by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
What surprises me time and again the the fact that the Rom, and I do include in the term Rom all Romani Groups, do not appear to be willing, in the great majority, to help themselves; whether economically nor in any other way.
Other groups of people, whether the Native Americans, poor people in South Africa, the Philippines and others, everywhere establish co-ops and (community) livelihood projects, while most Romanies, especially the Roma in Eastern Europe, sit on their backsides and women and children beg and steal and scavenge, for food even, on the municipal rubbish tips. It would appear that they simply have no pride and no self-respect whatsoever.
But we have trodden this path before and berated them by means of articles and essays and I very much doubt that there is much more that can be said on this matter to get them motivated.
So, let us, therefore, concentrate on looking at some ideas for self-help projects for those that might want to make a change in and to their lives and that of their families and clans and seek some solutions that may fit.
There is not going to be one solution that is going to fit all situations and circumstances, but I am sure that there is at least one solution for every problems and then some. Such solutions, however, do not drop, as by parachute, from the sky. Thinking, lateral thinking often, is required in order to come up with such ideas or to adapt existing solutions and then to implement them.
There are some, it would appear, though, that have to have every idea handed to them on a plate and then they still will reject each and every one of them with comments such as that the solutions are not properly tailored for the needs of the Romani People or have not been discussed with the People, etc. Excuses, always excuses, and more often than not the same excuses and made by the same so-called “leaders”.
There are ideas for livelihood projects and such like that can be found in various places and countries and it should be possible and will be possible to adapt and adjust most of them to, in one way or another, fit a situation and circumstances in which Romani find themselves and from which they seek an escape. While the example of Trashe Bolsas from the Philippines is one that could, I am sure be adapted, it may not necessarily will be or even have to be in using tarpaulins such as those used by this group. However, many Rom in Eastern Europe, as I said, scavenge, or at least their women and children, for it would appear that the men are just too proud and lazy to do such menial work, on the refuse dumps and I am sure that that is where some such recycling projects could be brought to life.
When I was a youngster we did a lot of such kind of work, that is to say, recycling. Not that the word had even been invented then. We made things from discarded fence wire, for instance, such as BBQ forks, toasting forks, and other things; from old nails, from old knives; everything we made, basically, went for sale door-to-door or and especially on local markets.
Others made pegs, clothespins and tent pegs, etc. while we also recycled old leather goods into new stuff and and uncle of mine, for instance, and his group, made a living, and a good living, of picking up other people's cast offs, such as furniture items, and restoring them for sale.
Those are a few examples from those days which still can have a value today. Yes, even the making of pegs, for on the right kind of markets they, yet again, fetch good prices.
When it comes to the “green” sector, especially, that is to say the recycling and refurbishing of stuff, the possibilities are there to do it and to make money from it. Versatility is also a requirement, which is to say to be able to do more than one thing in such ventures.
Presently we are told that plastic bags will soon be a thing of the past and the things of the past need to come out again when we go shopping. That is to say that we – and not just we but everyone – will need to have “cloth” shopping bags again and many places now sell the cotton, fair trade cotton even at times, tote bags. However, they are newly manufactured and whether fair trade cotton or not, it still is a drain on the natural resources. There we come again to the recycling co-ops of, maybe, Romani groups. The material could be old clothes, such as jeans, and other cotton or even synthetic material – we are recycling after all – that can be recycled into a variety of shopping bags, totes and others. The only limitation is set my the mind and to a small degree by the material(s).
The possibilities for the Romani to help themselves though their own co-ops and livelihood projects is there and I have tried to present a few small ideas here without actually writing the blueprint for such projects. There is no “one solutions fits all” and therefore there is scope for everyone to come up with ideas. So, let's do it!
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
Recycling and the Gyppo
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The entire world, especially, but not only, the countries of the developed world, are on about the need for everyone to recycle.
Before the word “recycling” (and those related to it) was ever even invented it was the Gypsy who was doing just that, namely recycling and such. Reclaiming materials, and not just metals, was a main activity for many Gypsy families and clans. Who were the majority of those that went about with horse and cart or even handcart calling “any old iron” and calling for rags and old bones even, the so-called “rag and bone men” or the “totters”. They were of Romani origin in the great majority and it was not only the menfolks that did this tasks.
Then this trade was stopped; the calling around the country was basically outlawed. The picking on the municipal dumps was outlawed and handed to the “professional pickers”. What was the result? Guess what? Suddenly we have a problem. What a surprise – NOT! And now everyone is clamouring for it. Recycling is the slogan everywhere. It was the Gypsy who first took scrap, took other people's trash, and turned it into resalable items again, whether the knives that many made from old knives or other things. More often than not it was not just “reclaiming” the metals and other items; often it was restoring and refurbishing the items for resale. This was anything from furniture to machinery, and many other items in between and later up to electrical goods. Fence wire was turned into the likes of toasting forks, barbecue forks, and many other items. Old knives were reworked into new ones, blade grade steel was made into knives and other cutting tools, and we could get on and on.
Now everyone is trying to do the same and then again it is not the same. While the practical recycling that was done by the Gypsy the industrial recycling, to some degree, to me at least, seems to be less good for the Planet. The impact of energy and factories and such is adding to the environmental footprint of us and those companies. Then again, rather have the material, obviously, recycled in such a fashion instead of it going into landfills.
But there are many aspects of recycling that could be done, yet again, in the way the old Gypsy did. All we need to do is to adapt to the materials. Entire community livelihood projects and programs could be set up for Romani communities to do recycling and there is a market out there for the right quality of recycled goods, made in a way as it was done before.
I know that there are some modern “totters” out there of the Romani community but most of them are only looking to pick up and carry scrap metal to this or that dealer. If we talk scrap metal then we should take it all the way.
What do I mean with taking it all the way? I mean that we should disassemble, say, vehicles and ourselves sell the parts reclaimed as secondhand spares. However, my real issue in this article is for ours to return to doing “recycling crafts” that can be sold locally and further afield. Many families and clans could be gainfully employed – by themselves – in recycling and refurbishing those things that others, especially the general public, throw out. There is also commercial waste available that could be used in such ventures, such as canvass and tarpaulin from manufacturers that use such materials, as well as, and especially, the material that has been used and would, otherwise, end up in the landfill. Time we got and did it again; we did it before. The only difference, nowadays, would be that the materials are different.
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
The entire world, especially, but not only, the countries of the developed world, are on about the need for everyone to recycle.
Before the word “recycling” (and those related to it) was ever even invented it was the Gypsy who was doing just that, namely recycling and such. Reclaiming materials, and not just metals, was a main activity for many Gypsy families and clans. Who were the majority of those that went about with horse and cart or even handcart calling “any old iron” and calling for rags and old bones even, the so-called “rag and bone men” or the “totters”. They were of Romani origin in the great majority and it was not only the menfolks that did this tasks.
Then this trade was stopped; the calling around the country was basically outlawed. The picking on the municipal dumps was outlawed and handed to the “professional pickers”. What was the result? Guess what? Suddenly we have a problem. What a surprise – NOT! And now everyone is clamouring for it. Recycling is the slogan everywhere. It was the Gypsy who first took scrap, took other people's trash, and turned it into resalable items again, whether the knives that many made from old knives or other things. More often than not it was not just “reclaiming” the metals and other items; often it was restoring and refurbishing the items for resale. This was anything from furniture to machinery, and many other items in between and later up to electrical goods. Fence wire was turned into the likes of toasting forks, barbecue forks, and many other items. Old knives were reworked into new ones, blade grade steel was made into knives and other cutting tools, and we could get on and on.
Now everyone is trying to do the same and then again it is not the same. While the practical recycling that was done by the Gypsy the industrial recycling, to some degree, to me at least, seems to be less good for the Planet. The impact of energy and factories and such is adding to the environmental footprint of us and those companies. Then again, rather have the material, obviously, recycled in such a fashion instead of it going into landfills.
But there are many aspects of recycling that could be done, yet again, in the way the old Gypsy did. All we need to do is to adapt to the materials. Entire community livelihood projects and programs could be set up for Romani communities to do recycling and there is a market out there for the right quality of recycled goods, made in a way as it was done before.
I know that there are some modern “totters” out there of the Romani community but most of them are only looking to pick up and carry scrap metal to this or that dealer. If we talk scrap metal then we should take it all the way.
What do I mean with taking it all the way? I mean that we should disassemble, say, vehicles and ourselves sell the parts reclaimed as secondhand spares. However, my real issue in this article is for ours to return to doing “recycling crafts” that can be sold locally and further afield. Many families and clans could be gainfully employed – by themselves – in recycling and refurbishing those things that others, especially the general public, throw out. There is also commercial waste available that could be used in such ventures, such as canvass and tarpaulin from manufacturers that use such materials, as well as, and especially, the material that has been used and would, otherwise, end up in the landfill. Time we got and did it again; we did it before. The only difference, nowadays, would be that the materials are different.
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
The Rom were right after all
Dogs and cats do not belong in kitchen and bedroom
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
British veterinary scientists have told the general public in a report of April 2008 that they should not allow dogs and cats into kitchens, as dogs and cats carry food poison bacteria, and many other pathogens, including the MRSA virus, the often called “super bug”.
Now who would have thought that, after all, the Rom, who have had it as part of their cleanliness rules, their Mokadi Law, for ever and day that dogs and cats have no place inside the home and cited was always contamination, would be proven right. And yes, I am sarcastic here. We, the Rom, and our Elders and our Ancestors from ages past, have know well before the Gadje that dogs and cats carry diseases. While the Gadje had all their livestock and dogs and cats in their homes during the pestilences in the middle ages the Rom, in their wagon and tents never allowed dogs (and other livestock) inside and hence never seem to succumb to the plagues and pestilences. Hence the claim by the powers that be, in order to have a reason to act again the Gypsy that the Gypsy were in league with the devil (and our name for God sure did not help their one bit) and that the Gypsy were spreading the diseases while they themselves were not affected by them. The simple fact, however, is that the fleas, which carry the plague, for instance, did not have time to get too close to the Rom.
This is, yet again, more proof that rather than superstition and such the Law of Mokadi are well thought out and we would do well to adhere to them, still and especially in this day and age. The MRSA virus, as we keep hearing, for instance, because of so many people catching it in hospitals, is basically resistant to most antibiotics and could, therefore, be fatal. Best to go back to the Old Ways and definitely keep the furry pets outside, where they, after all, belong.
The Mokadi Law still is as valid, as said before, as it was in the old days though there are some aspects that are claimed to be part of this ancient Law by some that I am beginning to doubt that they ever were part of it, such as the ban on our People becoming medical practitioners of all kinds. We do need doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics and others of Gypsy origin simply because only our own can treat those of the Rom with the respect demanded by our Culture and Traditions and as we do not want to teach those to medical staff we simply must have our own. Ideally, we need more than just our own doctors here and there and in hospitals but that is still some way off.
While there are some things that are claimed to be part of the Mokadi Law that may have been added to it at some stage for reasons unknown the points that make lots of sense, and that proven again and again must remain for sure.
It would seem that it might be a good idea for the Rom to look at the Mokadi Law with new eyes in the realization that medical science now realizes those things that our Ancient Ones knew ages ago.
While it may be, in today's age where we have the likes of chlorine bleach and other such chemicals for sterilizing, that the time may be passed to having to throw away and break a cup or a plate that has fallen onto the floor in the house or trailer (strangely enough often items fallen onto the earth were not regarded as defiled). But then again, I don't know. It is so ingrained with me that I still do such things and I do not think that that will change.
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
British veterinary scientists have told the general public in a report of April 2008 that they should not allow dogs and cats into kitchens, as dogs and cats carry food poison bacteria, and many other pathogens, including the MRSA virus, the often called “super bug”.
Now who would have thought that, after all, the Rom, who have had it as part of their cleanliness rules, their Mokadi Law, for ever and day that dogs and cats have no place inside the home and cited was always contamination, would be proven right. And yes, I am sarcastic here. We, the Rom, and our Elders and our Ancestors from ages past, have know well before the Gadje that dogs and cats carry diseases. While the Gadje had all their livestock and dogs and cats in their homes during the pestilences in the middle ages the Rom, in their wagon and tents never allowed dogs (and other livestock) inside and hence never seem to succumb to the plagues and pestilences. Hence the claim by the powers that be, in order to have a reason to act again the Gypsy that the Gypsy were in league with the devil (and our name for God sure did not help their one bit) and that the Gypsy were spreading the diseases while they themselves were not affected by them. The simple fact, however, is that the fleas, which carry the plague, for instance, did not have time to get too close to the Rom.
This is, yet again, more proof that rather than superstition and such the Law of Mokadi are well thought out and we would do well to adhere to them, still and especially in this day and age. The MRSA virus, as we keep hearing, for instance, because of so many people catching it in hospitals, is basically resistant to most antibiotics and could, therefore, be fatal. Best to go back to the Old Ways and definitely keep the furry pets outside, where they, after all, belong.
The Mokadi Law still is as valid, as said before, as it was in the old days though there are some aspects that are claimed to be part of this ancient Law by some that I am beginning to doubt that they ever were part of it, such as the ban on our People becoming medical practitioners of all kinds. We do need doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics and others of Gypsy origin simply because only our own can treat those of the Rom with the respect demanded by our Culture and Traditions and as we do not want to teach those to medical staff we simply must have our own. Ideally, we need more than just our own doctors here and there and in hospitals but that is still some way off.
While there are some things that are claimed to be part of the Mokadi Law that may have been added to it at some stage for reasons unknown the points that make lots of sense, and that proven again and again must remain for sure.
It would seem that it might be a good idea for the Rom to look at the Mokadi Law with new eyes in the realization that medical science now realizes those things that our Ancient Ones knew ages ago.
While it may be, in today's age where we have the likes of chlorine bleach and other such chemicals for sterilizing, that the time may be passed to having to throw away and break a cup or a plate that has fallen onto the floor in the house or trailer (strangely enough often items fallen onto the earth were not regarded as defiled). But then again, I don't know. It is so ingrained with me that I still do such things and I do not think that that will change.
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
Community Livelihood Projects and the Rom
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
While Europe may not be the Philippines and we may not have those advertising tarpaulins available for making bags and such like as are being used by Trashe Bolsas (we shall be hearing lots more about that project in due course in the pages of this journal and others of Tatchipen Media), for instance, many Rom do scavenge on the rubbish tips, mostly and especially in Eastern Europe.
Nowhere, however, do there seem to be any recycling community livelihood projects – or other community livelihood projects – by Rom for Rom in existence. It would appear, as far as most of the Roma, at least, are concerned self-help and work is not on the agenda and both would appear to be dirty words in their vocabulary. They rather like to have women and children beg and steal on the streets and worse even, it would appear; e.g. have little boys and girls “sold” for sordid activities. This is no imagination for we have encountered those acts now even in the West.
The Gypsy Union and especially the Romani Institute are currently studying feasibilities as to what could be suggested by way of such projects to the greater community and one that could loosely be termed to be one is the recently launched and founded organization “IRMA”, the International Romani Media Association. This organization is for all Romani writers and journalists who may find it difficult to get accredited by and for professional bodies as they do not make their primary income from their writing or journalistic/media activities. While IRMA does not provide work nor promise and guarantee work for members, and therefore, probably, could not be seen as a community livelihood project per se it is also not claimed to be one. All the International Romani Media Association – IRMA – does is try to become a recognized professional body of journalists, other writers and other media personnel of Romani origin, and is intended as a definite self-help project, in the same way as is the RFA, the Romani Foresters' Association.
We have to help ourselves and do things and provide things for ourselves and this must include community livelihood projects and co-ops.
We cannot and must not just sit back and hope that someone will come along and do this and that for us like I have seen it with the Rom in the countries of Eastern Europe and yes, predominately amongst Roma, where the men sit about all day long, mostly, with a few exceptions, play cards, drink coffee and whatever else, and the women and children are our begging, choring and/or scavenging on the rubbish tips and such. They even did not get up and repair a leaky roof or a tumbledown wall, or whatever such on their own dwellings. Their excuse was that the authorities had to do that for them or they were waiting for this or that charity to come and do it. Or like those where the entire neighborhood around their houses was strewn with garbage and litter which they simply threw out of the windows and off the balconies of their apartments and they demanded that the municipality came to collect this rubbish, while they never thought that they would have to pay for the service.
