Who Is the Most Romani of Us All?
The internet is expanding at incredible rates. With the onset of globalisation we have the world uniting in ways that are both beneficial in numerous ways, but also deceitful in subtle ways. The benefits of the internet are apparent to all:
- We have information at our fingertips
- We can access services that make our lives easier, eg. internet banking, pay bills online, etc.
- We can keep connected with long distance family and friends
- We can use emails and other digital services that cut the production of paper
- So much more!
The internet has its downside, however. One that is subtly deceitful, and one that I want to speak about. The internet makes the vast majority of people believe that what you see on the internet is the reality of the real world. Another way to put it is: People believe that because something is repeated and is popular on the internet, it must mean that it’s the truth of the real world.
Allow me to focus on how these matters affect Roma (Gypsies) across the world.
When I first got online in 1997, only 1.7% of the world was estimated to have been connected online. Indeed, I rarely came across anyone from my culture. In 2007, 17% of the world (source) was estimated to have been connected online. The year 2007 is also the year I started to advocate for Romani rights online.
What also became apparent to me is that the vast majority of the information that was originally being upheld was from two main sources, the Patrin Web Journal and Dr. Ian Hancock’s research on Roma. Both the Patrin Web Journal and Dr. Ian Hancock have done an immensely good service for Roma across the world by bringing light into the world of the Romani people. I personally have huge gratitude to their work.
However, the truth remains. And that is, what the Patrin Web Journal and Dr. Ian Hancock’s research say, only reveals one side of the story about Roma. And that is their own picture of who the Roma are; including, our history, origins and culture.
Their own picture is not wrong. But it is only one jigsaw piece in the whole puzzle! I cannot stress how diverse the Romani people are. Our origins, our history, our preferred languages and so on, are very diverse. And the Romani people cannot be put into a single box, as Roma have never travelled in one sealed unit. Families have always travelled separately and joined with their Kumpanias in appropriate times; therefore, what racial mixtures, what origins, what languages, each family and Kumpania has picked up along the way is very different in each county, more different in each country, and definitely immensely different across the world!
The problem arises not when we have Roma sharing their personal and specific beliefs about their history and origins. The real problem is when one Romani group begins to state that their view of their history and origins is correct and all others is wrong.
The main issue that I have seen between Romani groups concerns our origins. When I first started sharing my origins of my Romani family, that we originally came from ancient Egypt, it was a shock to find many Roma attacking me for my beliefs. I was prepared for attacks from Gadje (non-Roma), but to find it coming from my own ethnic group, that was a real surprise. The line of argument from the Roma who attacked me consisted of, “We believe we are originally from India because of genetics and linguistic research, therefore your beliefs about us originating from Egypt is totally wrong.” I didn’t mind that we believed differently. But their conclusion was rather puerile and completely turned me off, and that is their claims that I was a false Rom because of my beliefs. I found that conclusion very difficult to digest… how can one respond to someone who is fixated on knowing you better than you know yourself? lol So instead of debating about who I was (something I leave for the weak and insecure), I drew a picture that I believe speaks volumes:
And with the drawing of that picture I left the group of quarrellers behind and moved on, not caring what they thought of me for not “defending” my beliefs. Those who know me can vouch that I hardly ever defend my beliefs in the face of adversity. It is not a constructive setting to defend ones beliefs in a slanderous environment.
It’s 2010 and Roma continue to flock to the internet. The trends shown in the Internet Growth table above, continue on. And with more Roma accessing the internet we are hearing other views of our history. The Indian/Punjabi origins are still being upheld in Wikipedia and other popular Romani related sites, but we are also seeing a high influx of individual Roma who are addressing Egyptian origins and Jewish connections.
From what I can see, there are two main beliefs being fought over at the moment:
| Current Popular Beliefs | |
|---|---|
|
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Both groups are claiming genetic and linguistic evidence. So which group is correct? Which group holds the key to unlock the mystery of the Romani origins? Dare I ask the racist question, who is the most Romani?! Hahaha. I personally don’t mind which group believes what, as it will not impact on my own personal beliefs that have been passed down to me.
My Message
This journal is about getting a message across, a message that no matter what our differences are, we can still unite as a Romani people. No one is more Romani than the other group because we have different beliefs about our origins. We Roma have to first unite together, despite our differences, if we are to expect Gadje (non-Roma) to accept us. We cannot be so hypocritical to want the world to accept us when we don’t accept each other.
Imagine! Here we are, expecting the world to accept us who have been enshrouded in mystery for so long, and we cannot accept each other because we don’t understand each other’s different beliefs in our origins.
So, let the bickering and quarrelling continue on the internet, if that is what individuals want to do. As for myself and my family, we will continue believing what we have always believed and continue observing the trends as they come and go over the span of time. As for myself and my family, we will always have our doors open for both Roma and Gadje, I hold all equal. Afterall, we are all children of God and this spiritual heritage is more important to us than Egyptian or Indian origins.
So my question from this journal’s title stands. Who is the most Romani of us all? I guess it would be the one with the biggest head! Muahaha.
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Tags: cultural rights, sentiments
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