The College warmly congratulates Lily Karia-Briggs who wins this year’s Christine Peters Essay Prize in Women’s or Gender History, on the basis of her thesis ‘Internal repression became the rule of the day’: Gender, Bodies, and the Narrative Politics of the 1972 Expulsion and Migration of Ugandan Asians.
Lily’s prize-winning thesis offers a fresh perspective on one of the most significant episodes in post-colonial history. Examining the 1972 expulsion of around 80,000 South Asians from Uganda under Idi Amin, her research places women’s experiences at the centre of the story, revealing how gender shaped both the violence of displacement and the rebuilding of communities in the UK. Inspired in part by her own family’s history, the thesis challenges long-established narratives and highlights the enduring connections between politics, identity and belonging. We asked Lily to tell us more.
Congratulations on winning the Christine Peters Prize. Please can you tell us what your thesis is about?
Thank you! My thesis looks at the period in 1972 when Idi Amin, President of Uganda, gave c.80,000 South Asians resident in the country 90 days to leave, following the expulsion through to migration into the UK. In particular, my thesis takes a gendered lens to recover the experience of women and dispel the highly masculinised narrative that has surrounded this history. I argue that you cannot understand such political, post-colonial history without considering gender which was central to constructions and experiences of power.
My thesis takes a gendered lens to recover the experience of women and dispel the highly masculinised narrative that has surrounded this history.
What first drew you to the story of the expulsion of Ugandan Asians in 1972?
I always wanted to study this period of history as my mum and her family were amongst the Indian community that was expelled in 1972. I only ever heard little snippets from my family about this experience as it was, understandably, not something people wanted to talk about. So, when I had the opportunity, I really wanted to learn more about my family’s experience, and the experience of so many others that came to England and established new communities.
My mum and her family were amongst the Indian community that was expelled in 1972. I only ever heard little snippets from my family about this experience as it was, understandably, not something people wanted to talk about.
Your thesis looks at gender, bodies and memory. How did looking through this lens change your understanding of what happened?
I looked at gender, bodies and memory to illustrate how political phenomena is deeply embodied by individuals and has a tangible impact on communities. I also used the common theme of gender to link experiences across different regions, namely Uganda and England, emphasising that histories are connected and that politics is continually shaped by and informing gender. This changed my prevailing understanding of the topic which previously centred around Idi Amin and his brutal character. It humanised this event, reasserting the impact on individuals rather than focusing on the mythology and power surrounding rulers.
Was there a particular source or person you came across during your research that has stayed with you and can you tell us why?
One person and experience that was central to my research, and that typified the topic, was that of the anonymous Mrs. K., who was subjected to a virginity test at Heathrow Airport in 1979 in order to prove her marital and reproductive status. I think this case really exemplifies the dehumanisation of South Asian women, continuing the colonial trend of treating their bodies with suspicion. It denies the suggestion that colonial treatment ended in the ‘post-colonial’ period and indicates that the experiences of women in 1972 were not isolated but part of a wider trend of controlling migration through the bodies of women. This stayed with me because it still feels relevant today, and because it most emphatically illustrates the mistreatment of women who had already had to endure being expelled from their home in Uganda.
What was the biggest challenge of researching and writing a thesis on such a complex and sensitive subject?
The biggest challenge was finding sources that confirmed what was commonly accepted about the period, and then writing about them in such a way that conveyed the horrible reality whilst still being respectful to those who experienced it. I decided I didn’t want to conduct personal interviews for this thesis as I did not feel adequately equipped, as an undergraduate, to ask people about such traumatic experiences. This meant I was reliant on pre-existing sources which often undermined or ignored the worst aspects of the expulsion. Instances of sexual violence undoubtedly occurred but were not officially recorded, but I did not want to ignore this crucial aspect of the experience of the expulsion. Finding a way to talk about this respectfully and with enough evidence was the hardest aspect.
How has researching this topic changed the way you think about identity and belonging?
For me, researching this topic cemented the fact that identity, belonging and politics are firmly intertwined. Politics shapes identity and vice versa. I learnt how identity was often leveraged and controlled by rulers, and how individuals have to maintain and preserve their identity in the face of upheaval and the fracturing of communities. The South Asian community in Uganda fought to rebuild their communities in various diaspora, even after Idi Amin and his soldiers attempted to systematically break down their identity. I think this shows the power of group solidarity, but also illustrates how conflict cuts to the core of individuals and their identity and home.
Researching this topic cemented the fact that identity, belonging and politics are firmly intertwined. Politics shapes identity and vice versa.
What does it mean to receive a prize named in honour of Dr Christine Peters, and what do you hope to do next with your research?
To receive this prize is incredibly rewarding. I have spent much of my degree engaging with women’s and gender history and have always found it to be a very dynamic and engaging discipline. I think it is important to introduce this new lens to bring more diversity into the study and add a human, embodied aspect to otherwise distant histories. To be able to contribute to this, and carry on the legacy of Dr Christine Peters, is a real privilege. In future, I will be leaving academia but will continue to carry with me my interest in women’s and gender history, appreciating how gender continually shapes our world and demands attention and consideration.
