US Hindus want desegregation of Gypsy children

Nevada, Dec 1 (IBNS) A US based Hindu group has asked for immediate desegregation of Roma (Gypsy) pupils in Macedonia schools.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that reportedly such a large percentage of Roma children in 'special needs' schools meant for learning-disabled pupils was highly unacceptable. Reportedly discriminatory segregation policies of Roma children must end immediately and they should be placed in mainstream schools, Zed added.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also stressed the need of social inclusion of Roma in Macedonia, improvement in their dire living conditions, immediate end to their marginalization and ethnic profiling and addressing of their statelessness issue. Macedonia should show firm commitment and strong political will to improve the Roma plight.

He applauded Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muinieks for speaking out for human rights of Roma and their social cohesion in Macedonia and asking the authorities to address these, at the end of a recent four-day visit to the country.

Zed pointed out that European Roma reportedly regularly faced racism, substandard education, hostility, social exclusion, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, racist slogans on Internet, etc.

Dr. Gjorge Ivanov and Nikola Gruevski are President and Prime Minister respectively of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; a mountainous landlocked country with extensive wilderness known for Mavrovo National Park, Sveti Naum monastery, culturally-rich town of Ohrid, etc.