Jai Bhim Network

Ambedkerite movement Started in Hungary

In 16 June 2007,I was invited by Derdak Tibor and Orsos Janos in Hungary to see the Gypsy people and their life.I Stayed in my friend Orosos Janos house.Derdak Tibor and Orsos Janos want to make strong relation with the T.B.M.S.G.Buddhist community. So that they have invited me there to see the same problems they have which we Dalit people was experience 75 years ago.T.B.M.S.G. is Buddhist Ambedkarites movement.Orsos Janos want to establised like this organisation in hungary for the Roma/Gypsy people.Orsos Janos is the founder president of “Jaibhim Network”.Derdak Tibor and Orsos Janos work together for the Gypsy poor people to uplift their living standard.

Derdak Tibor read about Ambedkerite movement in a french buddhist magazine at the beginning of 90es.He studied the Life of Dr.Ambedkar and his movement.He started to wrote about Dr Ambedkar in monthly newsletter of Tankapuja Buddist Church.Subhuti find it in england.Subhuti immegitely went to met them in may 2005.Tibor and Janos shown him their work in Alsoszentmarton, Sajokaza, oszo, Gilmanfa,Tomor. Subhuti invited Tibor and Janos in Dec. 2005 at Dhammakranti retreat, Nagpur, Maharastra, India. They became Dhammamitra there. They met with me and became a very good friend.

Derdak Tibor and Orsos Janos was very much inspired from T.B.M.S.G. Buddist organisation.After two years they came again in India with their friend Ujlaky Andras.Ujlaky Andras work together with them in Hungary. It was the history how they come to know about TBMSG?

Retreat In Oszo

After getting the invitation I reached in hungary.After two days Tibor and Janos organised retreat in oszo.Manidhamma already was reached before 2 days.Dhammamitra Dr. Sam reached there before the retreat in hungary.They stayed there for 2 weeks.Manidhamma led 3 days retreat at oszo.Oszo is the buddist retreat centre like Bordharan Buddist Retreat centre in India.It is situated in Jungle area,2 km far from the village.I and Manidhamma and Dr sam had made some Indian vegetarian dishes during the retreat.I spoke about the Sucess of Dalit people in Education,Business,and Politics.30 people were attended retreat.Most of them were the students of Little tiger school.Again in second time Tibor and Janos organised retreat there.At the begaining of retreat Tibor given five preceps in hungarian languae to participants.Then he started to introduced about Dr Ambedker and I was continued that history and Dr.Ambedker Movement.I teached meditation and yoga exercise.I distributed guifts of Dr Ambedker`s braslates,lockets,caps,head bands,pens stickers.I had drawn Buddha Ambedker tatoo on the hand by mehandi.In this retreat Virya,Aniko,Mojesh,Satya,Ashok,janos and tibor were the Dhammamitra there.The responce of the people was very good.They would like to come again to attend the like this retreat.In Hungary lots of potential to spread Buddism among the Gypsy community.

Living with Gypsy family

In Hungary,I lived with the Gypsy family about 2 & 1/2 month.This family name is Orsos Family.This family is of my friend Janos.In this familys members are so lovely and kind with me.we could say that this family is combilne family like indian family.Buddha asked to his deciple that why the vajji get the success in their life because they do all work together.They also work together and feel happy life.In this home have his mother who is very much kind and his friend Derdak Tibor who is white hungarian man.In the world it is very rare to discover that one white hungarian living in the Gypsies house.Janos and Tibor are very good and best friends.Janos`s sisters daughter eboye and her beautiful daughter veronika,and zoli and pisti.And i was also the member of this beautiful and big family.In every morningJanos mother make breakfast for me.She dont know really how to make vegetarian food but she tried to make it for me.All time she thinking of me how could she make the different vegetarian food for me.She dont know the english language but by the body language she try to asked me what is my need.

Gypsy Villages

In Hungary,I saw most of the Gypsies are without schooling,good housing and any kind of social security.Gypsy people lived segregated from Hungarian white peoples society.The professional life of Gypsy people are different than the rest of the Hungarian people life.These people dont have work/business.I have seen Gypsy/Roma families in villages like Manfa,Hidas,Alsszenmarton,Sajokaza,orsovadaz.Family plays a large role in their life.

In Janos family brothers and sisters help to each other.Janos have 2 brothers and 4 sisters.Every married man have morethan three or four children.Like Sandor has 6 children and his elder sister has 5 children and so on.We could imagine that how gypsy family so strong than other family.Sometime I went with Janos from Manfa to Hidas.Hidas is his birthplace so there are most of the members of family like uncle,aunts,cousins,nephews,nieces,brother and sisters in law,and their children lived in the same community or neighbourhod and share their happiest and unhappiest moment of life.Zoli is the Janos younger brother.He is married.Now government make the project to give houses to gypsies But this houses half money will be paid by government.But his brother dont have skillful work.In their family, role of man and women are different than other non gypsy family.Janos mother do the household duties and Janos making decign and earning money.But Sandor earnings money only occasionally.some Men like zoli spending their time looking for work.All they have keep good relation with friends and ralatives because they are supported with eachother.Unmarried children stayed with their parents and orphans were taken in the orphans house,but most of the orphans houses ful of gypsies children because of their parents dont have much money to support of fulfill their basic needs.Roma/Gypsy language is quite similar with the India language.In indian Marathi,Hindi aek,don,tin,char,panch,aakh,kale baal.In english one,two,three,four,five,eye,black hair.In roma/gypsy language aeki,doei,three,star,panch,aakh,kale baal.So these Roma/Gypsy like words are very simmiler and easy for me to understand than hungarian language.Sometime Tibor,Janos,and Boda peter teached me about similarities of words.They come here form our indian family because their language,skin colour and family life style is same like indian people.

