WITH great pomp and ceremony, Uganda celebrated the 52nd Independence Anniversary of the country that was attended by the Ugandan establishment and several African heads of state.
The country’s highest civilian award, the Gold Medal, was awarded to 21people who had contributed to the development of the country during the past 50 years. It was witnessed by some 10,000 people who had assembled at the Kololo Airstrip in Kampala, the venue of celebrations. The celebrations were relayed live on the Ugandan TV channels.
Among the recipients of the Gold Medal were five Asians. Three of them were the late Muljibhai Madhvani, Nitin Madhvani and Jayant Madhvani (industrialists). Mayur Maddhvani, who is married to actress Mumtaz, collected the medal for his father Muljibhai Madhvani.
Another recipient was Sardar Sarnagat Singh Gupta popularly known as SS Gupta, a very prominent businessman in Mbarara, Uganda. He was the only Sikh in Uganda to receive the “Coronation Medal” from the Queen and was honored and shook hands with the Queen and the Queen Mother.
He was also affectionately referred to as “Father of Ankole” (the Ankole District of Uganda) for his philanthropic activities. He was always very keen to help the local Africans in whatever way he could. It seems he always had the welfare of local African people at heart. He not only helped in providing free education to the young people who came to him but also gave interest free loans to African farmers in Ankole. They felt that he was like a father to them.
One of his sons, Amarjit Singh Gupta, a businessman, has lived in the Lower Mainland since the expulsion of Uganda Asians by Idi Amin in 1972.
The fifth Sikh recipient of the Gold Medal was Sardar Tarlok Singh Chowdhary, a former civil servant and the father of Justice Anup Singh Choudry, a former High Court judge in Uganda. Justice Choudry collected the medal for his late father TS Chowdhary. [Justice Choudry changed the spelling of his name from Chowdhary.]
The medals were awarded by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda, as the heads of states and the public watched. The ceremony of the award of medals concluded with a group photograph with the President.
i knew distinguished Mr. S.S.Gupta family as a young boy growing up in Mbarara , Uganda. Gupta family lead by S.S.Gupta did a lot of charitable work and helped a lot of poor Africans in need of financial help both for opening up business and for education. Truly a multicultur family and brought a lot of people from different nationalities together at their famous sundowner parties. I wish their son Amarjit and wife Mohini and Extended Gupta family well.
Shree Mansurbhai Lalani,
I know some one member from Gupta family. We used to call him Mr Gupta
at our Patidar Boarding in Kampala. He always wore white turban and very
smart. . He may approx 60 years now
chandrakant please contact amar gupta elder brother of chabo who attended patidar samaj in kampala. chabo now lives in london u.k.