support team for a London based local authority when the Tour de France international cycle race first came to London. It took several weeks of planning and coordination to support the Tour de France riders who passed through the borough for less than ten minutes… but it drew thousands of spectators. Road closures were pre-planned and details were announced much in advance to help residents and businesses to workout alternative routes for essential travel. Densely populated and busy inner city areas demanded meticulous planning. How were ambulances going to rush patients to hospital when certain key roads were closed? What was the impact on fire and social services? Some roads were closed from 6am onwards but the Tour passed through our region on a Saturday leaving no concerns about how children were going to get to school.

Returning to current Rally that has replaced the Safari, some of the above planning issues also apply. The urban and semi-urban areas of Kenya have expanded and population has grown very fast. It is probably much more difficult to manage the logistics. But it is the management of relationships that will have become even more critical. Are Kenyans looking into the economic and tourism benefits of the rally? Does it cause a surge in their tourism revenues? Could the rally ever return to its previous glory as an East African landmark event? The most critical requirement is that the simplest one – ‘ordinary’ Africans must be engaged and take pride in the ownership of the rally. Communities and schools must also be involved. It would be good to know how the organisers of the rally are addressing some of the key points listed above. Is the new motor rally elitist just as the old Safari sometimes appeared to be?

There were reports about stone throwing and sabotage of rally cars in the 60s and the 70s. It also seemed that Safari cars that were passing through rural areas were met with dangerous hazards- items placed on the roadways by children or thieves. Apart from the odd ‘naughty’ children throwing stones for a bit of fun, was there any evidence that grownups also had serious problems with the Safari cars passing through their quiet neighbourhoods at great speeds?  Where there were any serious tensions, were they an indication of poor people resisting the fun and games of the rich?

These are possibly some of the challenges which cannot be taken lightly but the fact that the Rally continues to attract international interest and media coverage deserves credit and international support for the rally. Will the ‘wahindi ya kwanza’ that is, yesterday’s East African Asians begin to see the new rally as a bridge to nostalgia and make a return to supporting a premier sporting event in East Africa? There is a huge network of business and social importance waiting to be developed. East African Asians who left the three countries from the late 1960’s and onwards have growing and disposable savings. How are they going to be ‘lured’ back to Kenya for the Easter vacations? The rally must be seen as a bridge but not only to nostalgia but also to help secure new ties and relationships which will benefit the newer communities in Kenya. Any proposals on how this can be achieved are most welcome.

Commercial confidentiality will still preclude the availability of data as far as the marketing benefit of motor rallying is concerned.  However, it does appear that European media coverage of the new rally has been declining, judging from lack of access to information. However, there are more significant challenges to consider. Has the rally been attracting credible African drivers with generous sponsorship?

Has the rally entered the classroom? What could be more interesting for learning maths and statistics for secondary school students than monitoring and tracking performance of drivers, teams and manufacturers? Have the universities seen the value of business case studies based on the rally? Has the rally become a charity fundraiser where the less visible beneficiaries could benefit from sponsorship?

Some of the members of the Sikh Community in Nairobi worked tirelessly to ensure that the Guru Nanak Motor Rally passed all proficiency and competence requirements to win the rating of a world class event. Has this been maintained? Other regional motor rallies also had potential. Taking all these issues together, it is clear that international media, especially television has a major role in helping to revive international interest. However, the onus is on sponsors, promoters and organisers to ensure that the media, which is always hungry for good stories, is able to connect effectively with the East African motor rallies.

The success of the Indian Premier League cricket and English Football shows that core ideas must be protected and developed. The momentum of motor rallying in East Africa is worth continuing – it could produce internationally recognised and world class events once again and generate economic, social and educational benefits.

The Wahindi can play a major role in supporting this ambition. Would they want to return to East Africa every year to make a contribution?  Asian supporters of English FA football are already travelling with their clubs. There is something in the Safari for everyone. Why? While East African countries appear to have made major efforts to diversify their economies, the reliance on exports is still pervasive. The tourism industries have been successful in attracting tourists to the old and sometimes newer attractions. East Africa needs a new and powerful event which must also appeal to and be connected to the economies of the western producing countries. The cost of reviving the Safari needs to be worked out but once the re-launch has been successfully delivered, the cost of expansion could be funded from profits. There is a need for a dialogue between the current rally organisations, the three governments and potential sponsors. A feasibility study would be ideal and a fund of £25,000 would be sufficient depending on the terms of reference of the study. All we need is for 25 Asian businesses in the UK, US and Canada to donate £1000 each and nominate their chief executives to form a working group to plan the feasibility programme and to appoint local consultants. I am not going to be too upset if just one sponsor agrees to fund the lot.