Gypsy People

Unemployment is another major problems in gypsy people due to the lack of education.smetime they have employmebt in entatainment,farm work,shop clener.I didnot find there a single gypsy man who have good business/work.In hungary,Gypsy people have the nationality of Hungary so they called as Hungarian Gypsy.If they went to search the job in cities like budapest,pecs then they need to keep their identity card to show the police that they have nationality and they are not criminals.These people looks different than Hungarian white people,it is easy to differentiate between them.

Once I and my friend Janos Orsos was travalling in budapest by city bus.We was waiting for the city bus at the Bus stop,after sometime police car come near to us and asked us `show the identity card`. policemen didnot asked other white people overthere but they asked us because of diferent skin colour.Janos told me if he want to come in Budapest or like this cities then he should have to keep his identity card to show policemen to ensure that he is not belongs to criminal.Every time police and white people discriminate.He told if he travelled from the bus,no one like to sit near to him.So that they called themselves the untouchables of hungary.Orsos Janos said me “if some Gypsy yongstars came here in the cities to earn money then white people used to told them dont come here,it is not Gypsy people place.They tried to stop them in the villages only.Janos was told me his experience once he was travessed in the bus there were no free sit to sit in bus.In that bus had one white old lady who didnot have place to sit so Janos had given her his sit so she given him thanks “kosonom” from the returning of place where he reached that time unfortunately same old lady in the same bus.she had place near to her but she didnot asked to janos to sit near her.she occupied this empty place with her won bag.So it shows that there is much untouchability between Gypsy and white Hungarian people.Hungarian White people dont like to give equal respect to Gypsy people.

School Of Gypsy

Tibor and Janos opened school in alsoszentmarton,Tomor,Sajokaza.Little tiger school is in Alsoszentmarton.there are 1200 population of Gypsies.In this year 1 saptember 2007 opened new school in tomor and Sajokaza.This school name is Dr.Ambedker school.This school running under the Jaibhim Network.Derdak Tibor is the director of the Dr.Ambedker school.Tibor and Janos goes different villages to search Gypsies children who dont have education or elder people who has left the school.They encourage them to start their studies of their school.

I have seen the Gypsy students in Alsoszentmarton.These students are good in studies.When I was there that time there were holydays in the schools.But school students came in school regularly to read books and taking knowledge of computers.Specially,Adino,Small Adino,Meerella,Maitri,Barbi,are very active girls there.In this year they are in secondary school and Tibor told me he is sure that they will pass secondary exam withgood marks.But on the other hand I have heard from Janos and Tibor that there schools not ready to give admission for the gypsy student if they given admission then they sit far from the white hungarian students.Their classrooms are different.White Hungarian people take out of their children from that school where Gypsy studies studies.Sometime Teacher asked to Gypsy student to take admission in mentally disable school.Last time Roland told me about him that his teacher oftenly asked to his mother take out Roland from their school and given him admission in easy school.It is very surprise to know for me that students are good in studies then why these white hungarian teached try to refused their admission in school??.

One day I went with Janos and Roland to one city to getting admission in secondary school for Roland.Before to go in school Janos was taken appointment.They asked the name of student and replied come for the interview.Roland Father is hungarin man so his Surname is Hungarian.But when we reached there,then teachers of school saw him and identified that he is Gypsy boy.They replied to Janos that they dont have enought place for the admission.

1 to 2 percentage of gypsy people get education.Tibor told me why they opened school? “His plan to send gypsy youngstars to universities and colleges.Village schools and Teachers dont send them even to secondary school education that is why Dr.Ambedkar ideology is needed for us.Educate,organise and Agitate”We went in very poor family in orsovadaz to serch students for the Dr.Ambedkar school.Now Dr.Ambedker school has 100 students in this year.Dr.Ambedkar school opened this year and have very good response of the students.

I seen the Gypsies/Roma people facing many problems in Hungary.Their main problems is Sheltering,Education and employment.These are the fundamentle need of human but these needs dont have really fulfill.Gypsy student take part in edcational system as they should and not leasve school before finishing.Janos and Tibor`s movemet getting sucess within these few years because now a days lots of gypsy students are taking education like Banu (Ashok),Kubu,Silvi,Anna,Laura,Istavan,Rolnd,Gabor,Mirella,Adnono,small Adino,kau,and much more.

Janos and Tibor are worked and going on the foot step of Dr.Ambedkar.We Dalit people didnot have housing,education and employment but Dr.Ambedkar shown us the way of education and given equal rights in constitution so now we get respect and eqality by non Dalit people.

This small root of education which is planted by Janos Orsos and Derdak Tibor is growing now.In future Non gypsy people will be prepared to accept Roma/Gypsy people as they are,because of gypsies education.

(Note:Tibor if you want to make the short of this article then you can do it or if you want to make correction then you can.Much more metta)

Ashwin Jangam
Nagpur

Best of Luck for your work

Best wishes

ASHWIN JANGAM