For immediate release
Hindus
have urged for immediate restoration of water supply for Roma (Gypsy) residents
of Ozd in northern Hungary, which was reportedly cut-off or reduced by the town
council.
Reports
suggest that several thousand Roma were affected by it.
Hindu
statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that water was
a basic human need and cutting-off the water supply of already marginalized
community of Roma was a cruel act.
Zed,
who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged Hungarian President
Janos Ader and Prime minister Viktor Orban to immediately intervene and put an
end to the victimization of their Roma citizens. Hungarian government appeared
to be failing to protect its Roma population.
Already
marginalized, deprived, and discriminated against Roma should not be blamed for
all the misfortune of Hungary, Rajan Zed noted and added that Hungary and
European Union should make sure that racism and hatred did not grow in Hungary.
Zed
further said that in Hungary, despite various government initiatives, Roma
reportedly continued to face blatant discrimination, shanty town living, an
atmosphere of hostility, huge unemployment rate, lower life expectancy,
prejudice, significantly higher school dropout rate, racism, bias and
stereotyping, school segregation, social exclusion, mistrust, human rights
violations, etc. According to an estimate, less than 1% of Roma obtained higher
education degrees.
Rajan
Zed pointed out that instead of reportedly continuing to marginalize Roma
socially, this country of Lake Balaton, romantic Danube River, Franz Liszt and
Bela Bartok should be more embracing of Roma brothers and sisters who had been
reportedly living with them since 14th century. Zed urged all
religious leaders, religions and denominations of Hungary to work for the
upliftment of Roma, because religion told us to help the helpless.
Zed
stressed that it was moral obligation of Europe to take care of its largest
minority Roma population and stop human rights violations suffered by them, who
numbered around 15-million and lived in apartheid like conditions. There seemed
to be no coherent and effective policy to assimilate them into the society.
Their alarming condition was a social blight for Europe and the rest of the
world.
Roma
in Hungary form about ten percent of total Hungary populace, which makes it
largest Roma minority as percentage of total population in the world. Current
demographic trends indicate that in 2050, about 21 percentage of Hungary
population will be Roma.
Furjes
Pal is the Mayor of Ozd, which found first mention in 1272.