Prime Minister I K Gujrals two-day visit here is widely expected to strengthen the ongoing process of reconciliation between native Ugandans and Ugandan Indians who have been welcomed back by President Yoweri Museveni.
Gujrals trip, part of an African odyssey, is considered important at a time when the east African nation is trying to woo back Asians, especially Indians, expelled from the country two and a half decades ago.
Although no major breakthrough or agreements are expected to be announced during his trips week-long trip to Uganda, South Africa and Egypt, officials are confident that Gujrals visit will have a strong impact on the emotional ties between the peoples of India and Africa.
India has not had only a long history of contribution to the African peoples struggle against colonialism and racism but is bound by shared destiny of thousands of Indians who have settled in the continent.
Officials of both sides agreed that Uganda and India are rediscovering themselves after a turbulent two decades, which was marked by the infamous expulsion of Asians by former President Idi Amin and a protracted civil war.
While it may be a coincidence that Gujrals visit has come barely a month after the 25th anniversary of the expulsion of over 70,000 Indians, the significance of rapprochement for the African country could be gauged by huge crowds that thronged the Prime Ministers motorcade through the 40-minute drive to capital Kampala from Entebbe airport on Saturday.
According to Venugopal Rao, a businessman from Andhra Pradesh who came to Uganda in 1994, even if the numbers of Ugandan Indians that returned to the country of their birth is few, the chasm between them and Ugandans has been bridging, thanks to the positive gestures of the Museveni government.
The Prime Ministers visit will not only consolidate the process of reconciliation between the two ethnic communities but will enable business people and professionals from India to come to Uganda with their skills and capital, Rao said.
This is the first time that any Indian Prime Minister has visited Uganda, which former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described as the pearl of Africa. This would also be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to South Africa.
In fact, a high-level Indian visit to South Africa has been long due, considering that President Nelson Mandela has already visited India thrice - once as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) and twice as President.
It is, however, considered a propitious time for strengthening and consolidation of relations between the two countries, which have pledged themselves to building a strategic partnership.
India and South Africa are serious players in the emerging new world order, particularly in the proposed restructuring of the United Nations.
The reform of the UN Security Council is, therefore, expected to figure very high in Gujrals discussions with South African officials.
Although South Africa has not declared its candidature for a permanent seat in the Security Council and has pledged to work for a consensus with the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), there can be no doubt that it is a serious contender like India is, officials said.
Even if officials on both sides are wary of committing themselves on this topic, there have been enough hints that the two countries are striving to work in tandem on the question of UN reform.
But there is also much more going for India and South Africa on the bilateral front. Although it is less that five years since the two countries established formal ties, the burgeoning relationship has been rich in both symbolism and substance.
While Gujrals four-day programme has been designed to highlight the historical and ideological bonds between the two countries, it is nevertheless expected to strengthen bilateral ties on substantive issues, particularly in economic and defence matters. In the last 38 months, nine bilateral agreements have been signed, 30 ministerial level visits have taken place.
An external affairs ministry official said that South Africa was keen on clinching a nearly $1 billion dollar 155mm Howitzer gun deal which has been languishing for several technical reasons.
South Africa, apparently, is working to modify the gun to be mounted on Indias indigenously-built Arjun tank while originally the howitzer had been designed for the T-72 tank which India is phasing out.
