Indian community fight over premier Modi’s visit

KAMPALA. Tension is brewing among the Indian community in Uganda over how to manage the visit of Indian premier Narendra Modi set for next month.
Daily Monitor has learnt that Mr Modi is expected for a state visit to Uganda on July 24 and also meet members of the Indian community in the country.

Mr Modi is to be accompanied by several India business tycoons.
Sources close to the planning committee say Mr Modi will hold bilateral discussions with President Museveni.
Together with the visiting tycoons, the premier will also meet the Indian community and discuss how best to improve their businesses.

The Indian High Commissioner to Uganda, Mr Ravi Shankar, recently appointed a 10-member committee to organize the meeting.
The committee is co-chaired by Mr Mohan Rao and Mr Pradeep Karia and has four deputies, including former Tororo Municipality Member of Parliament Sanjay Tanna as head of the public relations. But the preparations have run into trouble over reported divisions on how the even should be organised.

Our sources privy to the preparations say the main point of contention is disagreement over the venue and budget for the high level event with the community asked to contribute.
Some members on the committee are fronting Entebbe Cricket Ground as spacious and able to accommodate more than 10,000 people. But this is being contested with those against saying the grounds has no ready facilities as pavilion and toilets. Others are also fronting Speke Resort Hotel in Munyonyo and the Kololo airstrip in Kampala.

But Mr Tanna, who is in charge of public relations for the event, denied there is any dispute over money since no cash so far has been collected from the community.
“People are jumping over issues they are not sure about. Where is the money collected and from who? We cannot collect money from the community before coming up with a budget to determine how much is needed. Moreover, the committee was instituted only six days ago,” Mr Tanna said.

However, other sources close to Indian High Commission told this newspaper that the finance committee headed by Mr Ramesh Babu is seeking to mobilize nearly Shs1b from the Indian community in Uganda to facilitate the event.

But Mr Tanna conceded there have been disagreements about the venue and the matter has been left to the security agencies to determine.
He said the two venues that have so far been proposed by the committee are Kololo airstrip and Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo.

He also said the organising committee is not yet sure of the exact day the Indian premier will be in Uganda much as he has confirmed a two-day visit between July 22 and 25.
But Mr Tanna said premier Modi will first hold talks with President Museveni who will also host him to a state banquet.

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