Please send your comments to kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

 

How You Could Have Entered The Books of Records

 

Yahoo News reports that an Indian woman hopes to enter the record books by munching 51 fiery chillies in two minutes.  Anandita Dutta Tamuly, 26, chewed her way through the chillies before an audience late Thursday in India’s northeast.

For details see: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090410/tod-indian-woman-aims-for-chilli-record-451ab4f.html

She consumed the chillies in the company of British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who was producing a television show on food and anchoring the event in Jorhat, 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Assam’s main city of Guwahati. “In two minutes, Anandita gobbled 51 red-hot chillies without batting an eyelid or shedding a tear, and also smeared seeds of 25 chillies into her eyes in one minute,” Atul Lahkar, a chef who organised the show, told AFP. The chillies are known locally as bhut jolokia and are a staple of local diet in Assam. They are recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s hottest chilli pepper.

It is well known that Indians like to enter the record books by making a name for themselves by doing the oddest things. In addition to the Guinness Book of Records, India has its own Limca Book of Records. Both feature many Indian feats covering many crazy but interesting aspects of life. Why do they do it?

These feats, achievements or successful records are all attributable to the following common denominators, which are fame, recognition and money. It is unlikely that the books of records will pay much to publish the achievements. The real incentive is money in the future via sponsorship, appearances on stage and fees for appearing on television and payment for appearing at private functions. Many successful ‘performers’ have done very well indeed.

What type of achievements could the East African Asians get into the record books? Here are some thoughts which you could have helped to turn into reality:

·       A record for fighting the largest man-eating lion with one’s bare hands in the Tsavo area?

·       A record for sleeping with largest number of black mamba snakes in one’s bed?

·       A record for growing the largest cassava root in one’s shamba or smallholding?

·       A record for swimming with the largest number of crocodiles in Lake Victoria?

·       A record for displaying largest number of yoga positions whilst travelling on the roof of the East African trains from Kampala to Mombasa?

·       Success in running faster than the speediest cheetah in the game park?

·       Achievement for drinking the highest number of pints of pombe, or beer?

·       Successes in driving in reverse from Kampala to Jinja with Idi Amin as a passenger?

 

 

 

 

 

A few responses- but not as you would like them!

 

My post on ‘Nyama Choma’ was critical of lifestyles of the wahindis in Kenya who seem to be caught up in a life of ‘aish-o-ishrat’ or indulgence.  Now, it was not a criticism of young Sikhs only. But they do tend to have the ‘resources’ to make the daily evening barbeque a possibility. Here are the ingredients. Start by developing an interest in spicy food and alcohol. Add the bucketful of friendships and fellowships they have forged over a lifetime. Mix the two generously with good humour and freedom to speak their minds when the women are not within earshot. Bring the party to a boil everyday and you have the ultimate matata of your choice. The access to a workshop or a personally owned building (because many Sikhs run building and technical trades) creates the right environment to serve the nyama choma without incurring the wrath of the wife or neighbours and also make the task of cleaning up much easier as the workshop staff look after those boring details.

Are young Sikhs more hedonistic than the Gujarati or Muslim youngsters? I am afraid I do not have answers or the evidence to be able to sustain that assertion or to deny it. Occupational choice or decisions to work in certain types of business are probably no longer dictated by family histories or inheritance. In the past, the most of the young Sikh entrepreneurs ran building related contracting firms which were started by their fathers. The new generation brought more insights and confidence to the business; they were more organised and in some cases better qualified than their fathers. Business was invariably male dominated unless the enterprise belonged to Gujarati or Ismaili families where women could also be involved.  

