The International Romani Day is observed annually across the globe on April 8 to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness the social, political, and economic issues faced by the Roma community, Europe’s largest ethnic minority.
Background:
i.International Romani Day was officially recognized on April 8 during the 4th World Romani Congress in 1990 held in Serock, Poland.
ii.The International Romani Day commemorates the 1st World Romani Congress held on April 8, 1971 in Orpington, Kent, London, United Kingdom (UK).
About 1st World Romani Congress:
i.It was organised by the UK based Gypsy Council and Rome (Italy) based the Comité International Rom (CIR) and marked the first international attempt at Romani cooperation.
ii.The 1st World Romani Congress established the Romani flag (blue and green with a red chakra), the Romani anthem (“Gelem, Gelem”), and formalised the use of the common name ‘Roma’.
iii.It also replaced the term ‘gypsy’, which carried negative connotations in Europe, with ‘Roma’ as the official identifier.
About Roma Communities:
i.The Roma are the largest and most marginalised ethnic minority in Europe, with a population of 10–12 million residing across the European Union (EU) and enlargement regions.
ii.They are a diaspora originating from the Punjab and Rajasthan regions of India, having emigrated approximately 1,000 years ago.
iii.The Roma community comprises various groups including the Sinti (Germany), Manouche (France), Romanichal (UK), and Kalé (Spain)
iv.Many Roma living in Western Europe are migrants from countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and the former Yugoslavia.
About the Romani Language:
i.Romani, a non-territorial Indo-Aryan language, has been spoken across Europe since the Middle Ages and comprises around 33,000 words across 17 dialects.
ii.It is the only Indo-Aryan language spoken outside the Indian subcontinent.
iii.As per the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, Romani is classified as “severely endangered” in Bulgaria and Croatia, and “definitely endangered” in Greece, Italy, France, Poland, and Romania.
iv.The Nazi era saw a significant decline in the Romani population, endangering both Romani and Jewish languages.
Note: In 2015, the UNESCO headquartered in Paris, France, proclaimed 5th November as the World Day of Romani Language following a proposal by the Republic of Croatia.
EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020–2030:
EU launched the Roma Strategic Framework 2020–2030 to improve the living standards of Roma communities through
- Poverty Reduction: Halve the poverty gap between Roma and non-Roma populations.
- Housing: Reduce housing deprivation gap by one-third.
- Education: Decrease segregation of Roma children in primary schools.
