NEVADA(USA): Highlighting the gravity of the situation of Roma people of Europe, Hindus have strongly urged European governments to urgently improve their plight.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu and Indo-American leader, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said 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 ten million and were the most disadvantaged.

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, says that Roma live in deep poverty even in most prosperous parts of the world. Many of their children study in segregated schools offering inferior quality education and many do not attend school at all.

Their alarming condition is a social blight for Europe and the rest of the world as they reportedly regularly face social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, racist slogans on Internet, unusually high unemployment rates, etc., Rajan Zed argues.

Zed further says that there is reportedly brazen structural discrimination of Roma in education, housing access, property rights, etc. Anti-Roma attitude even shows sometimes in official speeches. According to an estimate, less than one percent of Roma children attend postsecondary education. Recent fingerprinting issue brought their plight in the open again.

It is like an undeclared apartheid and it is almost total societal exclusion of Roma. The maltreatment of Roma is outside even the European Union norms. Roma issue should be one of the highest priorities of European human rights agenda. Strong political will is needed to resolve this, Zed points out.

Roma inclusion and integration programs need to immediately take off the ground providing them with better health and education avenues, higher economic opportunities, sources of empowerment and participation, etc. Expand their access to preschool education, let their children attend mainstream schools and launch awareness campaigns. Available Roma workforce, if utilized effectively, can bring unexpected economic gains to Europe, Zed says.

Rajan Zed stresses that a comprehensive, sustainable, cohesive and integrated Europe-wide policy with strategic focus is needed to target discrimination against Roma and their integration; providing them equal access to education, employment, public services, housing, and health care; empowerment through participation; increased transparency of authorities; improving their material and human rights situation, etc. Involve Roma in policymaking and its implementation and assessment. Establish a monitoring body for programs and projects.

Zed says that all world religions, denominations and religious leaders should also come out in support of the cause of this distinct ethnic and cultural group of Roma, because religion teaches us to help the helpless.

Meanwhile, in a statement in Nevada (USA), Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that as religion was the most powerful and far-reaching force in our society and all preached against racism, so religions and their leadership could be most effective in removing racism from the face of the earth. He urged all religions and denominations and their leaders to make a concerted effort to eradicate racism and ask the faithful to be more inclusive.

He applauded His Holiness Pope Benedictus XVI Joseph A. Ratzinger for coming out strongly against racism and giving a call to his followers to combat intolerance and exclusion and have respect for fellow human beings.

Rajan Zed further says that they are worried about recent reports of blatant displays of racism in various parts of the world.  Many countries have anti-discrimination laws in the books which need proper implementation. Although few among us may be actually blamable for racism, but as a society, all of us are morally accountable, he adds.