The next point which attracted significant comment was that the highly hedonistic lifestyles, with their incumbent challenges to health and welfare are no longer the preserve of the Sikhs. This impression was not intended. Yes, non-Sikh men, largely Gujarati and Hindu Panjabi, may also be indulging in similar spicy barbeques and other pursuits and successfully harming themselves on a daily basis. Isn’t that great? No. Why? Because sharing a habit of persistent substance abuse with other communities does not make it right.  Then why does the young Asian go through the celebratory ritual of nyama choma or other forms of male dominated hedonism on a daily basis, as I have seen and reported recently? The answer lies in culture and sociology to a great extent.

One can only ask challenging questions. The answers tend to vary. There is no ‘one solution fits all’ cases.  Some of the men are possibly very lonely and do not have close friendships with their spouses. Arranged marriages and differences in religious practice may have impact on relationships. Other men may be bored by the discipline and conformity expected at home. Most wives will not support large number of friends of their husbands to ‘storm’ the house regularly and make demands for large quantities of food. The presence of noisy men may also send wrong signals to children. So the best solution is to have the ‘time of their lives’ as some see it by hiding in the firm or workshop. Finally, where the wife runs a strictly vegetarian and ‘kosher’ household and where ‘meat’ is not allowed to be consumed in the family home, the men may be ‘driven’ to find other venues.  Let us also not forget that where there are ‘grown up’ daughters in the home, the intrusion of strange men cannot be a source of comfort to a protective housewife. All these explanations may be relevant but other factors may also prevail.

It’s the end result; the impact on family life and health of the nyama choma men that needs to be addressed. As good old Mukesh, the popular Bollywood playback singer used to say, “Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai; sabh ko mera salaam”. This was translated in the original context as ‘I salute the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian as equals.’  

 

 

 

‘Nyama Choma’ – Happy Days

There are real stories, based on reported facts which confirm unexpected outcomes from a life of leisure. Not really, the majority of Asians still work hard and earn their day’s worth. The focus of this ‘story’ is more on Nairobi but also centres mainly on the Sikh community according to reliable reports.

Young Sikhs, of which I used to be one, tend to love their nyama choma of barbequed meat with lots of ‘daru’ or drink, mainly alcohol to help wash down the food.  Poor men; how could they be forcibly stuck with such hardship?  Not really. Which comes first; the drink or the drumstick?  Ahem. If you answer this one well, I will buy you … er.. a drink. And yes, another myth has also been shattered. There used to be a time when the Singha Singha used to rejoice the fact the Gujaratis were ‘weaklings’ who were too loyal to their religious beliefs and did not how to get a life. They were the ‘choroko’ eaters who calmly ate their daal (lentils) and drank their ‘phanta’.  Yes, the Sikhs knew how to enjoy life. Reports indicate that the Gujaratis started eating and drinking big time in the 80s. They discarded their life of ‘grass eating’ and went for the drumstick and in the process became ‘real’ men. Lo and behold, Gujarati women also enjoy the same poisons with equal measure. Who can complain about lack of equality?

The concerns reflect a life of indulgence, for many young men and others wanting to pass as ‘young’, there is a great life of enjoyment which ‘you can never get in the UK, you know’. They can have their barbeques every day of the week. You work hard in the office, factory, construction firm or technical services firm during the day, put in a huge amount of work and when the time comes to go home, the barbeque beckons. The wife and children who may be waiting at home can wait a little longer “A couple of quick drinks and a bite of chicken thigh and I will be home’. The wife can be easily pacified. Just as these thoughts begin to crystallise, the car automatically drives the young man to the garage or workshop where the nyama choma usually takes place. However, today it could be a sports club or a community space and since all communities enjoy the same food and drink, the Sikhs have more choice.

It goes without saying that everyone has their own ‘safe’ limits and ‘you cannot generalise, bhaji (big brother’, says my informant. And so the nyama choma seems to take over their life and regular drinking has started to impact on their health. There are reports of escalating liver disease, alcoholism, shaky hands, memory loss, impotence and diabetes, all depending on the margin by which the Sikh has beaten the Gujarati or how the latter can now proudly say that they can out-drink the Singha Singha. No one can dominate their lives anymore but the silent dominance of drink and indulgence appears to be breaking up families…. with occasional reports of wife beating. You also see the odd man with a black eye, where the wife has the power to retaliate or where she has been drinking with her own girlfriends during the afternoon.