When it comes to “job creation” the story also is always the same: we want this or that NGO – like Open Society Institute, as example here for many – to some and do this or that for us, and the same with community centers, etc. Why do we need to have some Gadje organization do it for us?
The problem would appear that the majority of Rom, especially the mushes, do not even want to do any work, and particular not, it would appear, with their hands. Yes, I do know that there are exceptions, but...
Am I the only one who is getting fed up with the mentality of the great majority of our Romanies – and I do include all of our People here now, including Sinti, Cale, Romanichals, Manush, the lot – of wanting things done for them and ideally for nothing. When are ours going to get their finger out of the orifice where they seem to have parked it and actually do things for themselves, Rom for Rom, by Rom for Rom and not done for us by the Gadje who then want to keep control over what we do.
Also for other reasons we must do things for ourselves, and we must work for ourselves, to bring in a living for ourselves and our families. Community Livelihood Projects, set us as co-operatives by Rom for Rom can be a help there in areas where there is no other means of earning a livelihood. We must get away from the slave mentality of dependency on handouts. That dependency can also be found amongst Romanies in countries other than those of Eastern Europe even, unfortunately.
Time for a change, a major change, methinks. There have always been those groups that earned a more or less honest living with their own hands and then, it would appear, there have always been those amongst the Romani, who appear to be in the majority in the countries of the former Com-Bloc, who rather send their women and chavies to mong and chor rather than themselves doing an honest day's work.
We all know the excuse they will throw about amongst them the favorite and much recycled one about Rom not (being allowed to) work for employers and also that Rom are not allowed to employ other Rom and all such, for lack of a better word, garbage. Therefore, they probably also would not be able to do any work in such “Community Livelihood Projects” even if they fell out of the sky with all the ideas and all that. They might be working (for a Rom) despite the fact that most should really be working for themselves and their families in a co-operative.
The dependency culture of the Romani People, that of the great majority, has to be put a stop to. It is, as I already said, not just present in the countries of the former Com-Bloc – though it seems to be rather deep seated there and I know that some would like to put it down to the fact that the Roma were slaves until the late 19th century in countries such as Romania – but it can also be found in other countries with a well-developed welfare system, such as Germany, the UK, and others. While it is no less better in countries such as the USA where such state welfare is not, necessarily, as easily available. Too many just sit there and expect things to happen. Life does not work like that and scam jobs too have no future. They should never ever have had a past either. I was taught by my Elders to give high quality and value for many service so that we would be welcomed back again and again in those villages and neighborhoods. Scamming does no one any good, least of all the one who perpetrates such scams.
Dosta penauas again, mandi djins... just to add a “let's get up and do it”...
© M Smith (Veshengro) & Tatchipen Media, April 2008
While Europe may not be the Philippines and we may not have those advertising tarpaulins available for making bags and such like as are being used by Trashe Bolsas (we shall be hearing lots more about that project in due course in the pages of this journal and others of Tatchipen Media), for instance, many Rom do scavenge on the rubbish tips, mostly and especially in Eastern Europe.
Nowhere, however, do there seem to be any recycling community livelihood projects – or other community livelihood projects – by Rom for Rom in existence. It would appear, as far as most of the Roma, at least, are concerned self-help and work is not on the agenda and both would appear to be dirty words in their vocabulary. They rather like to have women and children beg and steal on the streets and worse even, it would appear; e.g. have little boys and girls “sold” for sordid activities. This is no imagination for we have encountered those acts now even in the West.
The Gypsy Union and especially the Romani Institute are currently studying feasibilities as to what could be suggested by way of such projects to the greater community and one that could loosely be termed to be one is the recently launched and founded organization “IRMA”, the International Romani Media Association. This organization is for all Romani writers and journalists who may find it difficult to get accredited by and for professional bodies as they do not make their primary income from their writing or journalistic/media activities. While IRMA does not provide work nor promise and guarantee work for members, and therefore, probably, could not be seen as a community livelihood project per se it is also not claimed to be one. All the International Romani Media Association – IRMA – does is try to become a recognized professional body of journalists, other writers and other media personnel of Romani origin, and is intended as a definite self-help project, in the same way as is the RFA, the Romani Foresters' Association.
We have to help ourselves and do things and provide things for ourselves and this must include community livelihood projects and co-ops.
We cannot and must not just sit back and hope that someone will come along and do this and that for us like I have seen it with the Rom in the countries of Eastern Europe and yes, predominately amongst Roma, where the men sit about all day long, mostly, with a few exceptions, play cards, drink coffee and whatever else, and the women and children are our begging, choring and/or scavenging on the rubbish tips and such. They even did not get up and repair a leaky roof or a tumbledown wall, or whatever such on their own dwellings. Their excuse was that the authorities had to do that for them or they were waiting for this or that charity to come and do it. Or like those where the entire neighborhood around their houses was strewn with garbage and litter which they simply threw out of the windows and off the balconies of their apartments and they demanded that the municipality came to collect this rubbish, while they never thought that they would have to pay for the service.
When it comes to “job creation” the story also is always the same: we want this or that NGO – like Open Society Institute, as example here for many – to some and do this or that for us, and the same with community centers, etc. Why do we need to have some Gadje organization do it for us?
The problem would appear that the majority of Rom, especially the mushes, do not even want to do any work, and particular not, it would appear, with their hands. Yes, I do know that there are exceptions, but...
Am I the only one who is getting fed up with the mentality of the great majority of our Romanies – and I do include all of our People here now, including Sinti, Cale, Romanichals, Manush, the lot – of wanting things done for them and ideally for nothing. When are ours going to get their finger out of the orifice where they seem to have parked it and actually do things for themselves, Rom for Rom, by Rom for Rom and not done for us by the Gadje who then want to keep control over what we do.
Also for other reasons we must do things for ourselves, and we must work for ourselves, to bring in a living for ourselves and our families. Community Livelihood Projects, set us as co-operatives by Rom for Rom can be a help there in areas where there is no other means of earning a livelihood. We must get away from the slave mentality of dependency on handouts. That dependency can also be found amongst Romanies in countries other than those of Eastern Europe even, unfortunately.
Time for a change, a major change, methinks. There have always been those groups that earned a more or less honest living with their own hands and then, it would appear, there have always been those amongst the Romani, who appear to be in the majority in the countries of the former Com-Bloc, who rather send their women and chavies to mong and chor rather than themselves doing an honest day's work.
We all know the excuse they will throw about amongst them the favorite and much recycled one about Rom not (being allowed to) work for employers and also that Rom are not allowed to employ other Rom and all such, for lack of a better word, garbage. Therefore, they probably also would not be able to do any work in such “Community Livelihood Projects” even if they fell out of the sky with all the ideas and all that. They might be working (for a Rom) despite the fact that most should really be working for themselves and their families in a co-operative.
The dependency culture of the Romani People, that of the great majority, has to be put a stop to. It is, as I already said, not just present in the countries of the former Com-Bloc – though it seems to be rather deep seated there and I know that some would like to put it down to the fact that the Roma were slaves until the late 19th century in countries such as Romania – but it can also be found in other countries with a well-developed welfare system, such as Germany, the UK, and others. While it is no less better in countries such as the USA where such state welfare is not, necessarily, as easily available. Too many just sit there and expect things to happen. Life does not work like that and scam jobs too have no future. They should never ever have had a past either. I was taught by my Elders to give high quality and value for many service so that we would be welcomed back again and again in those villages and neighborhoods. Scamming does no one any good, least of all the one who perpetrates such scams.
Dosta penauas again, mandi djins... just to add a “let's get up and do it”...
© M Smith (Veshengro) & Tatchipen Media, April 2008
A Tale of Kings, Emperors, Judges and Pastors
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Kings of all Gypsies, such as Cioba, Kwiek, et al - Emperor of all Gypsies, such as Cioba's relation, and others - Judges who oppress the People rather than know anything about the Romani Laws and last, but not least, Pastors (shepherds – I think not) of the Pentecostalist and other “Christian” Missions - All do their part in damaging the Romani People.
We do not have Kings and such lord it over us, used to be the great scream amongst the People to those that would claim that this or that person was a Gypsy King or a Gypsy Queen with power over the People and, truthfully, we, at least the Sinti and Cale, have NEVER ever have had Kings, Emperors and such like. We have had Judges, the Rakepaskros, the Rechtsprecher, and Shero Roms, but none of those of today even deserve the name and title of either of those, with the exception, maybe, of one or the other Sherengro, or Shero Rom. They make judgments based on anything but the Romani Laws, for most would not know the Romani Laws even if they bit them; they turn women into slaves, which our women never were (in fact the women ruled rather more than did the men), and keep the People in total ignorance.
Rom Society once was, in the background, matriarchal and while the men led as Shero Roms or Judges, the old mother, the Puri Deia held the true reigns and it was her word that was law in the end and not that of Judges and Shero Roms. Women (and children) in many groups were the main breadwinners, as it was the women and the children who went into the streets, door-to-door, or onto the markets to hawk the goods produced, whether wooden pegs of all kinds, wooden flowers, lace, knives, and others.
The only men who worked the “calling circuits” were the knife grinders and the rag and bone men, and the tinkers.
Not only the men did made the wooden crafts, such as clothespins, tent pegs, wooded flowers, etc.; the majority of our womenfolk and children did too.
In the 20th century, however, and here especially after WWII, it would seem, this was turned upside down in mainland Europe, and here especially amongst the Sinti groups in Germany, Austria, France, and the Cale in Spain. The Roma, it has to be noted, always seem to have had this male dominated attitude.
The Catalan Gypsies, probably due to the influences of the Mediterranean “culture” also have this attitude of suppressing and oppressing their women. I actually assume that this may also be the reason for that attitude also amongst the Cale of Spain, e.g. the culture of male domination of Catholicism and the Mediterranean per se.
With friends like these, who needs enemies.
Kings, Emperors & Tsars
Roma Leader predicts crime wave to swamp EU
In a statement of August 7, 2006 the head of Bulgaria's Roma community Tsar Kiro has warned a crime wave will sweep Great Britain and the rest of EU member states, when the country joins the union.
The Rom certainly need no enemies when they have “leaders” such as this and while “Tsar” Kiro may be right as to a great number of his “folks” being involved in crime – and what precisely is he doing about it – this immediately says, once again, to the outside world that Roma = Gypsy = criminal.
What we were seeing here, however, was a rather blatant attempt in blackmail. Namely saying to the EU, though not in exactly those selfsame words, “give me money and I will ensure that my people will not flood your countries”.
The truth is that while some Bulgarian, Romanian and other East European Roma have ended up on the British streets and, I should assume, the streets of other EU member states, it was hardly a flood as predicted by the likes of Tsar Kiro or the British gutter press.
In addition to this we have things like this below, again in a short extract from a media report:
Romanian Gypsy royalty embroiled in leadership struggle
It is in Romania that you will meet the Gypsy elite, like Florin Cioaba. He is a politician, a businessman, a preacher - and wait there's more - because he is also His Royal Highness, the King of the Roma.
But the King of the Roma is not the only monarch in the neighbourhood.
Just around the corner, barely half a kilometre down the road, there is another ruler to meet, a man who claims to be the real leader of the Gypsies.
He is the self-declared Emperor of all Roma Everywhere - Iulian Radulescu.
Oh dear! Now the Romanian Roma have two buli bashas pretending to be their “leader” and being their slave masters, for that, for sure, is what those are, slave masters, keeping the grassroots of the Rom in bondage. “King” Cioba on one side and “Emperor” Radulescu on the other, the latter claiming to be the “emperor of all Roma everywhere”. Both the “king” and the “emperor” are only after filling their pockets on the back of the poor Roma who they think are their subjects, their serfs, by exploiting them through loan sharkery and by applying for EU (and other funding) for mostly non-existent Roma projects. We all know how good “king” Ion was in all this and I doubt that “king” Florin is any worse in soliciting funds this way. Nice to live in a palace while one's “subjects” have to make do with cardboard shacks on refuse tips.
The Romanian Roma have but exchanged slavery to Church and feudal lords to slavery to the buli bashas, the likes of the Ciobas. The communist governments in both Romania and Bulgaria used and aided and abetted the buli basha system as a means of controlling the Roma and was but a follow on to the Roma being serfs after slavery and the Roma, so used to being oppressed and told what to do just exchanged this for the modern slavery to the buli bashas, the kings and emperors of all Gypsies. The Black slaves in America also needed someone like ML King to come along before they came out of their “Uncle Tom” attitude and do something in order to liberate themselves.
While some of us keep preaching, though not being in Church, this writer definitely not, of a dream for the Romani, much like ML King had for the Blacks in America, the People, unlike the American Blacks, seem to, in the majority, rather content to moan and groan but still allow those leaches to suck their blood. And those leaches are not Gadje, are not the “Whites”; no, those leaches are Rom themselves.
Time to rise up and throw off the fetters that bind us, Brothers and Sisters and leave those royals (lol) to fend for themselves. What have you got to lose but your chains of slavery. Yes, Roma of the East and Sinti in Germany, you still are slaves to your various kings, emperors and judges.
Pastors
Worst of all, and I will touch on this here but briefly, is the slavery that so many of ours have put themselves into more or less voluntarily, namely that of the “evangelical” churches and the Pentecostal missions. This is all but a delusion. But willingly they allow the pastors and elders, the latter who are often younger than many of them members of the congregation, to lord it over them and tel them who they can associate with and who not. And this from a people who always claim to have Freedom as their Religion.
I rest my case...
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
Kings of all Gypsies, such as Cioba, Kwiek, et al - Emperor of all Gypsies, such as Cioba's relation, and others - Judges who oppress the People rather than know anything about the Romani Laws and last, but not least, Pastors (shepherds – I think not) of the Pentecostalist and other “Christian” Missions - All do their part in damaging the Romani People.
We do not have Kings and such lord it over us, used to be the great scream amongst the People to those that would claim that this or that person was a Gypsy King or a Gypsy Queen with power over the People and, truthfully, we, at least the Sinti and Cale, have NEVER ever have had Kings, Emperors and such like. We have had Judges, the Rakepaskros, the Rechtsprecher, and Shero Roms, but none of those of today even deserve the name and title of either of those, with the exception, maybe, of one or the other Sherengro, or Shero Rom. They make judgments based on anything but the Romani Laws, for most would not know the Romani Laws even if they bit them; they turn women into slaves, which our women never were (in fact the women ruled rather more than did the men), and keep the People in total ignorance.
Rom Society once was, in the background, matriarchal and while the men led as Shero Roms or Judges, the old mother, the Puri Deia held the true reigns and it was her word that was law in the end and not that of Judges and Shero Roms. Women (and children) in many groups were the main breadwinners, as it was the women and the children who went into the streets, door-to-door, or onto the markets to hawk the goods produced, whether wooden pegs of all kinds, wooden flowers, lace, knives, and others.
The only men who worked the “calling circuits” were the knife grinders and the rag and bone men, and the tinkers.
Not only the men did made the wooden crafts, such as clothespins, tent pegs, wooded flowers, etc.; the majority of our womenfolk and children did too.
In the 20th century, however, and here especially after WWII, it would seem, this was turned upside down in mainland Europe, and here especially amongst the Sinti groups in Germany, Austria, France, and the Cale in Spain. The Roma, it has to be noted, always seem to have had this male dominated attitude.
The Catalan Gypsies, probably due to the influences of the Mediterranean “culture” also have this attitude of suppressing and oppressing their women. I actually assume that this may also be the reason for that attitude also amongst the Cale of Spain, e.g. the culture of male domination of Catholicism and the Mediterranean per se.
With friends like these, who needs enemies.
Kings, Emperors & Tsars
Roma Leader predicts crime wave to swamp EU
In a statement of August 7, 2006 the head of Bulgaria's Roma community Tsar Kiro has warned a crime wave will sweep Great Britain and the rest of EU member states, when the country joins the union.
The Rom certainly need no enemies when they have “leaders” such as this and while “Tsar” Kiro may be right as to a great number of his “folks” being involved in crime – and what precisely is he doing about it – this immediately says, once again, to the outside world that Roma = Gypsy = criminal.
