Kenya violence: Centre not to evacuate Indians

The Centre is in no mood to heed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's advice that Indians be rescued from the violence-hit African nation Kenya, as, it feels, any proactive move would only make the NRIs more vulnerable to mob attacks.

"Indians, by their sheer presence, have come in the line of fire in what is essentially a tribal war in Kenya," officials in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The MEA, which is monitoring the situation across Kenya through normal diplomatic channels, points out that while the violence triggered after the controversial December 27 presidential elections has left some 300 people dead, not a single Indian was even injured.

Modi's demand was apparently due to widespread anxiety in Gujarat about the fate of some 50,000 people of Gujarati origin who have businesses in Kenya for nearly three generations.

Kenya, which so far was considered the most peaceful country in the African continent, had flared up in violence as the supporters of the Opposition leader Raila Odinga went on the rampage to avenge the "manipulated" election results by the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki.

MEA sources say the Indians, who have huge presence as owners of shops and businesses, have apparently suffered the maximum losses as the mobs had targeted their properties, including homes.

On Thursday, however, MEA sources said most of the Indians from smaller towns like Mombassa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret, epicentres of the large-scale violence, had managed to shift to either the capital Nairobi or the neighbouring Ugandan capital of Kampala. Ironically, Indians had been hounded out of Uganda some 35 years ago during the dictatorial regime of Idi Amin.