Amit's Blog

Bridging Histories, Building Futures: Ethnic Indian-African Relations in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania   The relationship between ethnic Indians and ethnic Africans in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania was shaped by ancient trade, colonial policies, and post-colonial transformations. Pre-colonial Indian Ocean networks laid early foundations, but British colonialism, through indentured labor and merchant migration, positioned Indians as economic intermediaries, fostering both prosperity and tension. In South Africa, Indian contributions to the economy and anti-apartheid struggle highlight complex dynamics of rivalry and solidarity. In Zambia, Indian merchants dominated commerce, but post-independence Zambianization strained relations. In Kenya and Tanzania, Indian businesses thrived, yet Africanization policies sparked challenges. Today, India’s growing engagement through trade and development seeks equitable partnerships, but economic disparities and cultu...

  Colonial Structures and Ethnic Rivalries: The Economic Dominance of Indians and African Exclusion in Kenya The economic ascendancy of Indian immigrants in Kenya during the colonial era (late 19th century to 1960s) and the marginalization of native Africans created a volatile ethnic and economic divide that shaped Kenya’s post-independence trajectory. Indians, primarily from Gujarat and Punjab, transformed from railway laborers to dominant merchants, controlling commerce and urban real estate. By 1960, they owned 75–80% of Kenya’s retail businesses, despite being only 2% of the population (176,000 out of 8.6 million). “Indians were the commercial linchpin of colonial Kenya, but their prosperity sowed discord,” writes historian Robert Gregory (Gregory, 1993, p. 23). Africans, restricted to agriculture and denied education, faced systemic exclusion. The British racial hierarchy exacerbated tensions, positioning Indians as intermediaries. Post-independence Africanization policies a...

Colonial Legacies: The Rise of Indian Immigrants and African Marginalization in East Africa   The economic success of Indian immigrants in East Africa, particularly Uganda, during the colonial and early post-independence periods (late 19th century to 1960s) contrasted sharply with the marginalization of native Africans, leading to tensions that culminated in the 1972 expulsion of Asians under Idi Amin. Indian success stemmed from colonial policies positioning them as economic intermediaries, cultural practices like community networks and education, and access to urban markets. Africans faced systemic barriers, including restricted land access, limited education, and confinement to agriculture, which delayed their economic mobility. The British racial hierarchy exacerbated tensions, placing Indians above Africans but below Europeans. The 1972 expulsion aimed to empower Africans but led to a 20% GDP drop due to mismanagement of redistributed businesses. This essay explores these ...