Jai Bhim Network

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A proposal by the Jai Bhim Network which runs the Dr Ambedkar High School that prepayment meters for electricity supplies to Romany families in Sajokaza has revealed the life threatening poverty of a thousand gypsies who have been accused of stealing electricity. This situation is further complicated by the economic crisis affecting public funds.

In Sajokaza Sólyom Terrace was built for coal miners in 1900 with twenty housing units. There weren’t any public utilities then and there still aren’t. The housing units are now in very poor condition. The layout of these houses is rudimentary: a small hallway leading to a dark room. Most of this tottering row of housing had no wiring to install electricity. At head level a mass of tangled wires can now be seen outside where electricity is being stolen. In 1986 another terrace was built It was called Ch Housing meaning cheap housing. They had no water pipes, no tarmacadam on the roads leading to them and it’s ankle deep in mud whenever it rains.

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Janos Orsos tells of his life and struggles as a European Dalit.

I am a gypsy. I was born and brought up in Hungary, but I do not consider myself a Hungarian - I am a gypsy. Let me explain what that means. Many people think that gypsies are nomadic, but the great majority of gypsies in Eastern Europe are settled. They live mainly in villages, but right on the edge, in segregated streets. Hungary is a western country, viewed from the third world, but the gypsies here live like people in the third world. They live in streets or neighbourhoods where there is no tap water, no street lighting, no sewage - but if you go just a few metres away to the non-gypsy streets next to them you will find all these facilities.

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Your Excellency
President of Hungary Sólyom László,

We write to you requesting that you grant Varga Dénes an official pardon. Varga Dénes was sentenced to one year in prison in 2008, which became a highly known and well-publicized sentencing because of Népszabadság’s December 31st issue from the same year. He has been charged with illegally wiring electricity to his home after all service was cut. The onslaught of negative attention has caused much distress for Varga Dénes during these last several months. He is the patriarch of his household, rearing six children and has not been able to find gainful employment for quite some time because of both the libel and slander of his name. What’s worse is that he’s been labeled, as a vagrant within the media, making it even more difficult to find a job that allows him to effectively support is family. Even with his current employment, his financial viability falls well below that of the national level for being able to pay is monthly electricity bills. Much like many other residents of Sajókaza, the electric company completely removed all meters and supplies for servicing electricity to homes, in 2006. Since that time, there have been many makeshift attempts to rewire power lines by residents of Sajókaza so that they might once again have basic lighting for their everyday tasks.

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Hi Mayur,

Let me introduce myself first. My name is Amrita (Indian, from Bihar) and I am currently a student at Central European University in Budapest. You must be wondering how instead of Tibor its me who is
replying to your mail. So, here is the story. I have been in touch with Tibor and his organisation since Christmas last year i.e. 2008. I came to know them through a common friend Swati and visited them to
celebrate Christmas. I took on a small assignment i.e. teach English to Roma women associated with the organization during the weekend. It is my first day on the teaching job and Tibor asked me to write to you sharing my experiences till now.

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