Was Dr. Aziz an "Uncle Tom"?
My parents think he was, such as in the scene where Aziz gives Fieding his collar stud, even though Fielding adamently says "Not if you are wearing it"
I felt that way too when he is offering wine to Moore and Quested during the picnic even if he is a conservative Muslim (remember, in Islam, it is forbidden to touch liquor)
"We share the same biology regardless of ideology"-Sting, 1985
In this movie the English behave badly and think all Indians deserve to be treated badly. We witness a few instances of their rudeness as when the ladies take Aziz's tonga without even acknowledging him (when he has driven over to meet the doctor who has left before he arrived.)
So when Aziz meets Mrs. Moore and Mr. Fielding who are decent people and treat him with respect, he is thrown off balance by their unexpected behavior. He is overwhelmed and tries to repay their kindness by overdoing things. He gives Mr. Fielding his collar button and engineers that elaborate expedition to the caves, serving alcohol and hiring elephants. He is carried away. I don't think that makes him an Uncle Tom. But I am not Indian so perhaps I don't understand.
I felt Aziz was simply being himself rather than acting as a Uncle Tom. Mrs Moore and Adela treated him with respect, thus he repaid in kind.
I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.