A Hungarian Hospital Makes Efforts to Honor Roma Traditions

Some more good news on the Roma Rights front, a hospital in Gyongyos has reportedly set up a special room for Roma patients and their visitors to practice their cultural rituals.
This makes me very happy. The more gestures of tolerance extended by people and institutions, the more assimilated the Roma people will feel. It will also remind others that the Roma people have an important place in society. We are all kin. Keep the love flowing. Read the full article from The Budapest Times, "Hindus laud Hungary hospital for attempt to honor Roma traditions." I summarize:

Acclaimed Hindu statesman and president of Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), November 10th, 2009, described this gesture 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 reports that in Hungary, despite various government initiatives, Roma continuously suffer 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.

These injustices are unfortunately true in many other countries including Romania and Italy. The Roma population in Hungary is estimated to be at 1 million, which makes Hungary home to the largest Roma minority in the world. The Roma people have been living in Hungary since the 14th century.

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.