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Hindus are urging Czech Republic to offer adequate protection to their Roma (Gypsy) and other vulnerable populations during the current floods, which have reportedly claimed over seven lives.

According to reports, severe floods have hit central Europe; including Czech Republic, Austria (where two died and several are missing) and Germany. In Central Europe, many main roads have been closed, many rail services cut and shipping in many parts has been halted. Many homes and other establishments are without power and many people have been evacuated.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that prejudice, maltreatment, exclusion and apartheid conditions faced by Roma population in Europe for centuries should not come in the way to protect them in the floods. Roma needed dignity and respect like other Europeans and they were not getting it, Zed added.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged leaders of various religions and denominations, including His Holiness Pope Francis, to come to the support of those affected as religion told us to help the helpless.

Rajan Zed, strongly condemning Europe’s continuing maltreatment of Roma, stressed that it was time for Europe to wake-up and do something concrete to end Roma apartheid. European politicians needed to exhibit a strong will, commitment, intention and responsibility to bring concrete and lasting results on the reality of the Roma population, instead of just weaving dreams in capital boardrooms.

Europe needed to clarify to the world where it stood on the issue of Roma and how long it would let the clearly visible Roma apartheid continue throughout almost every European locale, Zed asked.

Alarming condition of Roma was a social blight for Europe and the rest of the world as they reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, 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, unusually high unemployment rates, etc., Rajan Zed argued.