MALTREATMENT OF European Roma (Gypsies) worsened during 2011 despite high-sounding paper strategies, conferences and funding to integrate them, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed stated in Nevada (USA) today.

Roma continued to face apartheid conditions, prejudice, exclusion and rights denial in Europe and efforts had failed to integrate them. Roma needed dignity and respect like other Europeans and they were not getting it, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out.

Rajan said that it was time for Europe to wake-up and do something concrete to end Roma apartheid. “European politicians needed to exhibit a strong will, commitment, intention and responsibility to bring concrete and lasting results on the reality of the Roma population, instead of just weaving dreams in capital boardrooms,” he said.

Europe needed to clarify to the world where it stood on the issue of Roma and how long it would let the clearly visible Roma apartheid continue throughout almost every European locale, Zed asked.

Their alarming condition was a social blight for Europe and the rest of the world as they reportedly regularly faced 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 abuses, racist slogans on Internet, unusually high unemployment rates, etc., Rajan argued.