What we were seeing here, however, was a rather blatant attempt in blackmail. Namely saying to the EU, though not in exactly those selfsame words, “give me money and I will ensure that my people will not flood your countries”.
The truth is that while some Bulgarian, Romanian and other East European Roma have ended up on the British streets and, I should assume, the streets of other EU member states, it was hardly a flood as predicted by the likes of Tsar Kiro or the British gutter press.
In addition to this we have things like this below, again in a short extract from a media report:
Romanian Gypsy royalty embroiled in leadership struggle
It is in Romania that you will meet the Gypsy elite, like Florin Cioaba. He is a politician, a businessman, a preacher - and wait there's more - because he is also His Royal Highness, the King of the Roma.
But the King of the Roma is not the only monarch in the neighbourhood.
Just around the corner, barely half a kilometre down the road, there is another ruler to meet, a man who claims to be the real leader of the Gypsies.
He is the self-declared Emperor of all Roma Everywhere - Iulian Radulescu.
Oh dear! Now the Romanian Roma have two buli bashas pretending to be their “leader” and being their slave masters, for that, for sure, is what those are, slave masters, keeping the grassroots of the Rom in bondage. “King” Cioba on one side and “Emperor” Radulescu on the other, the latter claiming to be the “emperor of all Roma everywhere”. Both the “king” and the “emperor” are only after filling their pockets on the back of the poor Roma who they think are their subjects, their serfs, by exploiting them through loan sharkery and by applying for EU (and other funding) for mostly non-existent Roma projects. We all know how good “king” Ion was in all this and I doubt that “king” Florin is any worse in soliciting funds this way. Nice to live in a palace while one's “subjects” have to make do with cardboard shacks on refuse tips.
The Romanian Roma have but exchanged slavery to Church and feudal lords to slavery to the buli bashas, the likes of the Ciobas. The communist governments in both Romania and Bulgaria used and aided and abetted the buli basha system as a means of controlling the Roma and was but a follow on to the Roma being serfs after slavery and the Roma, so used to being oppressed and told what to do just exchanged this for the modern slavery to the buli bashas, the kings and emperors of all Gypsies. The Black slaves in America also needed someone like ML King to come along before they came out of their “Uncle Tom” attitude and do something in order to liberate themselves.
While some of us keep preaching, though not being in Church, this writer definitely not, of a dream for the Romani, much like ML King had for the Blacks in America, the People, unlike the American Blacks, seem to, in the majority, rather content to moan and groan but still allow those leaches to suck their blood. And those leaches are not Gadje, are not the “Whites”; no, those leaches are Rom themselves.
Time to rise up and throw off the fetters that bind us, Brothers and Sisters and leave those royals (lol) to fend for themselves. What have you got to lose but your chains of slavery. Yes, Roma of the East and Sinti in Germany, you still are slaves to your various kings, emperors and judges.
Pastors
Worst of all, and I will touch on this here but briefly, is the slavery that so many of ours have put themselves into more or less voluntarily, namely that of the “evangelical” churches and the Pentecostal missions. This is all but a delusion. But willingly they allow the pastors and elders, the latter who are often younger than many of them members of the congregation, to lord it over them and tel them who they can associate with and who not. And this from a people who always claim to have Freedom as their Religion.
I rest my case...
© M Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
Ueber die Sprache der Zigeuner
“Ueber die Sprache der Zigeuner – Eine grammatische Skizze” (“About the Language of the Gypsies – A Grammatical Sketch”) is the title of a book from the early 19th century by Alfred Graffunder, who was a School Inspector. The book was published in 1835 and proves that Sinti never saw the language as secret and having to be kept away from others, as is claimed now by the so-called “judges” and “elders”. Another way of making oneself a laughingstock is all I can say to that. The posting of a link to this book, provided as a facsimile by Google, has already caused controversy on a forum for and by Sinti in Germany where the moderators removed both the link to the downloadable book and also the comment of the poster and the one by this writer.
With material like this in the public realm, material that was, like in the same time in the UK, freely given to researchers, Gadje researchers – everyone knew they were Gadje – how can the Sinti “judges” in Germany and such places continue to claim that the language was secret and was always guarded, on pain of expulsion, and never ever transmitted to outsiders. This is sheer and absolute stupidity in the same was as the “Dadeske vast” garbage that denies so many of our People their Birthright. Let's stop being stupid just for once.
This probably was/is not the first book on the language of the Sinti in Germany, and those were Sinti for the “me hom” is Sintitikes and not Romanes from the Roma, and this was neither the last book on the Chib, with information freely given by clans far and wide. During the time of this book and also in later times it was common for researchers to be given access to the language by Sinti in Germany and elsewhere on the European and Romanichals in Britain alike and many books were written on the “Language of the Gypsies” and this includes the famous “Sampson” study on the language on the Romanichal/Kale in Wales. Notwithstanding that a lot of what Sampson did conclude is utter baloney, e.g. the origin of words, it proves that here no one had an attitude of secrecy of the language and that was the same case, so it would appear from books that were published about the Sinti language, amongst the Sinti in Germany and other parts. So, from whence cometh the notion of the secrecy of the Chib and also the other notions that those “judges” (those who are not fit to even bear such a title) come up with? It is all something in order for them to appear big and something to lord over the People.
The truth will out, as they say, and it is no good, for instance, to remove links to such information posted by a well-known Sinto in Germany and any comments to such links and informations. The longer we perpetuate those lies that this or that was this or that when it was not the longer we will be perceived as liars and cheats by the general public.
While such forum moderators, hiding behind their web anonymity, and so-called “judges” have statements put out to which, when one asks questions as to who they are and such, one gets short and shrift and have one's questions removed from such forums, our People, and especially here the Sinti of Germany (and Austria) can never be seen as honest and open. In the same way when they want to declare someone as outcast because he has the title doctor, under which they immediately accuse him of being a doctor of medicine. And even if it were so; we need our own medical doctors, instead of going to Gadje doctors who then do not know how to treat us, in regards to our cultural aspects, and we then moan because they do not treat us right in that respect. While, at the same time, we are also, those Sinti “judges”, not prepared to let the medical profession (and others) know of any special requirements that we have as regards Culture. Oh no, it is said, we could not possibly do that. Well, then you have to suffer the con sequences and cannot complain, whether you are not treated with respect as far as our Culture is concerned and our Traditions and also as regards to other aspects. You cannot have it both ways. Better get used to it.
This book is available, as said, as a facsimile, from Google but, due to the fact that someone so nicely removed the link I could not even, if I wanted to, make it available as a link to anyone. However, because has been photographed rather than retyped, as would have been done by Project Gutenberg, some of the writing is not too easy to read either. Therefore it is also not possible to reproduce it as a text file.
Tatchipen Media shall, however, in due course, attempt rework this into typeface proper and then turn it into an e-book. A translation from the German into English shall also be done in due course, which shall be an exact translation, with all the bias of the time that we also find in the original German.
by Michael Smith (Veshengro) © April 2008
With material like this in the public realm, material that was, like in the same time in the UK, freely given to researchers, Gadje researchers – everyone knew they were Gadje – how can the Sinti “judges” in Germany and such places continue to claim that the language was secret and was always guarded, on pain of expulsion, and never ever transmitted to outsiders. This is sheer and absolute stupidity in the same was as the “Dadeske vast” garbage that denies so many of our People their Birthright. Let's stop being stupid just for once.
This probably was/is not the first book on the language of the Sinti in Germany, and those were Sinti for the “me hom” is Sintitikes and not Romanes from the Roma, and this was neither the last book on the Chib, with information freely given by clans far and wide. During the time of this book and also in later times it was common for researchers to be given access to the language by Sinti in Germany and elsewhere on the European and Romanichals in Britain alike and many books were written on the “Language of the Gypsies” and this includes the famous “Sampson” study on the language on the Romanichal/Kale in Wales. Notwithstanding that a lot of what Sampson did conclude is utter baloney, e.g. the origin of words, it proves that here no one had an attitude of secrecy of the language and that was the same case, so it would appear from books that were published about the Sinti language, amongst the Sinti in Germany and other parts. So, from whence cometh the notion of the secrecy of the Chib and also the other notions that those “judges” (those who are not fit to even bear such a title) come up with? It is all something in order for them to appear big and something to lord over the People.
The truth will out, as they say, and it is no good, for instance, to remove links to such information posted by a well-known Sinto in Germany and any comments to such links and informations. The longer we perpetuate those lies that this or that was this or that when it was not the longer we will be perceived as liars and cheats by the general public.
While such forum moderators, hiding behind their web anonymity, and so-called “judges” have statements put out to which, when one asks questions as to who they are and such, one gets short and shrift and have one's questions removed from such forums, our People, and especially here the Sinti of Germany (and Austria) can never be seen as honest and open. In the same way when they want to declare someone as outcast because he has the title doctor, under which they immediately accuse him of being a doctor of medicine. And even if it were so; we need our own medical doctors, instead of going to Gadje doctors who then do not know how to treat us, in regards to our cultural aspects, and we then moan because they do not treat us right in that respect. While, at the same time, we are also, those Sinti “judges”, not prepared to let the medical profession (and others) know of any special requirements that we have as regards Culture. Oh no, it is said, we could not possibly do that. Well, then you have to suffer the con sequences and cannot complain, whether you are not treated with respect as far as our Culture is concerned and our Traditions and also as regards to other aspects. You cannot have it both ways. Better get used to it.
This book is available, as said, as a facsimile, from Google but, due to the fact that someone so nicely removed the link I could not even, if I wanted to, make it available as a link to anyone. However, because has been photographed rather than retyped, as would have been done by Project Gutenberg, some of the writing is not too easy to read either. Therefore it is also not possible to reproduce it as a text file.
Tatchipen Media shall, however, in due course, attempt rework this into typeface proper and then turn it into an e-book. A translation from the German into English shall also be done in due course, which shall be an exact translation, with all the bias of the time that we also find in the original German.
by Michael Smith (Veshengro) © April 2008
National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups - Policy Seminar in Parliament
Open racist stereotyping in the media, denial of ethnic minority rights and political scapegoating – those are all rather far too common experiences of Gypsies and Travellers across Britain today, according to a meeting between MPs and community members on Tuesday 18th March 2008.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform (APPG) met with members and partners of the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups (NFGLG) on Tuesday morning at the House of Commons. The meeting was co-organised by NFGLG, the charity European Dialogue, and representatives from key government departments were also present.
Underpinning the policy debate was the recognition that Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers continue to face open and severe discrimination in Britain today. At a time when such a strong focus lies on building a cohesive society to integrate all of the diverse communities which make up Britain, it appears that the Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers – communities who have been living here for centuries – are still being left aside. They continue to face a barrier of racism which British multi-cultural society has yet to tackle effectively.
Community representatives pointed out that negative stereotyping of Gypsies and Travellers is frequent in the media, particularly in the local press. It is also not uncommon for politicians to use local Traveller issues in order to gain leverage with local voters – a practice which would be considered unacceptable in relation to any other ethnic group. The Chairman of the Local Government Association Gypsy and Traveller Task Group, Councillor Richard Bennett suggested that an all-party concordat be drawn up to ensure that local elections would never be fought on these issues in the future.
Several members of the community called for a clear message to be sent 'from the top' stating clearly that, as for any other community, racism directed at Gypsies and Travellers will not be tolerated. The DCSF announced that the first Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month will take place in June 2008 to promote the culture and the positive role of Gypsies and Travellers in Britain society. This will be an opportunity for British society to celebrate the forgotten history and misrepresented culture of Gypsies and Travellers.
The NFGLG/APPG meeting put the question of Gypsy ethnicity and rights under the spotlight through a robust debate. The participants were reminded about the breakthrough in the recognition of Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller rights as distinct `ethnic groups', equal to any other, brought about by the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000.
For the purposes of planning law however, Romany Gypsies still do not have rights associated with their ethnic status. Planning law bases the right to have access to planning permission for a trailer or caravan on a plot of land (known as 'gypsy status'), on whether an applicant has a nomadic lifestyle, "whatever their race or origin".
The community groups are fighting to have the planning definition altered so that 'gypsy status' is based on ethnicity too. It was pointed out that under the current framework a number of Gypsies who no longer travel have found their 'gypsy status' removed– even if this is due to ill health or old age, whilst relatives of theirs retain their 'status'!
Finally, the patchy delivery of services for Gypsies and Travellers by local authorities was also identified as a serious problem for many people. There was a call by community members for greater accountability over local spending, to challenge the 'slum-like' conditions of some Gypsy/Traveller sites. Across all the range of issues, better consultation with local Gypsy and Traveller groups was also an apparent need.
Despite the range of serious issues put on the table at the NFGLG/APPG meeting, this meeting made a significant contribution to the debates about the rights of Gypsies and Travellers in Britain today.
<><><>
Editorial comment:
The press statement above mentions that Irish Travellers have been in Britain for centuries. Is this really so? How many centuries, for if the truth be told, it may be less than one century. This is yet again an attempt to put the Irish Travellers a par with the Romany Gypsy population in the United Kingdom but this will not wash and cannot be allowed to stand in such a way.
Irish Travellers, while, maybe, just about, could qualify as an “ethnic group”, if ethnicity is also made as including lifestyle and such like, which really it should not, but they cannot be ever seen as a Race, unlike the Romany who are a Race and a Race apart.
The discrimination faced by the Irish Travellers is NOT, therefore, for reasons of race but for reasons of their way of life and especially for reasons of how so many of their community, if you like, behave when they travel. This also, in return, causes problems for Romany Gypsy, and even well-behaved Irish Travellers. Something that the people themselves should police and the bad apples should be rooted out. How that is done should be left to the individual communities, for there are also rotten apples in the Romany community and we should deal with those. Maybe, and just maybe, we can then get a better reception by the Gohja when we come to a place, like it used to be in the old days. I remember always being welcome in the villages when I was younger, but then that was before certain elements destroyed it all by the way they behaved or should we better say misbehaved.
I would like to stress again, and I know it really bothers people that I do, that while the Romany are facing racial discrimination, this is not and cannot ever be termed like that as regards to the Irish Travellers. I do not care who is going to have a go again as to what I am writing here but the truth is the truth. Romany Gypsies (the only group to who the term “Gypsy” anyway applies) are a Race while the Irish Travellers simply are a group, a minority of maybe a rather ancient European nomadic people, like some of the Jenisch, but they are not Gypsy and they are not therefore of a different race. I know that is very difficult to understand to many of those do-gooders and hangers on, those that want to make political capital out of the issue, but the truth is different than they wish to portray it.
How can you have a Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month? This is merging the two, for the Gypsy are Romani like the Roma, into one and this just cannot and must not be. There is NO common history bar, maybe, the history of being moved on from stopping places. But we, the Romany Gypsy, have the Irish Travellers and their behavior or misbehavior to thank for in the main for the closure of all the once common and accepted stopping places that were used by the Romany Gypsy in this country, and elsewhere, for the influence of the misbehavior of the Irish travellers is now reaching as far and wide as Scandinavia, Germany, France, Holland, and other such places.
Instead of allowing ourselves to be, basically, pushed into this false cooperation with the Irish Travellers, the majority of which do not like the Romany Gypsy, we, the Romany should separate ourselves and our work, political and cultural, from that done with, about and for the Irish Travellers and do our own thing and also have the governments accept the differences, including the overbearing and knowing all better European Union. For far too long have we been the play thing of the politicos that only really work for the Irish Travellers.
We have allowed ourselves to be steamrollered into this combined operations thing by those that accused us of being this that and the other for excluding the Irish Travellers, to the extent of calling those who advocated the separateness racist even.
We have allowed ourselves to be pushed into the use of the term “Traveller” instead of “Gypsy” and with that made a rod for our own back for as soon as the Gohja in Britain hear Travellers they think Gypsy and we all get included in the perception of those that live on a what ends up looking like a rubbish tip in some third world country.
I myself have seen Irish Travellers encamped in municipal parks performing their bodily functions, both male and female, and not just the children, in public with people passing by. Is it then any wonder that there is a problem with the general public's perception of the Gypsy? It is not. That is why we, the Romany, must separate ourselves from the entire claptrap of common Traveller culture. There is no such thing as a common culture between the Travellers and the Romany. None whatsoever and anyone claiming differently djins kek.
