About two years ago where Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media-baron remaining at the helm of affairs an entire town inhabited by Roma Gypsies was evacuated forcibly by the whites which was a big news story reported by the media. The minority community had nowhere to go and if my memory is true they were reported to have fled to some other land. A dark example of xenophobia prevailing across the world even in this advanced age.
Similarly the Indian diaspora including students who keeping their hopes alive, to scale new heights the field of higher studies especially in the fields of engineering, medicine, business administration and various other categories who have taken up jobs in different sectors running business establishments, cab driving and even manual labour and those who are permanently settled there came under attack by xenophobic elements and even got killed for no fault of them inviting worldwide condemnation. During that period Kevin Rudd was Australian Prime Minister and the incumbent Prime Minister Julia Gillard and thanks to the fractured mandate in the elections conducted a month before her position hangs in balance now, was his sub-ordinate. In a political coup in the Australian Labour Party she ousted Kevin Rudd and assumed the role of Prime Minister of Australia two months ago and immediately called for elections. Her timing of the elections was at an inopportune moment and now it has turned to be a neck to neck race with Tony Abbot of the Conservative and its coalition parties with the independents playing king-makers.
Violent attacks continued unabated for months even after Indian authorities lodging protests to the Australian authorities. At present the situation is clam and let’s hope another bout of violence do not recur there.
I recalled those incidents when I happened to come across a news report a few weeks back reported by the news media about the ruthless evacuation of hapless Romas charging them with indulging in crime and prostitution by the govt of French President Nicholas Sarkozy. If the Roma Gypsies indulge in crime and prostitution the gentleman should have displayed the generosity of treating it as a social problem and should have initiated steps to alleviate their sufferings and brought them into the mainstream.
Sarkozy’s arrogance knows no limits. Even while he was the Interior Minister while Jacques Chirac was French President and it is worth recalling here that Jacque’s disillusionment with Sarkozy was very much evident that time. Jacque’s favourite was Dominique De Villepine, Prime Minister of that time who was a hot contestant to the post of President. Sarkozy was notorious for his xenophobic approach in his tenure as Interior Minister his ire was directed toward the black African people and in his attempt to evacuate them two boys of African origin got electrocuted consequently a rebellion broke out there leading to violent clashes.
His policy had many takers among the French citizens and that was the sole reason behind his victory at the hustings and elevation to the post of President.
Now he has turned his ire against the Roma gypsies thousands of them already deported forcibly, leaving them high and dry. More than a million Roma gypsies are still in France and the gentleman - xenophobic is on a massive drive to forcibly deport them. First against black Africans, then against Muslim women wearing ‘hijab’ and now against the Roma gypsies the man is indeed a hard and industrious worker.
In the land of Voltaire, Roussae and Montesquie there was a Louis XVI and Marie Antoinnette, hence no surprise.
A rare moment he got mellowed in his Presidency so far was when he managed to broker an agreement between Russia and Georgia while Russia was bent upon teaching Georgia a lesson for its forces forcibly entering Abkazia and Ossetia wreaking havoc there. Russian troops stormed Georgia and Michael Sakashvilli, the ruler of Georgia had to admit defeat at the hands of the Russians led by the strong man Vladimir Putin. Apprehending an America-Russia war, Sarkozy played diplomacy and managed to avert a conflict between Russia and America. The rare commendable event in his Presidency so far.
Now that on the issue of Romas the cabinet itself is divided with Prime Minister Fillon Francoise and Defence Minister Herve Morvin, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner bitterly opposing and condemning Sarkozy’s drive against the hapless Roma gypsies.
Xenophobia like terrorism and nuclear race is a social menace and the menace prevalent everywhere across the world. It is incumbent upon each nation to root out the evil from its soil.
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