Nevada (US), Jan 17 (ANI): Hindus have welcomed initiative of Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) for making "Developing European Roma Policy" as one of its nine "main issues".
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it meant that new Hungarian Presidency would not stay apathetic and silent spectator when about 15-million fellow Roma brothers/sisters were reportedly facing blatant injustice and discrimination in Europe. He urged Hungarian Presidency and Hungary's President Pal Schmitt and Prime Minister Viktor Orban to show strong political will, courage, and commitment in support of Roma cause.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that European Roma reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, etc.
Rajan Zed applauded statement of Hungarian Presidency on its website, which said: The objective of the Hungarian Presidency is to have the Framework Strategy on Roma Integration adopted at the June 2011 meeting of the European Council. The Framework Strategy would be the cornerstone of a unified European Roma Policy, on the basis of which Member States would in the future develop their own Roma integration reform programs. Integration of the Roma minority into the majority society should be an objective for all relevant sectoral policies. ...social and economic inclusion has to be supported with every available tool and policy instrument...The Hungarian Presidency would like to avoid having European politics manage the situation of the Roma...
Regarding plight of Roma in Europe, however, Hungarian Presidency agreed-the situation of the Roma is still characterized by prevailing discrimination, social and often economic exclusion: according to data of the European Commission, poverty and unemployment is high among the Roma population; and prejudices still inflict them.
Janos Martonyi is President of Hungarian Presidency. (ANI)
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