Apartheid
Topic: Citizenship: Idea and Indian Law · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Freedom"; Class 11, Ch 6 "Citizenship"
Meaning
Apartheid was South Africa's system of racial separation, which lasted from 1948 to 1994. Only white people could vote, buy property and move freely. Black people needed passes to work in white areas, could not keep their families there, and had to live in separate colonies and go to separate schools. Apartheid is a leading example of people being denied equal citizenship.
Example
The Group Areas Act (1950) divided land by race. Protest grew after the Sharpeville massacre (1960). Nelson Mandela was released in 1990, and apartheid ended with the first elections open to all races in 1994.
Don't confuse with
- Racial segregation: this was the system of laws in the southern USA that kept Black and white people apart in public places. Apartheid was South Africa's own system, in which Black people were also denied the vote and property.