50 years ago, on August 4, 1972, Idi Amin, then President of Uganda, called together troops at Tororo barracks and announced he had been instructed by God, through a dream, to throw out all the country’s Asian population (residents and citizens of Indian and Pakistan heritage) – then numbering in the tens of thousands. He then ordered their total expulsion, accusing them of economic sabotage, tax evasion, and other crimes. Describing the thriving community as “blood suckers and parasites,” Amin dubbed his racial witch hunt an “economic war”, and gave them 90 days to leave the country.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Ugandan forced exodus of its Asian community, and based on the playwright’s own family’s experiences, one of the largest expulsions of the 20th century is brought to life on the stage through the eyes of an Ismaili family. Humorous, moving, and completely authentic, Vancouver’s Western Gold Theatre presents the world premiere of a remarkable new play, 90 Days.
90 Days playwright, Salim Rahemtulla, was born in Kampala and moved to Vancouver in 1974. Since retiring in 2019, he’s found time to pursue his passion for creative writing. 90 Days is his first play.
Rahemtulla says, “I started writing the play three years ago and my goal was to have it completed and performed for the 50th anniversary of the Uganda Expulsion.”
“This story is loosely based on my own family’s sudden and painful departure from Kampala, with most of us being flung far away from each other to countries around the globe. It’s 50 years since the expulsion that caused a humanitarian crisis, and I felt it was important to tell this story for the future generations of the first non-European refugees allowed into Canada. With the current wider migration crisis and upheaval around the world, it made even more sense to recount it now.”
Rahemtulla goes on to set the scene:
“90 Days is set in 1972 in Kampala. Amin recounts his dream that he should expel all Asians from the country, giving this 80,000 strong community 3 months to leave. Yusuf Rahim, a Kampala shopkeeper, is disbelieving of the order and refuses to uproot his wife and two children. He decides to stay. As the family navigates the uncertainties of the ninety days that follow and come into conflict with each other about what to do, the dangers of staying in Kampala become too clear to ignore. As they make hard choices about whether to seek asylum in countries that do not want them, the traumatic expulsion is brought to life through the lens of a modest Ismaili family grappling with the pains of separation and tearing themselves away from a country they thought was home.”
90 Days was first given a public reading via zoom in 2021, and DuniyaJournal.com reviewer Mandeep Wirk, said, among other comments, “Kudos to Salim Rahemtulla for creating this brilliant 90 Days play of remembrance….”
The production boasts a talented and accomplished cast and creative team, some of whom find special resonance with the play’s content and setting. They include Tanzanian-born Dhirendra (Yusuf Rahim), Kenyan-born Nimet Kanji, who plays Parin Rahim, Sabrina Vellani (Shamira Rahim) – a daughter of Tanzanian Ismaili immigrants, and Composer/Sound Designer, Joelysa Pankanea, who is originally from Kenya – among others. 90 Days’Director is the award-winning, Melissa Oei.
For Western Gold Theatre, 90 Days is about new voices and stories, and fulfilling company goals. Artistic Director Tanja Dixon-Warren says, “First and foremost, we support an Elder who is newly emerging and discovering his artistic voice.” She adds, “Presenting plays that reflect and illuminate the rich life experience of our senior community is at the core of WGT’s mandate. The notion that ‘creativity has no expiry date’ guides all our artistic choices. 90 Days embodies all this – plus more.”
“Salim’s story is a very important part of history that many do not know. It also has a global resonance and is parallel to the experience of so many people – both in the past, and equally distressing in the present.”
90 Days previews on Thursday, September 8, with opening night on Friday, September 9, running to September 25, with both evening and matinee performances. You can see it at the PAL Studio Theatre, 581 Cardero Street. Western Gold also presents a series of supplementary educational and social activities under the umbrella, Recounting 90 Days. For full information and tickets, go to: westerngoldtheatre.org (https://westerngoldtheatre.org/
Send email to editor@theafronews.ca to claim your ticket. *while quantities last*
