Hindus laud Hungary hospital for attempt to honor Roma traditions

Hindus have commended the hospital in Hungary town of Gyongyos for reportedly setting up a special room for Roma patients and their visitors to practice their cultural rituals.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, described it as a "step in the right direction" and urged other hospitals of Hungary also to make similar accommodations to speed-up the integration of Roma.

This hospital in eastern Hungary was reportedly the scene of a cultural misunderstanding in 2002 when about a dozen Roma and police officials were injured in the conflict over the mourning behavior of Roma over the death of a relative. Roma have reportedly certain traditions linked to birth and death and they expressed their emotions differently than other Hungarians. This hospital is also reportedly considering having Roma liaison officers.

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, 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 percent 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. Hungarian government should be more proactive in protecting Roma and other minorities. 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.

Roma in Hungary, whose estimated numbers sometimes reach around one million, 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.

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.

Last updated on Nov 10^th, 2009 at 13:20 pm IST--Sampurn Media