While the Irish Travellers may be a distinct “ethnic” group under the Race Relations Act 2000 it does NOT make them a Race.
The “Gypsy status” definition does need to be changed but it MUST NOT include the Irish Travellers in this. Gypsy is Romany and nothing more. All else are Travellers.
Personally, and I have stated that before, I do not think that Gypsies and/or Travellers should have any special treatment, nor be given any, as regards to the planning laws. Why not? Because it would then make us even more a target of the gutter press and the right wing, whether media or politicians, and of the general public and, I would add, maybe rightly so. The law should look at all people equally regardless of their ethnicity or racial background, and this should and must include the Romany and the Travellers.
Michael Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform (APPG) met with members and partners of the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups (NFGLG) on Tuesday morning at the House of Commons. The meeting was co-organised by NFGLG, the charity European Dialogue, and representatives from key government departments were also present.
Underpinning the policy debate was the recognition that Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers continue to face open and severe discrimination in Britain today. At a time when such a strong focus lies on building a cohesive society to integrate all of the diverse communities which make up Britain, it appears that the Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers – communities who have been living here for centuries – are still being left aside. They continue to face a barrier of racism which British multi-cultural society has yet to tackle effectively.
Community representatives pointed out that negative stereotyping of Gypsies and Travellers is frequent in the media, particularly in the local press. It is also not uncommon for politicians to use local Traveller issues in order to gain leverage with local voters – a practice which would be considered unacceptable in relation to any other ethnic group. The Chairman of the Local Government Association Gypsy and Traveller Task Group, Councillor Richard Bennett suggested that an all-party concordat be drawn up to ensure that local elections would never be fought on these issues in the future.
Several members of the community called for a clear message to be sent 'from the top' stating clearly that, as for any other community, racism directed at Gypsies and Travellers will not be tolerated. The DCSF announced that the first Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month will take place in June 2008 to promote the culture and the positive role of Gypsies and Travellers in Britain society. This will be an opportunity for British society to celebrate the forgotten history and misrepresented culture of Gypsies and Travellers.
The NFGLG/APPG meeting put the question of Gypsy ethnicity and rights under the spotlight through a robust debate. The participants were reminded about the breakthrough in the recognition of Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller rights as distinct `ethnic groups', equal to any other, brought about by the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000.
For the purposes of planning law however, Romany Gypsies still do not have rights associated with their ethnic status. Planning law bases the right to have access to planning permission for a trailer or caravan on a plot of land (known as 'gypsy status'), on whether an applicant has a nomadic lifestyle, "whatever their race or origin".
The community groups are fighting to have the planning definition altered so that 'gypsy status' is based on ethnicity too. It was pointed out that under the current framework a number of Gypsies who no longer travel have found their 'gypsy status' removed– even if this is due to ill health or old age, whilst relatives of theirs retain their 'status'!
Finally, the patchy delivery of services for Gypsies and Travellers by local authorities was also identified as a serious problem for many people. There was a call by community members for greater accountability over local spending, to challenge the 'slum-like' conditions of some Gypsy/Traveller sites. Across all the range of issues, better consultation with local Gypsy and Traveller groups was also an apparent need.
Despite the range of serious issues put on the table at the NFGLG/APPG meeting, this meeting made a significant contribution to the debates about the rights of Gypsies and Travellers in Britain today.
<><><>
Editorial comment:
The press statement above mentions that Irish Travellers have been in Britain for centuries. Is this really so? How many centuries, for if the truth be told, it may be less than one century. This is yet again an attempt to put the Irish Travellers a par with the Romany Gypsy population in the United Kingdom but this will not wash and cannot be allowed to stand in such a way.
Irish Travellers, while, maybe, just about, could qualify as an “ethnic group”, if ethnicity is also made as including lifestyle and such like, which really it should not, but they cannot be ever seen as a Race, unlike the Romany who are a Race and a Race apart.
The discrimination faced by the Irish Travellers is NOT, therefore, for reasons of race but for reasons of their way of life and especially for reasons of how so many of their community, if you like, behave when they travel. This also, in return, causes problems for Romany Gypsy, and even well-behaved Irish Travellers. Something that the people themselves should police and the bad apples should be rooted out. How that is done should be left to the individual communities, for there are also rotten apples in the Romany community and we should deal with those. Maybe, and just maybe, we can then get a better reception by the Gohja when we come to a place, like it used to be in the old days. I remember always being welcome in the villages when I was younger, but then that was before certain elements destroyed it all by the way they behaved or should we better say misbehaved.
I would like to stress again, and I know it really bothers people that I do, that while the Romany are facing racial discrimination, this is not and cannot ever be termed like that as regards to the Irish Travellers. I do not care who is going to have a go again as to what I am writing here but the truth is the truth. Romany Gypsies (the only group to who the term “Gypsy” anyway applies) are a Race while the Irish Travellers simply are a group, a minority of maybe a rather ancient European nomadic people, like some of the Jenisch, but they are not Gypsy and they are not therefore of a different race. I know that is very difficult to understand to many of those do-gooders and hangers on, those that want to make political capital out of the issue, but the truth is different than they wish to portray it.
How can you have a Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month? This is merging the two, for the Gypsy are Romani like the Roma, into one and this just cannot and must not be. There is NO common history bar, maybe, the history of being moved on from stopping places. But we, the Romany Gypsy, have the Irish Travellers and their behavior or misbehavior to thank for in the main for the closure of all the once common and accepted stopping places that were used by the Romany Gypsy in this country, and elsewhere, for the influence of the misbehavior of the Irish travellers is now reaching as far and wide as Scandinavia, Germany, France, Holland, and other such places.
Instead of allowing ourselves to be, basically, pushed into this false cooperation with the Irish Travellers, the majority of which do not like the Romany Gypsy, we, the Romany should separate ourselves and our work, political and cultural, from that done with, about and for the Irish Travellers and do our own thing and also have the governments accept the differences, including the overbearing and knowing all better European Union. For far too long have we been the play thing of the politicos that only really work for the Irish Travellers.
We have allowed ourselves to be steamrollered into this combined operations thing by those that accused us of being this that and the other for excluding the Irish Travellers, to the extent of calling those who advocated the separateness racist even.
We have allowed ourselves to be pushed into the use of the term “Traveller” instead of “Gypsy” and with that made a rod for our own back for as soon as the Gohja in Britain hear Travellers they think Gypsy and we all get included in the perception of those that live on a what ends up looking like a rubbish tip in some third world country.
I myself have seen Irish Travellers encamped in municipal parks performing their bodily functions, both male and female, and not just the children, in public with people passing by. Is it then any wonder that there is a problem with the general public's perception of the Gypsy? It is not. That is why we, the Romany, must separate ourselves from the entire claptrap of common Traveller culture. There is no such thing as a common culture between the Travellers and the Romany. None whatsoever and anyone claiming differently djins kek.
While the Irish Travellers may be a distinct “ethnic” group under the Race Relations Act 2000 it does NOT make them a Race.
The “Gypsy status” definition does need to be changed but it MUST NOT include the Irish Travellers in this. Gypsy is Romany and nothing more. All else are Travellers.
Personally, and I have stated that before, I do not think that Gypsies and/or Travellers should have any special treatment, nor be given any, as regards to the planning laws. Why not? Because it would then make us even more a target of the gutter press and the right wing, whether media or politicians, and of the general public and, I would add, maybe rightly so. The law should look at all people equally regardless of their ethnicity or racial background, and this should and must include the Romany and the Travellers.
Michael Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
The Kosovo Disaster
While the Western World was being conned by the Kosovo Albanians into believing that there was an ethnic cleansing being perpetrated by Serbs against Albanian Muslims the true Ethnic Cleansing and the only one that was going on, was not seen, namely the one committed by the Kosovo Albanians, via the KLA and others, was against the Gypsy population (and also against Serbs). All the Serbs ever did was to defend themselves and their people against attacks by the Kosovo Albanians.
The Gypsies that were driven out from their neighborhoods, from their Mahalas, by the actions of the Kosovo Albanians fled into Serbia, in the main, where they ended up forced to live, forced by the UN bodies, in makeshift camps which are, mostly, on grounds that are contaminated with various dangerous chemicals and substances at levels often 10x sometimes 100's of times above the safe levels.
A commander of KFOR troops expressed it very adequately when he said: “We have come out in the defense of the wrong people!”
Ethnic cleansing was, in the case of Kosovo at least, not committed by Serbs against others, such as the Kosovo Albanian, the Muslim, population but in fact by the boot was on the other foot. Those that were the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing at a tremendous scale were those that claimed to be the victims. It was, and still is, the Muslim Albanians of Kosovo who are doing all the ethnic cleansing and even Gypsies that dare to return to their Mahalas and wish to reclaim their homes are threatened, driven away again or, in many cases, so we have heard, even murdered. By who you ask: by the very same people that claim that they are being ethnically cleansed.
The Albanians in Kosovo only have one aim; they want a Kosovo free of Serbs and Gypsies and then join Kosovo to Albania to fulfill the long-held dream of a “Greater Albania”... and the Gods help us!
Who will then be the next on the list of the Albanians to be added to this “Greater Albania” that is envisaged? Think of another Balkan country with a large Muslim and Albanian population: yes, Macedonia; at least the part of it – for starters – which is closest to Kosovo, with centers such as Kumanovo.
Kumanovo is another city that has, like Prizren and Pristina, has a large population of Gypsies within its walls. The Gypsy community of Kumanovo, while not as large as that of Skopie, e.g. Shutka, it probably the largest in that area. While the great majority of Gypsies in Macedonia are, nominally at least, of the Muslim faith ethnically they are not Albanians and I, for one, can see the same happening in the Kumanovo area as has happened in Pristina and Prizren and other places in Kosovo with Gypsy neighborhoods. And no doubt I have either that it will be again the Albanians that will claim that it is they that are the victims. No one will notice the Gypsy victims who are only always seen as economic migrants, even when they come from such trouble spots and claim persecution, and not as “proper” refugees.
Every time, regardless of whatever trouble, Gypsy refugees are not granted proper refugee status under the Geneva Convention and others and are, again and again, claimed to be nothing more than economic migrants who will be shipped back to the countries whence they came regardless of threat to limb and life. But then, it is the most convenient way for Western governments as they then do not have to explain to their racist population, racist always when it comes to Gypsies, that those people are coming in to stay.
We all are always seen and portrayed as nothing but liars – economic migrants – they only want a better life – cheats and criminals and as “dirty Gyppos”. Never as real refugees in need of help.
Kosovo is not going to get better. It is going to get worse down there, folks. Mark my words.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
The Gypsies that were driven out from their neighborhoods, from their Mahalas, by the actions of the Kosovo Albanians fled into Serbia, in the main, where they ended up forced to live, forced by the UN bodies, in makeshift camps which are, mostly, on grounds that are contaminated with various dangerous chemicals and substances at levels often 10x sometimes 100's of times above the safe levels.
A commander of KFOR troops expressed it very adequately when he said: “We have come out in the defense of the wrong people!”
Ethnic cleansing was, in the case of Kosovo at least, not committed by Serbs against others, such as the Kosovo Albanian, the Muslim, population but in fact by the boot was on the other foot. Those that were the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing at a tremendous scale were those that claimed to be the victims. It was, and still is, the Muslim Albanians of Kosovo who are doing all the ethnic cleansing and even Gypsies that dare to return to their Mahalas and wish to reclaim their homes are threatened, driven away again or, in many cases, so we have heard, even murdered. By who you ask: by the very same people that claim that they are being ethnically cleansed.
The Albanians in Kosovo only have one aim; they want a Kosovo free of Serbs and Gypsies and then join Kosovo to Albania to fulfill the long-held dream of a “Greater Albania”... and the Gods help us!
Who will then be the next on the list of the Albanians to be added to this “Greater Albania” that is envisaged? Think of another Balkan country with a large Muslim and Albanian population: yes, Macedonia; at least the part of it – for starters – which is closest to Kosovo, with centers such as Kumanovo.
Kumanovo is another city that has, like Prizren and Pristina, has a large population of Gypsies within its walls. The Gypsy community of Kumanovo, while not as large as that of Skopie, e.g. Shutka, it probably the largest in that area. While the great majority of Gypsies in Macedonia are, nominally at least, of the Muslim faith ethnically they are not Albanians and I, for one, can see the same happening in the Kumanovo area as has happened in Pristina and Prizren and other places in Kosovo with Gypsy neighborhoods. And no doubt I have either that it will be again the Albanians that will claim that it is they that are the victims. No one will notice the Gypsy victims who are only always seen as economic migrants, even when they come from such trouble spots and claim persecution, and not as “proper” refugees.
Every time, regardless of whatever trouble, Gypsy refugees are not granted proper refugee status under the Geneva Convention and others and are, again and again, claimed to be nothing more than economic migrants who will be shipped back to the countries whence they came regardless of threat to limb and life. But then, it is the most convenient way for Western governments as they then do not have to explain to their racist population, racist always when it comes to Gypsies, that those people are coming in to stay.
We all are always seen and portrayed as nothing but liars – economic migrants – they only want a better life – cheats and criminals and as “dirty Gyppos”. Never as real refugees in need of help.
Kosovo is not going to get better. It is going to get worse down there, folks. Mark my words.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
BBC tried to silence only Romany Voice on air in UK
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
At the beginning of April the news reached us that the BBC was intending to cut broadcasting to the Gypsy and Traveller community.
Rokker Radio, the two-hour radio programme established two years ago by BBC for the Gypsy and Traveller community was to be axed at the end of April. As the show prepared to celebrate two years of broadcasting across local BBC radio in the East of England and across the world on the internet, the BBC had decided not to fund the programme beyond the end of April.
Each Sunday night, between 1900 hours and 2100 hours, that is to say, between 7pm and 9pm, Rokker Radio broadcasts to Britain’s Gypsies and Travellers, many of whom must drive long distances to hear it because they cannot receive it in their own area nor are able to listen to it on the internet. Not every Gypsy in this country has got a computer as yet, though there are more and more nowadays, and also not all areas are covered by broadband connections. Broadcast streaming is only a real feasibility with broadband. Others that can, obviously, do listen to Rokker Radio on the Internet, and not only in Britain alone. Rokker Radio is listened to by many an English-speaking Gypsy abroad as well.
Over the last two years, BBC Rokker Radio has attempted to address the lack of proper representation of Europe’s largest ethnic minority community in the media in Britain. It has raised issues of importance to the community whilst literally providing a common wavelength through which Gypsy and settled communities can begin to understand one another.”
Because of the unfortunate reduction in the BBC licence fee, regional management in the BBC have decided that it was too expensive to maintain. The £800 it costs each week to staff this vital service may well be in excess of the average cost of regional programming, but it remains the BBC’s only real commitment to date to the Gypsy and Traveller community. It is also insignificant compared to the financial commitment the BBC rightly gives to other linguistic, national and ethnic minorities across the UK.
With just one month before Gypsy and Traveller broadcasting is silenced in Britain, Gypsy and Traveller journalists, campaigners and Traveller education advocates launched a campaign to save and expand the programme. In an open letter to BBC Director General Mark Thompson, members of the European Romani Journalists Federation have started to campaign for equal representation on and within the BBC.
“The BBC should begin the process of dedicating the same level of resources to the Gypsy and Traveller community as it does to other ethnic and linguistic minorities in Britain. If it is right that the BBC broadcasts in Welsh and Gaelic and provides an entire network to the Asian community, it is also right that it provide the same commitment to Europe’s largest ethnic minority community, the Romany people.” said veteran Kosovan Roma Journalist Orhan Galjus.
He added: “Services in the Romani language are also badly needed to support and inform those communities who currently have no access to independent broadcasting. Across many parts of Europe a de facto apartheid blights the Romany community and it’s prospects. We urgently need the BBC’s help to inform and educate our 12 million strong European nation.”
While I agree with Brother Orhan as regards to the need for a radio service for the Romani People in the UK, the Gypsy People, and also for the Traveller community as a whole, in Britain we certainly, as a whole, do NOT need a Romani language service. However, a Romani language service on the BBC World Service might be nice for the Romani more outside the UK where Romanes in on or the other dialect is indeed spoken.
