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on June 17, 2010
Nidhi Trehan
commented on a projectSadly, Janos Donat's comments reflect the reaction of many Hungarians to what is happening in their country today. There was a time in Hungary when there was much more sympathy and solidarity demonstrated towards Romani communities. One can read this in the writings and novels of Pulitzer-prize winner Zsolt Csalog and Hungarian MP and activist Ottilia Solt (Meltosagot Mindenkinek - Dignity for All), both of whom are no longer with us. The situation of increasing poverty and alleged higher incidence of crime amongst Roma (is it any higher amongst non-Roma whose incomes are comparable?) is with us because of centuries of oppression and extreme marginalization, and this will not be remedied in several decades, regardless of the political persuasion of the government. The historic debt that Europe owes to its Romani communities, the historic debt that Hungary owes to its Roma, is yet to be acknowledged. Contributions in the way of economic (building railroads, bridges and homes), cultural (music, dance, and folk knowledge such as that in the field of medicine/health), and yes, political (though Romani individuals have served honorably in various armies across Europe, they have for generations eschewed the kind of nationalism and national identity formations which have torn Europe apart by producing violent outcomes - Roma are still living examples of the existence of multiple identities in European states which have had great difficulties with this concept and have generally sought to homogenize cultures). This is not to say that all Roma are perfect, of course, there are Romani individuals engaged in crime (though the incidence of white collar crimes are far less amongst Roma). Mr. Donat almost comes across as an apologist for the violent murders of Hungarian Romani families such as the Csorbas, and curiously, many of these Romani individuals targeted were well integrated and employed. Mr. Donat emphasizes the climate of fear on the part of non-Roma in Hungary, but just imagine if your children were faced with death at the hands of vigilantes throwing Molotov cocktails in your house? What is needed in this rarefied and intolerant climate is understanding and reconciliation, not the all-too-common defensiveness displayed by many in the majority. The films made by Jasmine Dellal and her colleagues are a good step in the right direction as they humanize Roma, rather than dehumanizing them – as has been the case for generations in Europe.
Nidhi Trehan
Nidhi Trehan joined Kickstarter on June 16, 2010
