Romas/Gypsies are normally considered to be a “member of nomadic people of Europe with dark skin” with a worldwide population of about 12 millions, originally from south Asia. With their 8 million populations in Europe, they constitute one of the biggest blocks in many European countries and have the history of being constantly opposed, refused, discriminated, persecuted and stigmatized by white Europeans based on their prejudices and stereotyping the society. There are 13 minority groups in Hungary; the largest one is of Romas/Gypsies, those constitutes about 6-7% of total population of Hungary. Some of the Romas/Gypsies do not like the term ‘Gypsy’ at all and consider it pejorative. Others categorize themselves as ‘Gypsies’ (or rather as ‘Cigány’, the Hungarian equivalent) and do not like the term ‘Roma’. I have used both terms together, which is the nearest I can come to pleasing everyone.

In Hungary, there are 4 groups of Romas/Gypsies; Romungro (about 70% and mother tongue Hungarian), Vlach or Lovari (speak Romani and Hungarian), Boyasch or Beasch (speak a dialect of Romanian and Hungarian), Sinti (speak Sinti and Hungarian). Romas/Gypsies of one tribe have a strong sense of belongingness, they will help each other, won’t cheat and this is the reason they have been able to preserve their culture, community, traditions and language without any support from Government or any other source.

“Fact sheets on Hungary” by ministry of foreign affairs Budapest, 2004; states that  in 1971 around 60% gypsy children attended nursery school and presently 90% of young Roma complete primary school education.  But on contrary only 10-15% of Roma/Gypsy pass out of secondary education and only 0.3% Roma/Gypsy hold college or university degree. The foremost problem of Roma/Gypsy’s education in Hungary is the segregation of Roma/Gypsy children. Roma/Gypsy children attend different schools/classes, gets education in devastated buildings, without basic amenities (special schools for disabled) despite Hungarian children attending regular, fully equipped schools.

According to the “Chance For Children Foundation” (CFCF), there are 700 schools with segregated classes; 178 homogenous Roma classes and 30% Romani children educated in the segregated institutions. Estimated 20% of Romani children are taught in special schools/classes. Chances of a Romani child to obtain a higher education degree are 50% less than that of a non-roma child.  Many cases of segregation are pending just because authorities don’t consider these so important. The Roma/Gypsy children grow up constantly being dehumanized, humiliated, persecuted and rejected.

World Bank’s report on “Poverty & Ethnicity: A Cross Country Study of Roma Poverty in Central Europe” reported “The traditional lifestyle of the Romas is often an obstacle to integration into society and it is a source of conflicts, especially in the villages. As a result, school segregation is especially acute, with many Roma children sent to classes for pupils with learning disabilities. Slightly more than 80% of Roma children complete primary education, but only one third continues studies into the intermediate (secondary) level. This is far lower than the more than 90% proportion of children of non-Roma families who continue studies at an intermediate level. The situation is made still worse by the fact that a large proportion of young Roma are qualified in subjects that provide them only limited chances for employment. Less than 1% of Roma hold higher educational certificates. Their low status on the job market and higher unemployment rate cause poverty, widespread social problems and crime.”

Gypsies/Romas love music, dancing and it is interesting to note that Gypsy/Roma musicians are more accepted than Gypsies/Romas in general. They are carrying their tradition music, dance from generation to generation. Gypsies/Romas marry among themselves, marrying to other group of Romas/Gypsies is looked down and many a times are disowned by the society. About 20% Hungarian population live under poverty line and most of them as Romas/Gypsies.

During my visit I met Romas/Gypsies from village Sajokaza, Ozd, Hegymeg and other places where Romas/Gypsies live in majority. Sajokaza is a village about 30km north-east of Miskolc and has a population of about 3300 people, with half of them from the Roma/Gypsy community. Majority of the Romas/Gypsies live in the outskirts of village in ghettos and their lifestyle is totally different from the other Hungarians of the village. Romas/Gypsies live life in segregation, villages like Alsoszentmarton (population: 1200 romas/gypsies and 3 non-romas people), Gilvanfa (population: 400 romas/gypsies and 8 non-roma people), Csenyete (population: 450 romas/gypsies and 1 non- roma) are few examples of segregation.

Romas/Gypsies and Stereotypes:

Stereotype reflects the ideas, beliefs that some people have about others who are not similar to them and become very potent tools for spreading hatred towards them. This happens with every persecuted community which becomes prisoner of various stereotypes propagated by the dominant community. The ‘gypsy’ image of Roma people is full of stereotyping by the white Europeans which is the bane for the community.

