Journalist returns ‘home’ after 40 years

Leaning against a bus window, a heavy scarf on his head, with sad eyes lost in thought, half confused, miserable, he extends his other hand to comfort his three-year-old son whose innocence is indifferent to the commotion.

The two are part of 60,000 Asians that have just expelled from a country they call home. On August 4, 1972 President Idi Amin Dada expelled the Asians, most of them of Indian origin, calling them 'bloodsuckers' who had milked the economy.

However, Rajiv Popat's family had not waited for Amin to expel them. In 1971, his father sensed a growing tension of Amin’s leadership towards Asians and began planning on relocating his family. Rajiv Popat, born 43 years ago on Jinja's Main Street, with Britain's ITV.

“We left before Idi Amin gave the order to expel Indians from Uganda and that’s because my father realised that the situation could get tense, so he made arrangements for us to leave Uganda for England, in August 1971,” Rajiv recalls. His father was a teacher at Narambhai Primary School in Jinja between 1961 and 1971.

“Other people have told us it was a devastating time. There was a sense of shock and panic and even when Idi Amin made the declaration, many actually didn’t think it would come to pass. It was a difficult time because some people came to England with a few pounds or none. It was traumatising.”

Rajiv is now in Uganda, his first visit since his family left in 1971 to film a documentary about the 40 years that have elapsed since the expulsion, as well as visit his birthplace.

England has clearly had its effect on him. When he speaks, it is with a defined English accent, choosing his words carefully and momentarily adjusting his glasses.

You would expect him to be rather casually dressed, as journalists in this country are known to be, but he is casual smart, in a slightly folded shirt and trousers. We agree to meet at the up-class Speke Resort Munyonyo where after a day’s work, running up and down, he is still meeting different people.

A glass of beer in hand, he reaches out to welcome me, and when we finally settle down in his hotel room, he cannot wait to tell me about his day.

“It’s been a fantastic experience visiting my birth place, on Gabula Road where I lived with my dad, mum and sister,” he starts.

Rajiv was too young to have vivid recollections of what it was like growing up in this eastern town of Uganda and the memories he shares are those of his parents, as they relayed them to him. They also have a collection of photographs taken of his birthplace, on 83E Gabula Road.

“My father says it was happy moments of long walks near Lake Victoria and living around friendly people. They say Uganda was a relaxed place with a slower pace of life than England,” Rajiv adds. Here, his dad began a modest life, not fancier than that of a teacher.

Going back to his roots highlight of Rajiv’s visit

“Though I don’t remember much at all, my attachment to Jinja is very special to me. It is where my roots are. For many people, it is not important for them to say where they were born but for me, coming back home is something that I have wanted to do for many years,” Rajiv, who is of the second generation of Indians from Uganda to live in England, explains.

He has also visited the school where his father taught. “I took lots of photographs and I am looking forward to showing them to my father,” he adds. Photography is another of his habits albeit a professional habit as he is a television reporter with ITV, a British media house.

He has risen through the ranks in ITV though he would like to keep reporting as this has given him a chance to exploit his versatility, reporting on protests, interviewing film stars, real hard news and features.

He has journeyed back home to film a series of reports marking the 40th anniversary of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda.

“It has been an emotional journey but at the same time thrilling and enlightening,” he says. This has meant meeting many Asians who have returned to reclaim their properties they left behind when they were forced to leave.

“I met people like Mayur Madhvani and Sudhir Ruparelia. I was impressed with the hospitality and down-to-earth approach despite the fact that they are incredibly wealthy,” the journalist whose career spans over 15 years explains.

He says that Asians who have returned have moved on from what happened 40 years ago.

“It was a difficult time for them but they were determined to come back to start a new life here, and because many of those who have returned have settled in very well, they have been able to put the past behind them. And even with the Asians in UK, I would say most of them have moved on but the Pearl of Africa will have a special place in their hearts,” he adds.

When Rajiv’s parents moved to UK in 1971, he didn’t know any better as a child growing up. They settled in Bermondsey in South East London, an area where there were not many Asian families.

“There was a lot of racism. My parents had a shop and on many occasions, the windows were smashed. They suffered a lot of verbal abuse,” Rajiv recounts part of his life growing up in London. But with time, he says, the situation improved and the locals who once abused his family became friends.

Soon it was time to join high school and then university and Rajiv went on to pursue his dream career– journalism. He started out as a radio journalist.

“I did radio for two and a half years from 1993 to 1995 at Sunrise Radio in UK before moving on to ITV where I have worked on a number of programmes like news and current affairs. I am now a reporter and presenter on our flagship six o’clock programme,” he explains.

Western media sometimes misrepresents Africa in a biased manner so I ask Rajiv about Africa’s portrayal in western media, particularly the media house he works for.

“I think Africa tends to have very little coverage in western media and I would say a lot of people don’t know about the continent. What they do see is news about poverty, drought, civil war and I think it’s a shame that people don’t come to Africa themselves to experience its beauty,” he elaborates.

Rajiv says he has spoken to friends about coming to Africa for the holidays and they were surprised. “A lot of people do not consider Africa to be a tourism destination. I wish they knew what they were missing out on,” he adds.

Already, Rajiv is anticipating a return to the country. “I would like to come back very soon with my father who was supposed to have accompanied me on this trip but cancelled at the last minute because of the reports about Ebola,” he says.

And most likely it is partly because he is a journalist, “It is something I absolutely love doing. I would like to work in India or in Africa and I intend to come back to Uganda next year because I would like to raise funds to help the school in Jinja, where my father taught,” he concludes. Rajiv has one sibling, a sister, and has two children from a previous relationship.

Rajiv Popat:
• Born 43 years on 83E Gabula Road in Jinja
• Works for ITV media house in Britain
• Family settled in Bermondsey in South East London
• He practiced in radio for two and a half years, from 1993 to 1995 at Sunrise Radio in UK before moving on to ITV.
• Has worked on a number of programmes like news and current affairs and is now a reporter and presenter on ther flagship six o’clock programme.

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