On April 5 what appears to be a victory had been won as, apparently, the BBC, under pressure from all those campaigning for Rokker Radio to remain (and be expanded), the BBC, apparently, backed down over it’s plans to end the only programme it has ever provided for Britain ’s Gypsies and Travellers. But I would suggest that we do not, as yet, count the chickens already for they are in fact not hatched as yet.
After a concerted lobbying campaign, by community members, as well as activists, journalists, writers, academics and teachers from the settled community, the BBC seem to have changed it’s mind.
I may be a cynic, that I for sure, but I will not believe it that they have backed down, on a permanent basis, until I see it in action and Rokker Radio remaining on air for years and years to come. We mist, however, be vigilant for they could just as easily axe it from on eweek to the next or curtail the broadcast times.
A statement from the BBC Press Office reads:
“There is no intention to close Rokker Radio. It is true that we have had discussions with the presenter about a range of options for the programme, including whether there might be potential for expanding the range and scope of programming covering these issues – for example by offering programming to other radio stations across the BBC local radio family.”
“We will continue to look at how best we can refresh our coverage and to ensure that we are achieving best value for our listeners, but we can reassure listeners that there is no plan to close the programme down at this time.”
“We are, however, keen to find new ways of reaching underserved communities, including the travelling community. It's important to explore options to provide wider and better coverage of the issues and concerns of this community across the whole of England, not just the East.”
“Technology is delivering a wide variety of new ways to deliver content to audiences and we will continue to explore a number of innovative ideas to help give the travelling community a voice and to improve understanding with the settled community of their issues.”
But while technology may be delivering a wide variety of new ways not all from the Gypsy and Traveller communities have access to computers and broadband I n order to listen, for instance, on the Internet.
This does go to show what people power can do. But it’s now time to meet constructively with the BBC at a senior level to discuss it’s overall representation of the Gypsy, Roma and Travelling community. Never again must we have to fight for our right to fair representation within the world’s largest media organization.
But, we must also remember that they, and the organization they represent, are Gadje (Gohja) and it is not the interest of the “dirty Gyppo” they intend to serve. They will only serve our interests if we stay on their backs. Is that the answer though?
Does this, however, prove, yet again, that only “Sin Fein”, that is to say, “ourselves alone” will work in anything we do. We cannot and must not rely on outsiders. They will as easy withdraw their supports, and they will do that faster than they ever gave it.
Maybe it is time that we, the Romani of the UK (and elsewhere in the English-speaking world) looked at an alternative radio medium to get a program such like Rokker Radio, or even Rokker Radio itself, out.
Shortwave radio is an option that, so it would appear, no one has looked at, actually, as yet, or AM radio even. A much greater coverage of the country could already be achieved on a medium wave channels while shortwave would make the program receivable, basically and practically, around the globe ON RADIO, depending on the person's receiver, though.
Campaigners will still be marking Romany Nation Day as planned by gathering outside Broadcasting House in London at 12:00 noon on April the 8th to hand in petitions in support of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller broadcasting before marking Romany Nation Day with flowers, music and food in Regents Park.
Broadcasting House is located at:
BBC Broadcasting House
Portland Place ,
London , W1A 1AA
At the beginning of April the news reached us that the BBC was intending to cut broadcasting to the Gypsy and Traveller community.
Rokker Radio, the two-hour radio programme established two years ago by BBC for the Gypsy and Traveller community was to be axed at the end of April. As the show prepared to celebrate two years of broadcasting across local BBC radio in the East of England and across the world on the internet, the BBC had decided not to fund the programme beyond the end of April.
Each Sunday night, between 1900 hours and 2100 hours, that is to say, between 7pm and 9pm, Rokker Radio broadcasts to Britain’s Gypsies and Travellers, many of whom must drive long distances to hear it because they cannot receive it in their own area nor are able to listen to it on the internet. Not every Gypsy in this country has got a computer as yet, though there are more and more nowadays, and also not all areas are covered by broadband connections. Broadcast streaming is only a real feasibility with broadband. Others that can, obviously, do listen to Rokker Radio on the Internet, and not only in Britain alone. Rokker Radio is listened to by many an English-speaking Gypsy abroad as well.
Over the last two years, BBC Rokker Radio has attempted to address the lack of proper representation of Europe’s largest ethnic minority community in the media in Britain. It has raised issues of importance to the community whilst literally providing a common wavelength through which Gypsy and settled communities can begin to understand one another.”
Because of the unfortunate reduction in the BBC licence fee, regional management in the BBC have decided that it was too expensive to maintain. The £800 it costs each week to staff this vital service may well be in excess of the average cost of regional programming, but it remains the BBC’s only real commitment to date to the Gypsy and Traveller community. It is also insignificant compared to the financial commitment the BBC rightly gives to other linguistic, national and ethnic minorities across the UK.
With just one month before Gypsy and Traveller broadcasting is silenced in Britain, Gypsy and Traveller journalists, campaigners and Traveller education advocates launched a campaign to save and expand the programme. In an open letter to BBC Director General Mark Thompson, members of the European Romani Journalists Federation have started to campaign for equal representation on and within the BBC.
“The BBC should begin the process of dedicating the same level of resources to the Gypsy and Traveller community as it does to other ethnic and linguistic minorities in Britain. If it is right that the BBC broadcasts in Welsh and Gaelic and provides an entire network to the Asian community, it is also right that it provide the same commitment to Europe’s largest ethnic minority community, the Romany people.” said veteran Kosovan Roma Journalist Orhan Galjus.
He added: “Services in the Romani language are also badly needed to support and inform those communities who currently have no access to independent broadcasting. Across many parts of Europe a de facto apartheid blights the Romany community and it’s prospects. We urgently need the BBC’s help to inform and educate our 12 million strong European nation.”
While I agree with Brother Orhan as regards to the need for a radio service for the Romani People in the UK, the Gypsy People, and also for the Traveller community as a whole, in Britain we certainly, as a whole, do NOT need a Romani language service. However, a Romani language service on the BBC World Service might be nice for the Romani more outside the UK where Romanes in on or the other dialect is indeed spoken.
On April 5 what appears to be a victory had been won as, apparently, the BBC, under pressure from all those campaigning for Rokker Radio to remain (and be expanded), the BBC, apparently, backed down over it’s plans to end the only programme it has ever provided for Britain ’s Gypsies and Travellers. But I would suggest that we do not, as yet, count the chickens already for they are in fact not hatched as yet.
After a concerted lobbying campaign, by community members, as well as activists, journalists, writers, academics and teachers from the settled community, the BBC seem to have changed it’s mind.
I may be a cynic, that I for sure, but I will not believe it that they have backed down, on a permanent basis, until I see it in action and Rokker Radio remaining on air for years and years to come. We mist, however, be vigilant for they could just as easily axe it from on eweek to the next or curtail the broadcast times.
A statement from the BBC Press Office reads:
“There is no intention to close Rokker Radio. It is true that we have had discussions with the presenter about a range of options for the programme, including whether there might be potential for expanding the range and scope of programming covering these issues – for example by offering programming to other radio stations across the BBC local radio family.”
“We will continue to look at how best we can refresh our coverage and to ensure that we are achieving best value for our listeners, but we can reassure listeners that there is no plan to close the programme down at this time.”
“We are, however, keen to find new ways of reaching underserved communities, including the travelling community. It's important to explore options to provide wider and better coverage of the issues and concerns of this community across the whole of England, not just the East.”
“Technology is delivering a wide variety of new ways to deliver content to audiences and we will continue to explore a number of innovative ideas to help give the travelling community a voice and to improve understanding with the settled community of their issues.”
But while technology may be delivering a wide variety of new ways not all from the Gypsy and Traveller communities have access to computers and broadband I n order to listen, for instance, on the Internet.
This does go to show what people power can do. But it’s now time to meet constructively with the BBC at a senior level to discuss it’s overall representation of the Gypsy, Roma and Travelling community. Never again must we have to fight for our right to fair representation within the world’s largest media organization.
But, we must also remember that they, and the organization they represent, are Gadje (Gohja) and it is not the interest of the “dirty Gyppo” they intend to serve. They will only serve our interests if we stay on their backs. Is that the answer though?
Does this, however, prove, yet again, that only “Sin Fein”, that is to say, “ourselves alone” will work in anything we do. We cannot and must not rely on outsiders. They will as easy withdraw their supports, and they will do that faster than they ever gave it.
Maybe it is time that we, the Romani of the UK (and elsewhere in the English-speaking world) looked at an alternative radio medium to get a program such like Rokker Radio, or even Rokker Radio itself, out.
Shortwave radio is an option that, so it would appear, no one has looked at, actually, as yet, or AM radio even. A much greater coverage of the country could already be achieved on a medium wave channels while shortwave would make the program receivable, basically and practically, around the globe ON RADIO, depending on the person's receiver, though.
Campaigners will still be marking Romany Nation Day as planned by gathering outside Broadcasting House in London at 12:00 noon on April the 8th to hand in petitions in support of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller broadcasting before marking Romany Nation Day with flowers, music and food in Regents Park.
Broadcasting House is located at:
BBC Broadcasting House
Portland Place ,
London , W1A 1AA
Romanies feel discriminated against
According to a study conducted in the Czech Republic the majority of Romani there, and I should assume also elsewhere, feel discriminated against.
Well, we are being discriminated against and have been discriminated against forever and a day. Our People have been murdered, and indeed are still being murdered, for being Romani, for being Gypsy. We should be used to it by now and no law, let's face it, is going to change the nature of the people who discriminate against us. Time to wake up and time that we woke up to that fact and stopped harping on about it. Time for us to take our destiny and that of our children, whether we in fact have children of our own or not, into our own hands and did something about it. We must, first and foremost, create a positive image of the Rom and be proud in what we are, be proud in our Race... the American Black did it, so can we... we have scientists amongst our people even... many a star of the silver screen is of Romani origin. The names of Bod Hoskins and Michael Caine may be familiar to some. In the field of sports, and not just in boxing, there are many that are of the Romani Race. We must celebrate those achievements and others of our People.
While, probably, we should not (have to) accept discrimination against us as a People we should have developed a much thicker skin by now. While we must fight discrimination against us as a People as as individual because of our belonging to that particular Race of ours we must also learn to live with it and rise above it.
The term “sticks and stones” comes to mind here. So what if someone calls you “Gyppo” or “Pikie” or whatever else. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me”, goes the old saying that I was referring to in the beginning of this paragraph. And while we must learn not to be hurt by words, I do know that words do hurt.
Having battled for years against discrimination of our People and written letters to editors, to chief constables, and what ever else there may have been, without much if any result, even to the extent that the bodies such as the EU have said that on certain issues they know better than we, the People affected, I have come to the conclusion that there is but one way to deal with this and that is to have deep and strong pride in what we are, namely Romani, namely Gypsy, even to the extent and especially using this very name with pride – the term Romani only confuses the silly Gadje and I am sick and tired of telling them that I am NOT from Romania – and by basically retaliating any insult with taking even more pride in our ancestry. The second point is to educate out own, children and adults alike, to have this deep pride in our Race, even to the extent of referring to ourselves as Gypsy, as Zigeuner, as Tsigan, as Gitan or Gitano, etc., and especially to take pride in the many great people that are Romani by origin, from composers, over musicians, actors, sports personalities, and also politicians and scientists.
Let's show the Chale a thing or two and show the world that we have many well-known and well-respected people amongst our ranks, people who they, the Chale, adore as well.
There are composers far back in history even whose ancestors are Rom, such as, as is said, Paganini, and others. Then there are the musicians and composers such as Django Reinhardt. There are well-known and well-loved actors of the silver screen that are of Romani origin, such as the late Yul Brunner, and there are also Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, and many more. Charles Spencer Chaplin was Rom and soc was Elvis Presley. This should be enough to go on with to be proud in the Romani People as our own, and we could just throw in a scientist and inventor who, it is said, too was Gypsy by birth, and he is the inventor of the jet engine, Whittle by name, and knighted by the British Crown.
So, let's be proud of being Gypsy by Race and stop bemoan the fact that we are discriminated against. Let's do something for ourselves – yes, I did say “for ourselves” - instead if hoping for hand-outs from various sources with the claim that “the Godje owe us”. I am sick and tired of hearing that the Gadje, because of their discrimination against us, as a People, as a Race, owe us and must give us money so that we can do this or that project, mostly in Eastern Europe (why don't the Sinti and Romanichals in the West get a looking in ever?), the money which then ends up in some leader's pockets and never gets to the People at the bottom, that are the ones discriminated against and who need to have help. However, the Irish old term of “Sin Fein” also is applicable to us. Sin Fein means “ourselves alone”. We must do things for ourselves alone without outside aid and without us demanding their aid.
In the same way as we cannot and must not demand that we, the Rom, in the UK, for instance, get preferential treatment when it comes to planning law. However, we should have an even playing field. This means that when Rom want to build a house somewhere or even a settlement then obstacles should not be put in the way that would not be put in the way when it would be non-Rom that would make such application. There are ways and means around certain discriminations like that, however. Ways and means that are legal. But we also must stop being idiots and try to get planning after the even, especially on land that cannot be used, as per law, for building residences of whatever kind.
We also must wake up to the fact that we must have our own professionals, including medical personnel, law enforcement, and elsewhere. This means that we must take a new look at education. Many Romani families seem to have a problem with schooling for the children and see it as not important or have problems with it on different grounds. The different grounds, which often is the case that they do not want to have the children end up in the government system I can but agree with. Education, however, is important for any of the children of the Rom to succeed in any way whatsoever in the modern world. Not everyone can run a scrap yard, and the time for the door-to-door knifegrinder sure as night follows day is gone, and even if anyone would still be able to follow any of those occupations, today the need to be able to read and write and more than that even will be needed to legally follow such trades.
The government schools are not something that is a requirement for learning and education. Education of NOT something you get at any of them places anyway. It is conditioning into good government slaves, mostly. All we need to start with is to learn to read and write and then let the children take it at their own pace to read. I did and while I may not have a scientist's job nor am I employed as a journalist, I nevertheless know how to write and how to read.
Now we come to the legality of doing things: when running a business it is important that one follows the same rules as do the Gadje, which also means that our businesses are subject to tax and the keeping of books. Now to do that you have to have some knowledge of reading and writing, etc.
Will this stop discrimination? No, sure it won't. Can we force people to stop discriminating against us? No, this will not work either. It is a fact of life that the Gadje will always have a problem with the Rom (and other Races that don't fit in, as they will see it, even if those Races are Gadje to us as well). Legislation cannot and will not stop such actions, how ever wrong they may be. It will only stop when the others come to see us, the Gypsy, in a different light than they see us presently, and especially have us presented to them all the time. We may not be able to change and influence the media in the way they do things as regards the Gypsy, us, either, and believe me, I have tried. So what is the answer: the previously mentioned Irish term... “ourselves alone”. We are alone in this and we must do it ourselves. Period! No asking for hand-outs. No asking for special treatment. Equal treatment – yes – special treatment – NO!
Most important; we, the Gypsy People, must have pride in what we are and show this pride. Only that way can we change the perception by the Gadje of us, as a People.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
Well, we are being discriminated against and have been discriminated against forever and a day. Our People have been murdered, and indeed are still being murdered, for being Romani, for being Gypsy. We should be used to it by now and no law, let's face it, is going to change the nature of the people who discriminate against us. Time to wake up and time that we woke up to that fact and stopped harping on about it. Time for us to take our destiny and that of our children, whether we in fact have children of our own or not, into our own hands and did something about it. We must, first and foremost, create a positive image of the Rom and be proud in what we are, be proud in our Race... the American Black did it, so can we... we have scientists amongst our people even... many a star of the silver screen is of Romani origin. The names of Bod Hoskins and Michael Caine may be familiar to some. In the field of sports, and not just in boxing, there are many that are of the Romani Race. We must celebrate those achievements and others of our People.
While, probably, we should not (have to) accept discrimination against us as a People we should have developed a much thicker skin by now. While we must fight discrimination against us as a People as as individual because of our belonging to that particular Race of ours we must also learn to live with it and rise above it.