Humour aside, this is a serious situation. Young men and women of all backgrounds need to curb their daily drinking in the workshop and the eating spicy barbequed food. The stomach that they are harming may be their own.  People also suggest that the life of indulgence is affecting the men’s motivation to work and others are no longer interested in emigrating. ‘You cannot have such a great life in the UK, you know’.

 

Upgrade on Essay- “Suffering Without Bitterness”

Here is the essay, now added as a post following useful pointers from various friends.

 ’Suffering Without Bitterness’

This was the title of a famous book that was written by Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of post-colonial Kenya over sixty years ago. There are concerns today that the Asian communities in Kenya are not coping too well after the riots that followed the general elections. Many hundreds of them have not exercised the choice that they have to leave because they want to continue to work and live in Kenya. There are no real signs of panic but informal observers and some parts of the international media report on some early signs of stress amongst Kenyan Asians. It must be noted that the Asians who have chosen to stay there are almost certainly Kenyan citizens and the expatriates who have chosen to remain in the country made their decisions many years ago. Both groups of people remain committed and that is the best demonstration of their faith in the country.

 

Soon after the riots that followed the elections in Kenya, there were concerns that some 2,200 Asians, some with families may try to leave the country by the end of this year. This figure was an estimate provided by the Financial Times in London and presumably they had checked their facts with suitable parties. The authorities in Kenya do not appear to have made any statements to calm down concerns in the Asian communities. To be fair, the government has not made life difficult for the Asians in Kenya either. There is no evidence of selective persecution. The uncertainties in the minds of Asians stem from fear for their safety and the protection of their assets.

 

A recent visit to neighbouring Uganda has shown that Asian expatriates who have arrived after 1972 have settled well and most are embarked in technical work, contracts, building construction and engineering- covering a wide area of specialisms, all critical skills for a developing country which is coping with rapidly growing population and needs huge investment in its schools and hospitals. The new Asian expatriates are not only providing the skills; they are also taxpayers. In Kenya where the Asian participation in business and economics is much more significant, contributions to tax revenues must be substantial. As they are also exporting goods and services to overseas customers their contribution to the national income must also be growing.

 

What is not known is whether Asian leadership in Kenya has tried to have a dialogue with the government. It could be argued that the Asians may have to ‘feel the heat’ like everybody else; the country has had a few problems and many hundred Kenyans have been reported to have lost their lives. However, many of the Asians do have the choice to leave. It would be most unfortunate if critical decisions were made as a result of failure by Asian leaders to consult with the Kenyan authorities and to secure pledges of support. Could the latter also not retort that Asian people should not expect any special privileges and that after all, many other nationalities have coped with the aftermath of the elections?

 

These are difficult times even though the highly risky period that affected the security of all people in Kenya seems to have passed. The impact of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda was also felt in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. In Zambia, Asian participation in trade, large-scale commerce and industry was not as significant as that in East Africa. But it was not until the 1980s, the next decade after the Ugandan Asian expulsion, that confidence appeared to have returned. Many Asian entrepreneurs invested in small industries, which supported the import-substitution, polices of the government. It was possible to raise venture capital and a few Asian businesses moved up the enterprise hierarchy – they were reinvesting their profits from the trading enterprises into small-scale manufacturing and more capital-intensive businesses. Apart from the emergence of these significant wealth-creating ventures, the authorities were keen to retain the contribution of doctors, teachers and skilled professional Asians.

 

Returning to the Kenyan situation, it would be good to see the evidence of efforts that may have been made by Asian leaders to placate the concerns of their fellow Asians. However, do the leaders enjoy respect and credibility? The rationale for selecting leaders may not have changed despite the lessons that were learnt from neighbouring Uganda. It would be reasonable to expect that faith-based communities elect or appoint leaders on the basis of their religious and community credentials. Not always true. Asian leaders with little or no knowledge of faith were appointed to run temples in Uganda. The main credentials were again, mostly but not always, success in business. Volunteering can be costly and it is far easier for a self-employed business owner to take a few hours off to attend to a wedding or a funeral in the community. A schoolteacher with heavy timetabled commitments cannot be expected to vacate the school rota at short notice. So success in business created a self-perpetuating cycle of consolidation of mostly weak and under-recognised leaders in the Asian community.