The ‘gypsy’ for an average white European means cheaters, beggars, thieves, people who live in very dirty conditions and don’t like to work, pickpockets, nomads who don’t want to settle down etc. Another image of ‘gypsies’ is that of being petty thieves. It is believed by the non-Romas that ‘gypsies’ cut their forefingers so that they could easily steal money from the pockets of other people. It is also believed that ‘gypsy’ kids wear long clothes so that they could hide chickens which they steal from white farmers’ houses.

The image of ‘gypsies’ being thieves is so strong that they are the first one who are being rounded by the police, if there is any crime in the neighborhood. Most often they become an easy victim to the police inefficiency to catch hold the real culprits and are brutalized just for being a ‘gypsy’. Almost every family I interacted with talked about the police discriminatory behaviour towards the community. Then there are usual stereotypes like gypsy don’t value the education, are not good in studies, parents are not interested in teaching their kids etc. While talking about Roma kids being unintelligent, no one dares to say about the treatment which is met to these kids. This stereotype hampers the progress of Roma kids in the schools and their job prospects if they succeed in getting some education.

Romas/Gypsies on top:

Despite the situation of Romas/Gypsies in society predestinates them not to evolve their giftedness, but Gypsies/Romas like Olah Mara (Painter, opened first “Hungarian Private Gypsy/Roma Gallery”), Jaroka Livia (Second Gypsy/Roma member of European Union), Lakatos Menyhert (1926-2007, writer and was politically active), Gedo Gyorgy (Olympic champion in boxing, 1972), Miczura Monika (Singer) and many other Romas/Gypsies have defied fake logics of society and now are/were on the top positions in their fields at their times. They proved that giftedness, intelligence is independent of “skin color.” The chances are equal to find bright students in Hungarian and in Gypsy/Roma community but social environment around later posses’ difficulties for their development.

Reclaiming Human dignity – Romas/Gypsies protest

“Lost rights are never regained by appeals to the conscience of the usurpers, but by relentless struggle”.  – Dr B R Ambedkar

11th October, 2009; about 1500 Romas/Gypsies gathered at Heroes Square in Budapest, the capital of Hungary for their demonstration against the discrimination and segregation faced by them at each and every step of life. This was the one of the largest protest by the Romas/Gypsies of Hungary to retrieve human dignity.

Some of the main demands of the protestors as displayed by their colorful banners were -

“We want our kids to go to same schools, where non-Roma ones go”,

“We want equal rights as others have”,

“We don’t want privileges but equal opportunities”,

“We need work instead of benefits”,

“United we can change the world”,

The two which I particularly like is against the stereotyping of school going Roma kids.

“Child’s head is not a pot which need to fill, but a torch which is necessary to ignite”,

“The learning is nothing more than the discovery of possible.

Dr B R Ambedkar and Romas/Gypsies of Hungary

Derdak Tibor; sociologist, former “Member of Parliament” and Roma/Gypsy leader Orsos Janos, (president of “Jai Bhim Netwrok”) got inspired by the work of Dr B R Ambedkar for Dalits of India, his philosophy of social transformation and now they are trying to indoctrinate ‘Ambedkarite’ thoughts in their movement towards equal rights for Roma community. Derdak Tibor and Orsos Janos visited Maharashtra (India) in 2005 and in 2007; after visiting India and analyzing the condition of Dalits of India, they felt very deep connection with the Dalits of India and got convinced that Dr Ambedkar’s thoughts and message of social transformation is relevant to the Romas/Gypsies as well. So after going back to Hungary they started support network named as “Jai Bhim Netwrok” in 2007, embraced Buddhism and opened three high schools named as Dr Ambedkar High School in Sajokaza, Ozd and Hegymeg for Roma/Gypsy children in Hungary.  Young sociologists like Bodori Katlin and about 20 teachers teach at these schools to about 200 students. Romas/Gypsies problems like segregation, facing prejudices and discrimination are same as of Dalits of India, so message of Dr Ambedkar, ‘Educate-Unite-Agitate’ appeals to Romas/Gypsies of Hungary and more and more people are coming forward to join “Jai Bhim Network”. The objective of the “Jai Bhim Network” is to uplift the living standards of Roma/Gypsy people, to help them come out of poverty, achieve equal social & economic status in the Hungarian society. Moreover Network is planning to start Microfinance Institution on the lines of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, which changed million lives there.