The term “sticks and stones” comes to mind here. So what if someone calls you “Gyppo” or “Pikie” or whatever else. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me”, goes the old saying that I was referring to in the beginning of this paragraph. And while we must learn not to be hurt by words, I do know that words do hurt.
Having battled for years against discrimination of our People and written letters to editors, to chief constables, and what ever else there may have been, without much if any result, even to the extent that the bodies such as the EU have said that on certain issues they know better than we, the People affected, I have come to the conclusion that there is but one way to deal with this and that is to have deep and strong pride in what we are, namely Romani, namely Gypsy, even to the extent and especially using this very name with pride – the term Romani only confuses the silly Gadje and I am sick and tired of telling them that I am NOT from Romania – and by basically retaliating any insult with taking even more pride in our ancestry. The second point is to educate out own, children and adults alike, to have this deep pride in our Race, even to the extent of referring to ourselves as Gypsy, as Zigeuner, as Tsigan, as Gitan or Gitano, etc., and especially to take pride in the many great people that are Romani by origin, from composers, over musicians, actors, sports personalities, and also politicians and scientists.
Let's show the Chale a thing or two and show the world that we have many well-known and well-respected people amongst our ranks, people who they, the Chale, adore as well.
There are composers far back in history even whose ancestors are Rom, such as, as is said, Paganini, and others. Then there are the musicians and composers such as Django Reinhardt. There are well-known and well-loved actors of the silver screen that are of Romani origin, such as the late Yul Brunner, and there are also Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, and many more. Charles Spencer Chaplin was Rom and soc was Elvis Presley. This should be enough to go on with to be proud in the Romani People as our own, and we could just throw in a scientist and inventor who, it is said, too was Gypsy by birth, and he is the inventor of the jet engine, Whittle by name, and knighted by the British Crown.
So, let's be proud of being Gypsy by Race and stop bemoan the fact that we are discriminated against. Let's do something for ourselves – yes, I did say “for ourselves” - instead if hoping for hand-outs from various sources with the claim that “the Godje owe us”. I am sick and tired of hearing that the Gadje, because of their discrimination against us, as a People, as a Race, owe us and must give us money so that we can do this or that project, mostly in Eastern Europe (why don't the Sinti and Romanichals in the West get a looking in ever?), the money which then ends up in some leader's pockets and never gets to the People at the bottom, that are the ones discriminated against and who need to have help. However, the Irish old term of “Sin Fein” also is applicable to us. Sin Fein means “ourselves alone”. We must do things for ourselves alone without outside aid and without us demanding their aid.
In the same way as we cannot and must not demand that we, the Rom, in the UK, for instance, get preferential treatment when it comes to planning law. However, we should have an even playing field. This means that when Rom want to build a house somewhere or even a settlement then obstacles should not be put in the way that would not be put in the way when it would be non-Rom that would make such application. There are ways and means around certain discriminations like that, however. Ways and means that are legal. But we also must stop being idiots and try to get planning after the even, especially on land that cannot be used, as per law, for building residences of whatever kind.
We also must wake up to the fact that we must have our own professionals, including medical personnel, law enforcement, and elsewhere. This means that we must take a new look at education. Many Romani families seem to have a problem with schooling for the children and see it as not important or have problems with it on different grounds. The different grounds, which often is the case that they do not want to have the children end up in the government system I can but agree with. Education, however, is important for any of the children of the Rom to succeed in any way whatsoever in the modern world. Not everyone can run a scrap yard, and the time for the door-to-door knifegrinder sure as night follows day is gone, and even if anyone would still be able to follow any of those occupations, today the need to be able to read and write and more than that even will be needed to legally follow such trades.
The government schools are not something that is a requirement for learning and education. Education of NOT something you get at any of them places anyway. It is conditioning into good government slaves, mostly. All we need to start with is to learn to read and write and then let the children take it at their own pace to read. I did and while I may not have a scientist's job nor am I employed as a journalist, I nevertheless know how to write and how to read.
Now we come to the legality of doing things: when running a business it is important that one follows the same rules as do the Gadje, which also means that our businesses are subject to tax and the keeping of books. Now to do that you have to have some knowledge of reading and writing, etc.
Will this stop discrimination? No, sure it won't. Can we force people to stop discriminating against us? No, this will not work either. It is a fact of life that the Gadje will always have a problem with the Rom (and other Races that don't fit in, as they will see it, even if those Races are Gadje to us as well). Legislation cannot and will not stop such actions, how ever wrong they may be. It will only stop when the others come to see us, the Gypsy, in a different light than they see us presently, and especially have us presented to them all the time. We may not be able to change and influence the media in the way they do things as regards the Gypsy, us, either, and believe me, I have tried. So what is the answer: the previously mentioned Irish term... “ourselves alone”. We are alone in this and we must do it ourselves. Period! No asking for hand-outs. No asking for special treatment. Equal treatment – yes – special treatment – NO!
Most important; we, the Gypsy People, must have pride in what we are and show this pride. Only that way can we change the perception by the Gadje of us, as a People.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
German Sinti against term “Sinti & Roma”
A growing number of grassroots Sinti in Germany, and from Germany, though resident in other countries, it would appear, are finally standing up against the new description for the Romani People being used by the authorities, namely the all-encompassing term of “Sinti and Roma”, and also the term “Roma”, which is being aimed to include the Sinti.
The statement used, and it is rightfully used in this way, is that they are Sinti and not Roma and while they may wish no Roma ill they do not wish to be called Roma when they are not.
This was, I must say, a long time coming but it has finally arrived. Better late than never, as they say.
Now let us see, however, what the powers that be make out of that and the likes of the “Central Council of German Sinti and Roma”, the latter who have been so much behind this terminology and who are also the ones who accepted, on behalf of all Sinti (they must have forgotten to ask the majority), that they, the Sinti, are but a tribe of the Roma. Duh?
Most Roma too know much better than to see the Sinti as a tribe of the Roma and know that they Roma and the Sinti, while Romani, are not one and the same and the Sinti are Sinti and the Roma Roma and not the Sinti being a tribe of the Roma. The truth be told there are actually a great many of the Roma who do not accept the Sinti, or the Romanichals, or other groups of Romani, as Romani, and will refer to them, in their presence even, as Gadje. This is something that I very much object to, but that is a different story.
Shame that the so-called “leaders” do not seem to understand this, and one must ask is it a case of not being able to understand it or more a case, for political expediency, or money, or both, not wanting to understand it. My bet is on the latter case here, namely that they very well understand is but do not with to have it true because it suits them and keeps them in power. The fact is, of that I am sure, that the “leaders” only went the route of accepting, on behalf of all Sinti groups, the idea of being a “tribe of the Roma” to be able to get funding from and via the likes of the International Romani Union (under Dr. Jan Cibula and others), the same organization who had the Irish Travellers sign us a “Roma”, from the United Nations and such like. I doubt that it has worked, much, however. The idea of being represented in UNESCO seemed to be a carrot though.
What representation is that. We are a People, a Nation, the Romani Nation, the Gypsy Nation, and we should have, in the United Nations, a standing of a nation, though without land, and not as a cultural organization in the body of cultural organizations. This is an insult too and those “leaders” who accepted that are as guilty as those that accept the “Roma” title for those that are not.
The issue has even come to being a joke, e.g. the terminology of “Sinti and Roma” to such an extent even that, in the documentary that has been made about the German Sinti boxer and world champion Johann Trollmann, who was denied his title, and was subsequently murdered, by the Nazis, he was referred to as a “Sinti and Roma”. Well, he can only be one or the other now; he cannot be Sinti and Roma both at the same time. Rukelli Trollmann may have been very fast on his feet in the boxing ring but being two things ate the same time even he would not have managed.
But this is how stupid this terminology is becoming. “Sinti and Roma” is being used in the same, discriminatory, way as is and was “Zigeuner”, “Landfahrer”, “Fahrendes Volk”, etc. We might as well call ourselves “Zigeuner” again, in German, as the Gadje will not ever use anything appertaining to our People with any degree of respect. It makes not one iota of a difference what the word and terminology might be; in their eyes it will always be “dirty Gyppos”.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
The statement used, and it is rightfully used in this way, is that they are Sinti and not Roma and while they may wish no Roma ill they do not wish to be called Roma when they are not.
This was, I must say, a long time coming but it has finally arrived. Better late than never, as they say.
Now let us see, however, what the powers that be make out of that and the likes of the “Central Council of German Sinti and Roma”, the latter who have been so much behind this terminology and who are also the ones who accepted, on behalf of all Sinti (they must have forgotten to ask the majority), that they, the Sinti, are but a tribe of the Roma. Duh?
Most Roma too know much better than to see the Sinti as a tribe of the Roma and know that they Roma and the Sinti, while Romani, are not one and the same and the Sinti are Sinti and the Roma Roma and not the Sinti being a tribe of the Roma. The truth be told there are actually a great many of the Roma who do not accept the Sinti, or the Romanichals, or other groups of Romani, as Romani, and will refer to them, in their presence even, as Gadje. This is something that I very much object to, but that is a different story.
Shame that the so-called “leaders” do not seem to understand this, and one must ask is it a case of not being able to understand it or more a case, for political expediency, or money, or both, not wanting to understand it. My bet is on the latter case here, namely that they very well understand is but do not with to have it true because it suits them and keeps them in power. The fact is, of that I am sure, that the “leaders” only went the route of accepting, on behalf of all Sinti groups, the idea of being a “tribe of the Roma” to be able to get funding from and via the likes of the International Romani Union (under Dr. Jan Cibula and others), the same organization who had the Irish Travellers sign us a “Roma”, from the United Nations and such like. I doubt that it has worked, much, however. The idea of being represented in UNESCO seemed to be a carrot though.
What representation is that. We are a People, a Nation, the Romani Nation, the Gypsy Nation, and we should have, in the United Nations, a standing of a nation, though without land, and not as a cultural organization in the body of cultural organizations. This is an insult too and those “leaders” who accepted that are as guilty as those that accept the “Roma” title for those that are not.
The issue has even come to being a joke, e.g. the terminology of “Sinti and Roma” to such an extent even that, in the documentary that has been made about the German Sinti boxer and world champion Johann Trollmann, who was denied his title, and was subsequently murdered, by the Nazis, he was referred to as a “Sinti and Roma”. Well, he can only be one or the other now; he cannot be Sinti and Roma both at the same time. Rukelli Trollmann may have been very fast on his feet in the boxing ring but being two things ate the same time even he would not have managed.
But this is how stupid this terminology is becoming. “Sinti and Roma” is being used in the same, discriminatory, way as is and was “Zigeuner”, “Landfahrer”, “Fahrendes Volk”, etc. We might as well call ourselves “Zigeuner” again, in German, as the Gadje will not ever use anything appertaining to our People with any degree of respect. It makes not one iota of a difference what the word and terminology might be; in their eyes it will always be “dirty Gyppos”.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
Two-thirds of Czech Romanies feel discriminated against
Seven out of ten Romanies in the Usti nad Labem region, north Bohemia, felt discriminated against in the past two years, a project conducted by local field workers has shown.
Within the one-year project organised by the "Romodrom Association", 970 Romanies living in ghettoes were questioned.
Half of the cases of 691 Romanies who experienced discrimination concerned work. Other cases concerned access to education, restaurants and housing.None of the above cases has got to court, a spokesperson for the organization pointed out.
It was difficult, she said, for Romanies to defend themselves because the Czech Republic had no anti-discrimination law until now. Some of Romodromthe cases were just dealt with as misdemeanors, she added.
When Romany applicants asked for a job, they were told the given position was not vacant anymore, but when a "white" applicant inquired afterwards, he or she was often offered the job, the spokesperson said, and that many Romanies actually consider discrimination a part of their life.
The spokesperson also said even the ghetto in which they live is a "discriminatory address" that prevents them from getting a job and finding better housing, and that there still exists the problem of sending Romany children to special schools for pupils with learning difficulties.
Only a single one of some 20 Romany children continued to attend a normal elementary school after several months, while all the other Romany first-graders were moved to special schools, the spokesperson noted.
It must be said that this is not new, not in the former CzeRomodromchoslovakia, nor in other EU member states. In Germany even still to this day, as far as we are aware, Sinti and Roma children are, after entering the school system, more often that not, be sent within weeks of their school entry, their “Einschulung”, to the so-called “Hilfsschule”, to the “school for the educational subnormal” as it is also known.
The spokesperson for the “Romodrom Association” said the problem was that the parents agreed with the fact that their children would attend a special school, but she added that both the parents and the children often got under pressure if they did not agree with the step.
For children who attended a special elementary school it is very difficult to continue in their studies and consequently get a qualified job later in life.
In fact, let's face it, those that attend “Hilfsschule”, in Germany, for instance, have the same problems and face the same dilemmas. No one is going to employ someone who just has a leaving certificate from such a “special school”, and far less even so if that person is, obviously, of the Gypsy community.
Where are, however, the European Union human rights laws here? They are not even being implemented in the slightest way. The laws are no use if those charged with implementing them are still tainted, and nothing ever is going to change that, the racist mentality against the Romani People, be this in the Czech Republic, in Slovakia or in Germany.
In the UK we have not really seen much of a problem with this as far as Romani-Gypsy children are concerned. The Problem here is that, because of the cultural way that Gypsy children learn, they have problems fitting into the mainstream schooling often. There is an alternative in this country, in the same way as there is in the USA, to this, and that is homeschooling.
Schooling is important for Romani-Gypsy children but it also must be in the cultural setting, at least in the early, formative years. It is possible and can be done, but it must be done by the community, by the People, and the People must not suit there demanding it comes from the state. That way we will never get what our children need.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
Within the one-year project organised by the "Romodrom Association", 970 Romanies living in ghettoes were questioned.
Half of the cases of 691 Romanies who experienced discrimination concerned work. Other cases concerned access to education, restaurants and housing.None of the above cases has got to court, a spokesperson for the organization pointed out.
It was difficult, she said, for Romanies to defend themselves because the Czech Republic had no anti-discrimination law until now. Some of Romodromthe cases were just dealt with as misdemeanors, she added.
When Romany applicants asked for a job, they were told the given position was not vacant anymore, but when a "white" applicant inquired afterwards, he or she was often offered the job, the spokesperson said, and that many Romanies actually consider discrimination a part of their life.
The spokesperson also said even the ghetto in which they live is a "discriminatory address" that prevents them from getting a job and finding better housing, and that there still exists the problem of sending Romany children to special schools for pupils with learning difficulties.
Only a single one of some 20 Romany children continued to attend a normal elementary school after several months, while all the other Romany first-graders were moved to special schools, the spokesperson noted.
It must be said that this is not new, not in the former CzeRomodromchoslovakia, nor in other EU member states. In Germany even still to this day, as far as we are aware, Sinti and Roma children are, after entering the school system, more often that not, be sent within weeks of their school entry, their “Einschulung”, to the so-called “Hilfsschule”, to the “school for the educational subnormal” as it is also known.
The spokesperson for the “Romodrom Association” said the problem was that the parents agreed with the fact that their children would attend a special school, but she added that both the parents and the children often got under pressure if they did not agree with the step.
For children who attended a special elementary school it is very difficult to continue in their studies and consequently get a qualified job later in life.
In fact, let's face it, those that attend “Hilfsschule”, in Germany, for instance, have the same problems and face the same dilemmas. No one is going to employ someone who just has a leaving certificate from such a “special school”, and far less even so if that person is, obviously, of the Gypsy community.
Where are, however, the European Union human rights laws here? They are not even being implemented in the slightest way. The laws are no use if those charged with implementing them are still tainted, and nothing ever is going to change that, the racist mentality against the Romani People, be this in the Czech Republic, in Slovakia or in Germany.
In the UK we have not really seen much of a problem with this as far as Romani-Gypsy children are concerned. The Problem here is that, because of the cultural way that Gypsy children learn, they have problems fitting into the mainstream schooling often. There is an alternative in this country, in the same way as there is in the USA, to this, and that is homeschooling.
