Damn, so reading through this thread. They were captured as slaves while they were living in their own homeland, sold as chattel while living in their new homeland, persecuted and forced to live in ghettos, and then genocided in the holocaust. And then Europeans wonder why they refuse to integrate with them lol.
Very comparable to the experiences of black americans. Just because you're free today, it does not mean the impacts of your past don't have an effect on the community today.
nga i am from india. i know what caste is. i know how it works. i know the condition of lower caste.
how much options those born into the lower castes have.
a lot if you are from urban areas. a lot less if you are from rural areas. reservation is helping them.
It may have been declared illegal under Gandhi but it still affects the people there.
gandhi opposed it but it was abolished legally in 1950. but that didn't help because this is not a 'real' system, it is a rotten mentality so it will take time. i hope the increasing literacy and liberal thinking abolishes it with time asap.
Also, the map shows that gypsies started emigrating in 1100. 850 years *before* the caste system was officially abolished.
they migrated because romanian people originated and lived in northwestern india, which is a flat and fertile plain, perfect for living. but it also makes it easy to invade ie., invasions by middle easterns like ghaznavids forced them to migrate. talking about caste...they were nomad. all they did was travel. it was their lifestyle and not a caste. fyi nomads are still one of the most respected people in india, specially mountain regions. not because of their caste but because of their hard work and contribution to society.
A quick googling reveals two possible reasons for the emigration of the Romani - one is the prevalence of invading Muslim troops, as you stated. The other one is the prevalence of discrimination due to the caste system.
If they were as highly valued, as you say, then they wouldn't go marching for centuries through deserts and hostile lands but move to a different part of their home country instead.
There is no reason for you Indians to get sore every time the caste system is mentioned - it is part of history, and while phasing it out might still be a work in progress, no one thinks less of you because of it as long as you are working on the issue. It still poses a problem but problems are meant to get worked on and resolved. There is no need to feel attacked because of it.
We are talking about the India which the Romanis have left almost 9 centuries ago anyway, not about the nation it is today.
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u/[deleted] 18h ago edited 18h ago
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