swami@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (12/11/85)
An observation: (meaning, no implications intended!)
Because of the laws in S.Africa, it is difficult for even a talented
black individual to get near the top of a field of endeavour. Whereas in
India, while the average SC/ST (scheduled caste / tribe - the govt term)
person is severely handicapped by the social / economic barriers, a really
talented individual can overcome these, and get to the top - there are any
number of instances. An interesting point is that the same is true of blacks
in the US.
Also, the SC/ST folk have some hope that at least in the far future, when
enough of them have overcome the social and economic barriers, their children
may be on par with the rest. But as of now, as long as apartheid persists,
blacks in SA have no such hope.
swami@a.cs.uiuc.edu
{ihnp4, pur-ee, convex}!uiucdcs!swami
"i am so full of good intentions, i MUST be on the road to hell"