The son of the only Indian family to live in Wellington as a refugee from Uganda’s expulsion of Asian citizens is planning to return to the town later this year to mark 50 years since their forced relocation.

Sanjay Patel, who lived in Springfield Road from 1972-78 has also written a book about his life experiences titled ‘My Hidden Journey’. He now lives in Dallas, America, where he settled with his wife and son, and is planning a trip to London in October during which he will visit Wellington for the anniversary of the expulsion, and will also go to Honiton, where there is an exhibition around the 50th anniversary of the expulsions.

Today, Sanjay owns a shipping business and is an artist and author, and a realtor (estate agent). His book chronicles a family life challenged by racism and bigotry in 1970s Britain due to culture differences and diversity which at the time were unfamiliar to UK communties. Sanjay said his familt felt they were ‘voiceless’ at the time.

Now Sanjay is giving his family a voice with the book telling his inspiring story of a ‘Hidden journey of struggle and perseverance’, sharing his experiences and memories to help others understand and appreciate their differences and similairities.

Sanjay was born into a middle class family in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and led a peaceful and comfortable life until August 4, 1972, when President Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of more than 80,000 Ugandan Asians from the country. Amin gave them 90 days to leave uganda and they were not allowed to take belongings with them, having to leave empty handed.

Around 27,500 of the families settled in the UK, Sanjay’s parent among them as they moved to wellington. Sanjay said: “We faced setback after setback, but eventually established a home. I had never known what racism was until then. “My family and I built ourselves from the ground up, standing strong against an endless wave of racism that sought to keep us in our place.

“To be able to simply walk down the street in peace once seemed impossible. I felt like I had no voice. I made mental notes of all my life events and experiences, I knew I would need them when I was finally ready to speak up.

“Our story is just one of tens of thousands. I lived history. Though others may tell it different, this is my experience.”

Life changed again in February, 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic began shaking the world and disrupting day to day activities. Sanjay said: “With the sudden increase in spare time, I did what I had dreamed of doing since I was 13-years-old, writing my book.

“It is my hope that this book will be used to inspire, to motivate, and to encourage positivity and understanding among all people. I want people to see and understand the hidden journeys unfolding around them.”

Wellington Weekly reporter John Thorne, who was a springfield Road neighbour of the Patels when they arrived in 1972 and, coincidentally in later life lived in their old house when he moved back to the street, recalls how the community reacted. John said: “you hardly saw a ‘brown’ face in Wellington in those days and, like children do in schools, people picked up on differences with others, although at that time it would not have been considered ‘racist’.

“but even back then I think most people living in the town were generally accepting of ‘foreigners’ while at the same time they did not have an understanding of their culture.”