 

As the dynamics of business would have it, only very few Asians could afford to invest the time, money and effort to cope with the demands of the community. Asian leadership became narrowed into hands of not more than ten wealthy families. Their achievements in business were not sometimes enough to satisfy their urge for recognition and consequently a few even became leaders of religious bodies that they were most ill prepared to lead.  There was a dilemma; how could these people become so successful in business and then fail to transfer their leadership skills to community organisations that elected them? A good part of the answer lies in their management styles – they were dominant in family controlled businesses where they had absolute authority. They were not used to teambuilding and consultation. Looking back at building contracting firms, the proprietors probably never had meetings with staff and were not accustomed to being challenged by people from lower stations in life.

 

This remains a concern now for Kenya. If Asian leaders had blossomed and taken control of key community institutions for the very same reasons as in Uganda and assuming that they came from the same stock, then Asian communities in Kenya today may be leaderless. Success in family businesses may have propelled them into leadership positions in temples, schools and sports clubs but in the main they are going to be unsuitable for tasks that involve dealing with power relationships which could impact on their own businesses. You cannot afford to alienate a government minister whose colleague is going to issue the work permits of your own employees.

 

The Asian leaders in Kenya today are probably not astute politicians either. Politics is about passion and representation and some people with singular but positive vision can and do move mountains. The Asian leadership in Kenya today almost certainly operates with a major handicap unless they learn to create degrees of freedom for themselves. Freedom to negotiate comes by winning confidence of the people on the other side of the table. Have Asian leaders secured the confidence and respect from the political leadership in Kenya?

 

The Asian leaders in Kenya cannot ask for special treatment even if it was legitimate and possible. They are probably still divided by religious and caste-based distinctions. It is possible that their intra-Asian business and religious rivalries will militate against joint community representation as far as talking to Kenyan ministers is concerned.

 

A final factor lies in the Asian leaders’ perception of their role at such an uncertain time when instability is affecting everybody including native Kenyans. ‘What are you expecting us to achieve?’ they might ask. First they have to recognise their self-interest in this situation. Many Asian businesses also employ other Asians and sometimes only the members of the extended family, if not the village clan from India. If there was a hasty exodus, they also stand to lose.

 

The second responsibility they have is to acquire urgent understanding of what their communities want and what reassurance they may be seeking. Only then can they aspire to become effective bridges between the communities that they lead and a government that is temporarily distracted by other demands. Asian leaders should have the hard evidence to put together a case for the communities they represent. Should the concerns of the Asian communities escalate, those who can leave may want to leave against their wishes. Kenya may also pay a heavy price.

 

In the meantime the Asian communities in Kenya may have to suffer without bitterness. How these famous words have come to haunt a completely different people at an unexpectedly different time. The Asians in Kenya are NOT suffering from any political intolerance, or from racial and physical attacks from Kenyans. Many of them are victims of uncertainty which Asian leadership can help to reduce by being…leaders.

________________________________________________________________________

A number of friends have responded to the above.

 

Talking to recent visitors from Kenya suggests that the resolve of a few Asians seems to be weakening. They want to see more assurance of their personal security and less uncertainty about their future plans. However, only a few of them will accelerate plans to leave and even they could change their minds if normality returns in line with their expectations.

 

However, for most the unhappy problems arising from the elections seem to have been resolved and life has returned to normal. A number of people also challenge my assertions about leadership. The Asians do not need leaders – each Asian resident or nor-resident has a private network for information and advice and access to worldwide media makes their lives very predictable and safe. This is very good especially if such a view is shared by a large majority.

 

It would be good to hear from Kenyan Asians who have committed themselves to Kenya as the country of their choice and how they will form a symbiotic relationship with the country. Kenya needs investment capital and skills, and yes, even their expertise in trading and running shops is a critical lubricant for a developing economy.

 

Are Kenyan Asians engaged in state-run agencies or nationalised businesses if any have  become available to new investors? In most parts of East and Central Africa, parastatal companies have been returned to the private sector following privatisation. Have Kenyan Asians looked at these firms as possible investment opportunities?

 

Finally, how are Kenyan Asians contributing to corporate social responsibility?

