Hindus have urged celebrity musician and singer Bono to undertake the cause of apartheid of 15-million Roma people of Europe by uniting artists against it.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Ireland born Bono actively protested against the apartheid in South Africa in 1980s. Now it was time to come out and protest against apartheid right at home in Europe against Roma people, which had been going on for centuries.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that as many world entertainment celebrities successfully worked against South Africa’s apartheid in the past, it would not be hard for Bono to carve out a team of entertainment celebrities dedicated to end the Roma apartheid. Moreover, as Bono had taken up various humanitarian causes world over in the past, Roma would be the next worthwhile cause for him to undertake. If Bono wanted his services in regard to Roma cause, he was willing to support him, Zed added.

Alarming condition of Roma people 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 pointed out.

It was like an undeclared apartheid and it was almost total societal exclusion of Roma. The maltreatment of Roma was outside even the European Union norms. Roma issue should be one of the highest priorities of human rights agenda of Europe and world, Zed stressed and added that he was hopeful that Bono would not stay apathetic and silent spectator when fellow Roma brothers/sisters were reportedly facing blatant injustice and discrimination in Europe.

Oscar nominated and Grammy winner 49 years old musician-singer-songwriter Bono has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, granted honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom, and was named Person of the Year by Time magazine. - Sampurn Media

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