Schooling is important for Romani-Gypsy children but it also must be in the cultural setting, at least in the early, formative years. It is possible and can be done, but it must be done by the community, by the People, and the People must not suit there demanding it comes from the state. That way we will never get what our children need.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
The Nazis murdered a Million of Gypsies
The truth is that the Nazis, in the camps and elsewhere, murdered, more than likely, even more of our People than the million though there are some that still want to deny that figure and play with 250,000 to 500,000. Even one murdered Gypsy is one too many.
The Frankfurter Fachhochschule has, after intense study and research, suggested, in the later 20th century, the figure 1.5 Million dead Gypsies in the camps and elsewhere and some Romani organizations in Eastern Europe put the figure as high as 2 Million plus. As said, whatever the figure, one murdered Rom was one dead Rom too many.
However, what makes us different from the Jews and that is why we are still having problems of having the real figure of our dead (and let's not even talk about the generations unborn because of those that were forcibly sterilized) is that we do not do any lobbying work that reaches the heart and soul of the people, neither in Germany, nor, and where it is even more important, in the United States, nor even in France. The greatest problem though is that we are still seen to most non-Gypsy as “dirty Gyppos” and no more, though sometimes even worse.
We also have a distinct lack of poems and books by Rom on this matter of the Holocaust, though some there are, as those by the late O. Tom Odley from Britain, and one or two others. There are the novels “Fires in the Dark” and the older one that makes mention of it “After the Mourning”, and then there is the book “Winter Time” that is the story of Walter Winter and his time in the Camps. In addition there is the movie “And the Violins Stopped Playing” and a couple of songs and laments there are too on this matter. So, to suggest, as it has been that we have done nothing on that level, though the movie and the book “After the Mourning” may be non-Romani in origin, the subject, nevertheless, of the Romani persecution and murder for the self-same reasons as those of the Jews, namely that of Race, is documented by Rom and non-Rom alike.
To say “Zigeuner” or “Gypsy” today gets you dirty looks from the political correct lobby who want it to be “Sinti and Roma” or, preferably, as it would appear, just Roma. They hereby, like with the memorial for the “Sinti and Roma” Holocaust victims that is now, finally, going to be build in Berlin, after a wrangle of years over the inscription as the suggestion of “Zigeuner” could not possibly agreed to by the “Central Council of German Sinti and Roma”.
Now the term “Sinti and Roma” has in the German areas, in the same was as “Roma” in Eastern Europe, has become synonymous with and to mean Zigeuner in exactly the same connotation.
By using the term “Sinti and Roma” nothing has been gained whatsoever, and neither has by the term “Traveller” in Britain for instance, when the Romanichals, after WWII, around the 1950's, began using the term “Traveller” to refer to themselves. Now when the people hear “Travellers” they thing “Gypsy” which means they think Irish Travellers though, with their mess and their bad behavior.
No, I am not saying that all Romanichals are angels. Dordi! No! Far from it. Nor are all English people saints, are they now. However, the great majority of those that cause the Gypsy or Traveller (as in Romani) to be given a bad name are the Irish Travellers and not only in this country. The same holds true for Norway and Sweden.
The term Gypsy, which we have called ourselves, to outsiders at least, for amongst our own we more often that not may have use the term “Rom” in the singular, and “Roms” in the plural, was abandoned in favor of the term “Traveller” because some misguided do-gooders of the Gohja community, and also one or two “learned” Romanichals, went to the people telling them that “Gypsy” is a bad and incorrect word for us. However, they never told them to use Romani or Romanichal instead, did they now. They encouraged them to use the term “Traveller”. Why? To make the Rom look and appear to the outside world one with the Irish Traveller and the non-Rom “English” Travellers.
We should never have, ever, abandoned the use of the term “Gypsy”. Fine, it was not our own word. So what. I doubt that “Jew” is really the term either for one of the Judaic faith. The word Jude in German comes from their word for the Tribe of Judah. But, alas, the do-gooders and others do not realize that nor do they want to. Jude and Yid became words with bad connotations in the same way as did Gypsy and Zigeuner. Did the Jews give up the term Jews. No, sure they did not. So why were we so stupid?
Adopting the term “Traveller” gave us nothing but grief and does so to this very day. Some Romanichals in this country, and overseas, are finally coming back to using the more common name, namely, Gypsy. The word Gypsy, according to the Oxford Dictionary, should also only refer to the Romani. So why do the powers that be and the media call the Irish Tinkers and others, Gypsies, whether with a capital first letter or with a small? Because they are simply ignorant or because there is a different agenda on the go? Methinks the latter for it is not possible to have so many ignorant people about in the same places.
The use of the term “Sinti and Roma”, also, has, in the case of the memorial, excluded the Lalleri and the Manouche. Those two groups, while more than likely, in the same was as the Romanichels and Romanichals, being Sinti do not, per se, refer to themselves as Sinti. They use the term “Lalleri” or “Manouche” or “Romanichel” or, in cases even, “Gitans”. The Lalleri and Manouche were also persecuted as “Zigeuner” under the Nazis, as indeed were the so-called Jenische. While the Lalleri and Manouche are, indeed, of the Romani People, some of the Jenische are while others are not, and of those that are not all deny vehemently any link to the “Manische” as they call the Sinti. By the use of the term “Sinti and Roma” active discrimination is, however, enacted against other Romani groups who do not go by either of those two terms, whether they be the Cale, the Spanish Romani (Romani, please and NOT Roma), or those in the East that call themselves Cigan/Tsigan (all depending on the spelling) rather than being called Roma and, while they may, or may not be Sinti – those that thus call themselves Cigan or Tsigan, in other words “Zigeuner” or Gypsy – they are not aware of being of that group either and therefore use the term Tsigan, especially when they are called “Roma” by so-called experts. Many of them have been unable to work out – what is so difficult here – why those refuse to be called “Roma”. Simple answer; because they are NOT Roma, period. They too are being excluded in this term “Sinti and Roma” or the often so preferred overall term “Roma”, with the experts claiming that we are all but tribes of the Roma, which we are not, are actively being discriminated against.
Let us return back to our roots, and not only in the way of our old Faith and our Culture and Traditions. Let us use again the terms that we once used and that people always understood.
Tell someone you are Romani in England and you get “oh, you are from Romania”. Erm, sorry, nope, I am not. Tell them – though I won't because I am not – that you are “Roma” and they go, “oh you are from Roma, from Italy”. No idea as to the perception of “Sinti” except for blank face, even in Germany.
However, use “Gypsy” in England or other English-speaking country, and the equivalent colloquial words that have been used by us before – and please no one come me again with the “fact” that they always called themselves “Sinti” in Germany. Sure, and on an airfield nearby a squadron of pigs is preparing for takeoff”. I have been in Germany and I have been told by my relations themselves that only amongst Rom would they have ever called themselves Sinti, or by their tribal group rather, but to the outside it was “Zigeuner”. And that even after the time of the Nazis.
I know that there will be folks that will claim different and that they have always used “Sinti”. Well, and I shall look out for all those pigs on the wing.
We need to lobby for people to understand better who and what we are but that will not work if we confuse the issue, muddy the waters, and especially discriminate against and exclude others who are of Romani Blood, in the same way as we must get away from denying those that are of mixed parentage their Birthright as Rom.
Dosta penauas!
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
The Frankfurter Fachhochschule has, after intense study and research, suggested, in the later 20th century, the figure 1.5 Million dead Gypsies in the camps and elsewhere and some Romani organizations in Eastern Europe put the figure as high as 2 Million plus. As said, whatever the figure, one murdered Rom was one dead Rom too many.
However, what makes us different from the Jews and that is why we are still having problems of having the real figure of our dead (and let's not even talk about the generations unborn because of those that were forcibly sterilized) is that we do not do any lobbying work that reaches the heart and soul of the people, neither in Germany, nor, and where it is even more important, in the United States, nor even in France. The greatest problem though is that we are still seen to most non-Gypsy as “dirty Gyppos” and no more, though sometimes even worse.
We also have a distinct lack of poems and books by Rom on this matter of the Holocaust, though some there are, as those by the late O. Tom Odley from Britain, and one or two others. There are the novels “Fires in the Dark” and the older one that makes mention of it “After the Mourning”, and then there is the book “Winter Time” that is the story of Walter Winter and his time in the Camps. In addition there is the movie “And the Violins Stopped Playing” and a couple of songs and laments there are too on this matter. So, to suggest, as it has been that we have done nothing on that level, though the movie and the book “After the Mourning” may be non-Romani in origin, the subject, nevertheless, of the Romani persecution and murder for the self-same reasons as those of the Jews, namely that of Race, is documented by Rom and non-Rom alike.
To say “Zigeuner” or “Gypsy” today gets you dirty looks from the political correct lobby who want it to be “Sinti and Roma” or, preferably, as it would appear, just Roma. They hereby, like with the memorial for the “Sinti and Roma” Holocaust victims that is now, finally, going to be build in Berlin, after a wrangle of years over the inscription as the suggestion of “Zigeuner” could not possibly agreed to by the “Central Council of German Sinti and Roma”.
Now the term “Sinti and Roma” has in the German areas, in the same was as “Roma” in Eastern Europe, has become synonymous with and to mean Zigeuner in exactly the same connotation.
By using the term “Sinti and Roma” nothing has been gained whatsoever, and neither has by the term “Traveller” in Britain for instance, when the Romanichals, after WWII, around the 1950's, began using the term “Traveller” to refer to themselves. Now when the people hear “Travellers” they thing “Gypsy” which means they think Irish Travellers though, with their mess and their bad behavior.
No, I am not saying that all Romanichals are angels. Dordi! No! Far from it. Nor are all English people saints, are they now. However, the great majority of those that cause the Gypsy or Traveller (as in Romani) to be given a bad name are the Irish Travellers and not only in this country. The same holds true for Norway and Sweden.
The term Gypsy, which we have called ourselves, to outsiders at least, for amongst our own we more often that not may have use the term “Rom” in the singular, and “Roms” in the plural, was abandoned in favor of the term “Traveller” because some misguided do-gooders of the Gohja community, and also one or two “learned” Romanichals, went to the people telling them that “Gypsy” is a bad and incorrect word for us. However, they never told them to use Romani or Romanichal instead, did they now. They encouraged them to use the term “Traveller”. Why? To make the Rom look and appear to the outside world one with the Irish Traveller and the non-Rom “English” Travellers.
We should never have, ever, abandoned the use of the term “Gypsy”. Fine, it was not our own word. So what. I doubt that “Jew” is really the term either for one of the Judaic faith. The word Jude in German comes from their word for the Tribe of Judah. But, alas, the do-gooders and others do not realize that nor do they want to. Jude and Yid became words with bad connotations in the same way as did Gypsy and Zigeuner. Did the Jews give up the term Jews. No, sure they did not. So why were we so stupid?
Adopting the term “Traveller” gave us nothing but grief and does so to this very day. Some Romanichals in this country, and overseas, are finally coming back to using the more common name, namely, Gypsy. The word Gypsy, according to the Oxford Dictionary, should also only refer to the Romani. So why do the powers that be and the media call the Irish Tinkers and others, Gypsies, whether with a capital first letter or with a small? Because they are simply ignorant or because there is a different agenda on the go? Methinks the latter for it is not possible to have so many ignorant people about in the same places.
The use of the term “Sinti and Roma”, also, has, in the case of the memorial, excluded the Lalleri and the Manouche. Those two groups, while more than likely, in the same was as the Romanichels and Romanichals, being Sinti do not, per se, refer to themselves as Sinti. They use the term “Lalleri” or “Manouche” or “Romanichel” or, in cases even, “Gitans”. The Lalleri and Manouche were also persecuted as “Zigeuner” under the Nazis, as indeed were the so-called Jenische. While the Lalleri and Manouche are, indeed, of the Romani People, some of the Jenische are while others are not, and of those that are not all deny vehemently any link to the “Manische” as they call the Sinti. By the use of the term “Sinti and Roma” active discrimination is, however, enacted against other Romani groups who do not go by either of those two terms, whether they be the Cale, the Spanish Romani (Romani, please and NOT Roma), or those in the East that call themselves Cigan/Tsigan (all depending on the spelling) rather than being called Roma and, while they may, or may not be Sinti – those that thus call themselves Cigan or Tsigan, in other words “Zigeuner” or Gypsy – they are not aware of being of that group either and therefore use the term Tsigan, especially when they are called “Roma” by so-called experts. Many of them have been unable to work out – what is so difficult here – why those refuse to be called “Roma”. Simple answer; because they are NOT Roma, period. They too are being excluded in this term “Sinti and Roma” or the often so preferred overall term “Roma”, with the experts claiming that we are all but tribes of the Roma, which we are not, are actively being discriminated against.
Let us return back to our roots, and not only in the way of our old Faith and our Culture and Traditions. Let us use again the terms that we once used and that people always understood.
Tell someone you are Romani in England and you get “oh, you are from Romania”. Erm, sorry, nope, I am not. Tell them – though I won't because I am not – that you are “Roma” and they go, “oh you are from Roma, from Italy”. No idea as to the perception of “Sinti” except for blank face, even in Germany.
However, use “Gypsy” in England or other English-speaking country, and the equivalent colloquial words that have been used by us before – and please no one come me again with the “fact” that they always called themselves “Sinti” in Germany. Sure, and on an airfield nearby a squadron of pigs is preparing for takeoff”. I have been in Germany and I have been told by my relations themselves that only amongst Rom would they have ever called themselves Sinti, or by their tribal group rather, but to the outside it was “Zigeuner”. And that even after the time of the Nazis.
I know that there will be folks that will claim different and that they have always used “Sinti”. Well, and I shall look out for all those pigs on the wing.
We need to lobby for people to understand better who and what we are but that will not work if we confuse the issue, muddy the waters, and especially discriminate against and exclude others who are of Romani Blood, in the same way as we must get away from denying those that are of mixed parentage their Birthright as Rom.
Dosta penauas!
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
Traveller 'village' takes council by surprise
Monday 24th March 2008
A gypsy encampment has sprung up just 200 yards from the country home of government minister Tessa Jowell.
Dozens of travellers piled on to the site over the bank holiday weekend, setting up a water supply and laying electricity cables.
A septic tank has been installed and concrete pathways laid on the site, near the town of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire. Fencing has also been erected and hedges have been pulled down.
Residents reported the caravans moved on to the two-and-a-half acre site on Friday, leading to accusations that the gypsies were taking advantage of the public holiday when nobody at Warwickshire County Council was working.
The field, which has space for at least 30 caravans, is just 200 yards from the country home of Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, 60, and her estranged husband David Mills.
It was reported the gypsies had bought the site from a local businessman.
Conservative councillor Chris Saint represents the area on Warwickshire County Council. He said: "Up until last Thursday it was simply a piece of pasture land. On Friday morning I got a call from one of the parish councillors to say that there was some frenzied activity taking place on the field.
"We view it with alarm because I have no information about a planning application even being lodged, let alone granted, and I would be the first to know.
"I understand that water and electricity have been brought on and I also understand they have put in a sceptic tank and put down roads and fencing."
Asked whether he thought the gypsies had targeted the bank holiday weekend as no-one would be working at the council's offices, Mr Saint added: "We don't know that for certain but the speculation is that they have done this because there is a four day window when officialdom is unlikely to get to them.
"Myself and colleagues have reported it to the local government offices over the weekend but the key person will not be back at their desk until tomorrow morning."
Editorial comment:
A gypsy encampment, is is said, has sprung up just 200 yards from the country home of government minister Tessa Jowell.
What kind of Travellers are those that are bing referred to as “Gypsies”? Anyone asked whether they are of the Romany People?
Until such as time that it is established whether those are Gypsies this is nothing but a Traveller encampment.
Is there actually an inherent problem with so-called journalists in the UK in that they (1) cannot or do not want to use a capital first letter when writing an ethnic group and (2) that they have no ideas as to the fact that “Gypsy”, theoretically, only applies to the Romany? So much for wasted funds and time having them going through how many semester of university... the mind just boggles.
Until such a time that it is properly established that those are Gypsies, as per the definition in the proper dictionaries, they are but Travellers. Time that journalists, councilors and general public learned that Traveller and Gypsyis not simply interchangeable.
So, the field has space for at least 30 caravans. That is not to say that there are 30 caravans pulling on there or are on there. This is scaremongering of the highest order.
