ABSTRACT
This concluding chapter addresses the place and plight of the Sidis today and the prospects for the future, as well as their hopes and aspirations. It emphasises the need for more educational and economic opportunities and self-help organisations which aim to empower them. Until the independence of India, the Sidis were a mostly forgotten and marginalised community in India, living in poverty and relative obscurity. Their participation in the economy and political life has been limited and peripheral. They continue to feel isolated and politically marginalised and experience racial and colour discrimination. Their integration and incorporation into Indian society was, however, more symbolic and mostly superficial. In the last few decades, there has been an increasing awareness among them to secure more rights and recognition. Despite having to confront many obstacles, the Sidi community is determined to survive, prosper and gain acceptance in their adopted homeland. With greater opportunities for education and employment, their aspirations for a better future could become a reality.