 

 

 

 

 

Suffering Without Bitterness

This is the title of a famous book that was written by Jomo Kenyatta during Kenya’s struggle for independence. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta also became the first President of post-colonial Kenya.

My essay using the same title is published today. Please see the section marked ‘Pages’- in the right-hand side column of this page.

I am writing about lessons that were learned in Uganda and, indeed Central Africa, when thousands of Asians had to leave when Idi Amin expelled the community from Uganda.

I welcome your comments but if you dont wish to write a comment please contact me privately.

 

Yasmin’s One Woman Show

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, the prominent journalist and regularly in demand for media interviews in the UK,  is a former resident from Uganda and a co-student from Makerere University, Kampala.  Yasmin has been touring her one woman production but unfortunately I have missed it so far.

However, Yasmin will be looking for more touring options. Further information is available on Yasmin’s website at http://www.alibhai-brown.com/.

Another producer, Chand Sherma has also been touring her one-woman show for sometime. It covers Chand’s experiences in her life and her assessment of the issues which inform her work.

 It would be good to hear from other ‘one-person’ show producers to see how their East African experiences have influenced their artistic work and their campaigns relating to whatever issues that concern them.

 

Asian Enterprise and CSR

At one time the mere mention of Asian businesses used to create serious critical debate and consternation. Were they doing the ‘right’ things? Were they investing for sustainability? Did the Asians promote good employment practices? Were they investing in the right sector? Trading enterprises based on import and export, but moslty importing were considered to less beneficial than manufacturing. Behind all this, one of the major concerns, often not articulated clearly was: were the Asian traders not taking unacceptably high profits in a low margin sector of the economy?

It appears that in Uganda these issues are not taking centre the stage at present. It also seems that many Asians have moved higher in the enterprise value chain; they seem to be investing in areas which require major investment, syndicated finance with international partners and banks and they are going into areas which reflect high cost of entry into ‘difficult’ business sectors. They are taking major risks.

However, during the early seventies the centre for Asian retailing used to be Nairobi. How has this changed? This web-log invites contributions that would help to address the following areas of interest:

• What types of concerns still prevail about Asian enterprise?      
• Have the Asians moved into higher value-added industries that may be considered to be more suitable for secure economic development? These terms need to be explained. 
• Has Asian dominance of retailing been reduced by emerging African traders?
• How are Asian businesses involved in corporate social responsibility, or CSR?
• Are these questions important and valid?

The most successful example of social responsibility that can be recalled is investment in the townships of Lugazi and Kakira, where Asian business ‘dynasties’, that is, the Mehta and Madhvani families provided schools, hospitals, sports fields, safe shopping centres and also good health and welfare facilities. But these sugar factories were remote islands of employment and like mining towns anywhere in the world, the Asian entrepreneurs had to provide the living accommodation and facilities for a civic society.

 

How well is CSR being practiced today by Asian businesses? It would be good to hear from them.

 

 

 

Cultural Issues

 Whatever happened to Cultural Tourism?

 

One of the issues worth investigating is how the creative arts and culture have been developing in the rural areas, the smaller towns and in Kampala, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam. When in Kampala recently, I did not have enough time to go into the crafts shops opposite the High Court to see the crafts on offer and to discover the makers.  The location of the crafts centre near the main hotels appears to be a splendid decision; tourists do go there with their wallets stuffed with dollars and pound sterling. I will be asking the appropriate Government department to send some information. However, are prices likely to curtail the interest of local buyers? There are a couple of crafts shops in the Sheraton Hotel. A few ‘pieces’ were on sale but prices were sky-high. One is reminded of the phenomenal amount of travel advertising in the UK media.  Promotions feature the rich heritage of India and Pakistan, the exciting developments in Dubai, the forthcoming attractions in China and the powerful imagery of Buddhist culture in Thailand, for example. Then the advertisers’ cameras inevitably move to Africa, but only to cover the wildlife in safari parks- not in itself a disputable matter but why are tourism providers not promoting African culture? Is there a package of cultural work that tour companies can promote if they wanted to?

 

Another area of interest is the development of performing and visual arts. The National Theatre seemed to be busy but there was no information in the newspapers about the type of activities that the theatre is developing. The theatre would be a good place to start finding out.