While I would never agree with anyone, whether Travellers or Gypsies (Romani) moving onto a piece pf land illegally – I do not care whether or not they have bought it legally and all that jazz – and set up “camp” there or, as in this case, duplicate a “Dale Farm” Traveller village, there is no need going about scaremongering as to what may or may not happen.
The entire article and the statements of the supposed councillor that is being quoted is intended to inflame local and not so local opinion and feeling against the Traveller and Gypsy communities, yet again. How about if we would, if we could, substitute “Gypsy” or “Traveller” for “Black”, “Muslim” or “Jew” and then also use a small first letter too. Whoever would do such a thing would never get away with it and rightly so. But, when it comes to Gypsies or Travellers there is always a free-for-all going around.
As I have said already, I disagree with the actions of those Travellers, whether they be Travellers or Gypsy proper, if they do not have planning permission to do what they are doing. The law applies to us, the Gypsy People in this country, in the same way as it does apply to Travellers, whether Irish or other, or to the settled communities. It is one law for all and I would never ask for it to be different.
A gypsy encampment has sprung up just 200 yards from the country home of government minister Tessa Jowell.
Dozens of travellers piled on to the site over the bank holiday weekend, setting up a water supply and laying electricity cables.
A septic tank has been installed and concrete pathways laid on the site, near the town of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire. Fencing has also been erected and hedges have been pulled down.
Residents reported the caravans moved on to the two-and-a-half acre site on Friday, leading to accusations that the gypsies were taking advantage of the public holiday when nobody at Warwickshire County Council was working.
The field, which has space for at least 30 caravans, is just 200 yards from the country home of Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, 60, and her estranged husband David Mills.
It was reported the gypsies had bought the site from a local businessman.
Conservative councillor Chris Saint represents the area on Warwickshire County Council. He said: "Up until last Thursday it was simply a piece of pasture land. On Friday morning I got a call from one of the parish councillors to say that there was some frenzied activity taking place on the field.
"We view it with alarm because I have no information about a planning application even being lodged, let alone granted, and I would be the first to know.
"I understand that water and electricity have been brought on and I also understand they have put in a sceptic tank and put down roads and fencing."
Asked whether he thought the gypsies had targeted the bank holiday weekend as no-one would be working at the council's offices, Mr Saint added: "We don't know that for certain but the speculation is that they have done this because there is a four day window when officialdom is unlikely to get to them.
"Myself and colleagues have reported it to the local government offices over the weekend but the key person will not be back at their desk until tomorrow morning."
Editorial comment:
A gypsy encampment, is is said, has sprung up just 200 yards from the country home of government minister Tessa Jowell.
What kind of Travellers are those that are bing referred to as “Gypsies”? Anyone asked whether they are of the Romany People?
Until such as time that it is established whether those are Gypsies this is nothing but a Traveller encampment.
Is there actually an inherent problem with so-called journalists in the UK in that they (1) cannot or do not want to use a capital first letter when writing an ethnic group and (2) that they have no ideas as to the fact that “Gypsy”, theoretically, only applies to the Romany? So much for wasted funds and time having them going through how many semester of university... the mind just boggles.
Until such a time that it is properly established that those are Gypsies, as per the definition in the proper dictionaries, they are but Travellers. Time that journalists, councilors and general public learned that Traveller and Gypsyis not simply interchangeable.
So, the field has space for at least 30 caravans. That is not to say that there are 30 caravans pulling on there or are on there. This is scaremongering of the highest order.
While I would never agree with anyone, whether Travellers or Gypsies (Romani) moving onto a piece pf land illegally – I do not care whether or not they have bought it legally and all that jazz – and set up “camp” there or, as in this case, duplicate a “Dale Farm” Traveller village, there is no need going about scaremongering as to what may or may not happen.
The entire article and the statements of the supposed councillor that is being quoted is intended to inflame local and not so local opinion and feeling against the Traveller and Gypsy communities, yet again. How about if we would, if we could, substitute “Gypsy” or “Traveller” for “Black”, “Muslim” or “Jew” and then also use a small first letter too. Whoever would do such a thing would never get away with it and rightly so. But, when it comes to Gypsies or Travellers there is always a free-for-all going around.
As I have said already, I disagree with the actions of those Travellers, whether they be Travellers or Gypsy proper, if they do not have planning permission to do what they are doing. The law applies to us, the Gypsy People in this country, in the same way as it does apply to Travellers, whether Irish or other, or to the settled communities. It is one law for all and I would never ask for it to be different.
Gypsies are victims of stereotype
This statement does need little explanation, I am sure, for it indeed is the case. Gypsies, real Gypsies, are indeed the victims of stereotype.
It has to be said that many of our People, and in addition to that the media, and here especially the gutter press such as in the UK the likes of the Sun, the Mirror, the Express, do not help here one bit.
The Gypsy, the true Gypsy, the Romani, and yes, we still exist, though we no longer travel in wooden horse-drawn wagons and no longer have a campfire outside, is put on the same level, on purpose, with the trailer trash that travel the highways and byways of the British Isles and other countries and live by scamming and thieving, in that the dear media always insist on calling those “gypsies”. They are not Gypsy, they are hedge-mumpers or worse.
I am a real Gypsy but I am not Roma. This is another misconception. Some claim that we all prefer to be called Roma. No, we don't, for those of us who, while Romani, such as Sinti and Cale, but who are not Roma, do not wish to be called thus.
While I may never have been to school or college I nevertheless an educated and do an ordinary job while at the same time I am also a journalist. No, and I did not go to university to study journalism and I am glad, seeing the capability of so many journalists that went there, or the lack of capability and ability, that I did not go to such a place.
It is amazing how many people wonder whether, despite the work that I do, I live in a wooden vardo with a yog outside. Dordi! And I have even been asked whether I do not mind no longer being a Gypsy. Duh?!? Hello, people! We are a Race not a lifestyle.
The other stereotypes are that all Gypsies are thieves, scam artists, vagabonds and society dropout. If Nick Rosen can be believed, which he cannot, then there are no longer any true Romanies around, whether in the UK or elsewhere, but all those that still travel or live in trailers (and many of ours still do travel and live in trailers on sites) are nothing but pretenders or scum.
Well, I am the first to admit that we have rogues amongst the Romani, as much as amongst other people, and we have our share of criminals, petty and bigger, as well, and there are those among our that, unfortunately, do pick on the elderly and the vulnerable, and steal from them while they pretend to fix their roofs or do up their gardens, or such. However, let us place the ball firmly in the proper court; the majority of travelling folks that do such scams are not (proper) Gypsy but are Travellers, and the great majority of them are Irish Travellers. One could refer to them, as I have done before and will do so again, in the American term, namely as “trailer trash”. They are neither Gypsy nor are they even of the old Irish Travellers. The great majority of the so-called Irish Travellers, whether in Britain, the USA, and even as far as Australia and New Zealand, are not Gypsy nor even “old” Irish Travellers; they are but people who have decided to live this way to make an easy, often illegitimate, living.
Good Gypsies are not shown for being the clean, decent people that we are. People call us “dirty Gyppos” but I doubt that any of them have ever been in the home, whether trailer or house, of a true Romani-Gypsy family, whether in the UK or elsewhere. It is always the scummy Gypsies, often those that are not even Gypsies but of the other groups wrongly called Gypsy, that get seen for thieving, etc. The media picks up on the bad stuff.
Gypsies, the Romany, have traveled a tough road these past thousand years.
Let us fast-forward through lots of history to the 14th century. By then the Gypsy have become noticed in Europe and were wrongly thought to be from Egypt (hence the name "Gypsy"), when in fact our origins are between the Caucasus and the valley of the Indus River in India.
Gypsies were darker-skinned, to a degree, and fiercely protective of their cultural identity and were quickly persecuted.
Because, as all the land was already spoken for, our People had no other choice but to offer skills that we could practice on the go, such as mending, entertaining or working at fairs, making items such as clothespins, tent pegs, baskets, and also metal goods, including weapons and armor.
“No one wanted us, and everyone and every country chased us away. . . . With no means of survival, of course often the only recourse was to steal, but it was to feed ourselves, to feed our children; not in order to accumulate wealth. Theft of food, such as vegetables or even of water – how can anything that the gods have provided, so the Gypsy saw it – belong to someone and the taking of it, as long as it is not more than one's needs, be theft – became the downfall often for many Gypsy in that they were caught and hanged for such offences or sent as slaves to the colonies.
Unfortunately, Gypsies still shunned across the globe. Nothing has changed. The misconception by the people as to who and what we, the Gypsy, are and the misinterpretation by the media of what and who we are, is not helping one bit in combating this. Neither are the actions by the so-called Gypsyologists and so-called experts that try to make all Romani (Romany) into Roma. While the Sinti and the Cale, as I already said, are Romani they are not Roma and do not, in the main, wish to be addressed as such, e.g. the vehemently refuse to be called Roma, while some, in the Czech and Slovak lands, for instance, have no problem to refer to themselves and to be referred to as “Cygani”. In fact they rather will use the attribute “Gypsy” than the attribute “Roma”.
It is often claimed that the incredible amounts of discrimination and marginalization that we have gone through for centuries, is partially because of hostility of the host country and but partly because of our own inability or unwillingness to integrate. It is not integration that we have a problem with; it is the assimilation, the forced assimilation, under the guise of “integration” that we have a problem with and that we refuse to accept.
It certainly does not help that too many Gypsy families do not value education, and many many Roma youth saying that they do not see college as their most viable option. But is it education per se that is being rejected or the brainwashing institutions of the non-Romani society? Without education, and Gypsy families will have to come to understand that, whether in the West or in the East, there will never be a way that we, the Romani, of whatever group, will amount to much. Sports alone, such as footfall (soccer players – and we do have a fair number of them) or boxers, even of world class, are not going to liberate us as a People and bring the individual families out of poverty and dependency. While some of the crafts and skill are today again in demand, such as well-made baskets, and even the old clothespins can be sold again, it would seem, at the right location, at a very good price indeed, this is not going to lift the Romani out of their condition as a People. We, as a People, must understand that only by education, which ever way this may take, we can fight the stereotype and over come the obstacles placed in our paths.
If you look at the socioeconomic conditions of the true Gypsy People, the Romani or Rom (not Roma), you see every major cause [for our plight]: poverty, overpopulation and lack of education. But in my view lack of education – this does not need to be formal education – is the major cause and obstacle, far aside from the fact that the Gohja, the non-Gypsy has the wrong perception of us.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
It has to be said that many of our People, and in addition to that the media, and here especially the gutter press such as in the UK the likes of the Sun, the Mirror, the Express, do not help here one bit.
The Gypsy, the true Gypsy, the Romani, and yes, we still exist, though we no longer travel in wooden horse-drawn wagons and no longer have a campfire outside, is put on the same level, on purpose, with the trailer trash that travel the highways and byways of the British Isles and other countries and live by scamming and thieving, in that the dear media always insist on calling those “gypsies”. They are not Gypsy, they are hedge-mumpers or worse.
I am a real Gypsy but I am not Roma. This is another misconception. Some claim that we all prefer to be called Roma. No, we don't, for those of us who, while Romani, such as Sinti and Cale, but who are not Roma, do not wish to be called thus.
While I may never have been to school or college I nevertheless an educated and do an ordinary job while at the same time I am also a journalist. No, and I did not go to university to study journalism and I am glad, seeing the capability of so many journalists that went there, or the lack of capability and ability, that I did not go to such a place.
It is amazing how many people wonder whether, despite the work that I do, I live in a wooden vardo with a yog outside. Dordi! And I have even been asked whether I do not mind no longer being a Gypsy. Duh?!? Hello, people! We are a Race not a lifestyle.
The other stereotypes are that all Gypsies are thieves, scam artists, vagabonds and society dropout. If Nick Rosen can be believed, which he cannot, then there are no longer any true Romanies around, whether in the UK or elsewhere, but all those that still travel or live in trailers (and many of ours still do travel and live in trailers on sites) are nothing but pretenders or scum.
Well, I am the first to admit that we have rogues amongst the Romani, as much as amongst other people, and we have our share of criminals, petty and bigger, as well, and there are those among our that, unfortunately, do pick on the elderly and the vulnerable, and steal from them while they pretend to fix their roofs or do up their gardens, or such. However, let us place the ball firmly in the proper court; the majority of travelling folks that do such scams are not (proper) Gypsy but are Travellers, and the great majority of them are Irish Travellers. One could refer to them, as I have done before and will do so again, in the American term, namely as “trailer trash”. They are neither Gypsy nor are they even of the old Irish Travellers. The great majority of the so-called Irish Travellers, whether in Britain, the USA, and even as far as Australia and New Zealand, are not Gypsy nor even “old” Irish Travellers; they are but people who have decided to live this way to make an easy, often illegitimate, living.
Good Gypsies are not shown for being the clean, decent people that we are. People call us “dirty Gyppos” but I doubt that any of them have ever been in the home, whether trailer or house, of a true Romani-Gypsy family, whether in the UK or elsewhere. It is always the scummy Gypsies, often those that are not even Gypsies but of the other groups wrongly called Gypsy, that get seen for thieving, etc. The media picks up on the bad stuff.
Gypsies, the Romany, have traveled a tough road these past thousand years.
Let us fast-forward through lots of history to the 14th century. By then the Gypsy have become noticed in Europe and were wrongly thought to be from Egypt (hence the name "Gypsy"), when in fact our origins are between the Caucasus and the valley of the Indus River in India.
Gypsies were darker-skinned, to a degree, and fiercely protective of their cultural identity and were quickly persecuted.
Because, as all the land was already spoken for, our People had no other choice but to offer skills that we could practice on the go, such as mending, entertaining or working at fairs, making items such as clothespins, tent pegs, baskets, and also metal goods, including weapons and armor.
“No one wanted us, and everyone and every country chased us away. . . . With no means of survival, of course often the only recourse was to steal, but it was to feed ourselves, to feed our children; not in order to accumulate wealth. Theft of food, such as vegetables or even of water – how can anything that the gods have provided, so the Gypsy saw it – belong to someone and the taking of it, as long as it is not more than one's needs, be theft – became the downfall often for many Gypsy in that they were caught and hanged for such offences or sent as slaves to the colonies.
Unfortunately, Gypsies still shunned across the globe. Nothing has changed. The misconception by the people as to who and what we, the Gypsy, are and the misinterpretation by the media of what and who we are, is not helping one bit in combating this. Neither are the actions by the so-called Gypsyologists and so-called experts that try to make all Romani (Romany) into Roma. While the Sinti and the Cale, as I already said, are Romani they are not Roma and do not, in the main, wish to be addressed as such, e.g. the vehemently refuse to be called Roma, while some, in the Czech and Slovak lands, for instance, have no problem to refer to themselves and to be referred to as “Cygani”. In fact they rather will use the attribute “Gypsy” than the attribute “Roma”.
It is often claimed that the incredible amounts of discrimination and marginalization that we have gone through for centuries, is partially because of hostility of the host country and but partly because of our own inability or unwillingness to integrate. It is not integration that we have a problem with; it is the assimilation, the forced assimilation, under the guise of “integration” that we have a problem with and that we refuse to accept.
It certainly does not help that too many Gypsy families do not value education, and many many Roma youth saying that they do not see college as their most viable option. But is it education per se that is being rejected or the brainwashing institutions of the non-Romani society? Without education, and Gypsy families will have to come to understand that, whether in the West or in the East, there will never be a way that we, the Romani, of whatever group, will amount to much. Sports alone, such as footfall (soccer players – and we do have a fair number of them) or boxers, even of world class, are not going to liberate us as a People and bring the individual families out of poverty and dependency. While some of the crafts and skill are today again in demand, such as well-made baskets, and even the old clothespins can be sold again, it would seem, at the right location, at a very good price indeed, this is not going to lift the Romani out of their condition as a People. We, as a People, must understand that only by education, which ever way this may take, we can fight the stereotype and over come the obstacles placed in our paths.
If you look at the socioeconomic conditions of the true Gypsy People, the Romani or Rom (not Roma), you see every major cause [for our plight]: poverty, overpopulation and lack of education. But in my view lack of education – this does not need to be formal education – is the major cause and obstacle, far aside from the fact that the Gohja, the non-Gypsy has the wrong perception of us.
© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008
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