Am aflat recent ca exista o miscare a romilor pentru formarea unui stat rom, “Romanistan”. Habar n-am daca este chiar un “movimiento”, ideea creata a unui singur om sau o gluma, dar merita discutat.

Dupa cum am mai spus, eu sustin redenumirea “Romaniei” in Dacia din mai multe motive. La prima vedere pare o gluma, intarita de listarea de catre uncyclopedia a steagului “Romanistan”, arborat chipurile la Olimpiada de vara 2008 (HA!). De fapt, vreau mai degraba sa ajung la cifra de cateva milioane vehiculata de Economist si alte publicatii serioase in legatura cu numarul Rromilor din Romania (exprimat in sute de mii, i.e., x100000):

Ce mi se pare interesant este ca exista o organizatie ce incearca formarea unui stat rom pe teritoriul Suediei. Citand din Daily Kos (dk-romanistan):

Sinti Polajki, president of the World Romanist Association, is on a mission. For many years now, he has been lobbying world leaders to fulfill his lifelong dream: based on the right of all peoples to a country of their own, Polajki argues for the creation of a sovereign Gypsy state in the country of Sweden.  (..) A sensible idea, of course. If it happens, though, I don't think the swedes would be very happy. But who the hell cares about the swedes?

Mai jos, in comentarii, cineva ii pune autorului intrebarea de bun simt “de ce taman in Suedia si nu in India?!”, la care acesta raspunde:

This diary is about Israel. I used Swedes and Gypsies to put the Palestine/Israeli question into perspective.

Cu alte cuvinte, stirea este inventata. Daca se va inventa vreodata un Romanistan, acesta va fi probabil pe teritoriul Romaniei (cum par sa vrea europenii) sau pe teritoriul Basarabiei (cum sugereaza rusii) . Romanistan este un cuvant folosit chiar de Caterina, o romanca, atunci cand scrie (apcat-missed) despre o expozitie romaneasca si din cate-am auzit realizatorii Borat erau cat pe ce sa-l foloseasca, dar uzul unui stat real a avut beneficiul de a starni reactii vehemente care au ajutat in reclama.

Ar mai fi si posibilitatea rebotezarii Parisului unde – ne spune in Daily Mail Peter Allen citandu-l pe ministrul de interne francez – unul din 10 arestati este “imigrant roman”, din care jumatate sunt copii.

Speaking to Le Parisien newspaper today, Mr Gueant said: ‘About 1,200 Romanian nationals were brought to justice during the first seven months of this year in Paris. 'Romanian offenders make up one in 10 in the capital. Half were adolescents.’ As far as arrests were concerned – as opposed to convictions – some 4,800 Romanians were detained during the first half of 2011, compared to 2,500 over the same period in 2010. Mr Gueant said Romanian crime ‘is a crime that is difficult to fight because of one aspect that is extremely cruel: it frequently uses minors. ‘Half of the arrested offenders are Romanian children and adolescents as young as 12 or 13 who are forced to take part in  various crimes.’

Incercarile noastre (desi probabil justificate) de a prezerva o diferenta denominativa intre romani si romi sunt slabe, tardive si sortite esecului, dat fiind ca majoritatea romilor sunt – cel putin din pdv oficial – cetateni romani:

The issue was picked up by the OSCE, which issued a diplomatic reprimand to Romania. The government backed off and cancelled its earlier note. Since then "Roma" has been the term used in all official documentation and at international meetings. But the underlying issues were not addressed: Romania's Romanies still live in dire poverty, and Romanian media continued to encourage the impression that the presence in western Europe of people called "Roma" was damaging Romania’s reputation. The recent economic crisis, which has hit Romania particularly hard, has added fuel to the glowing embers of resentment and prejudice.

Nicolae Gheorghe, a sociologist and former Roma adviser to the OSCE, helped lead the charge against the proposed name change in 1995. He told me that the current proposal shows "the populist and nationalist direction that the present leadership of Romania is going in". He explains that "the term 'Roma' was never used by all Romani groups, particularly at the local level, but it has become the internationally accepted generic term that groups from Spain, Romania and other countries choose to call themselves. If this name change takes place it will represent a big step backwards."

Of the 19 public institutions that were consulted about the proposed name change, just one supports it: the Romanian Academy, a bastion of elderly scientists and linguists charged with defending Romanian culture. In a statement, the academy says that it supports the name change on the grounds that "many European countries use, without any restrictions, words with the same origins [as Tigan]". In Germany the term is "Zigeuner", in France "Gitani" and in Russia "Tzigan". The concept of self-determination deployed successfully by the Romanies in 1995 is nowhere to be seen in the academy's statement.

Un bun candidat la titlul de Romanistan ar fi si tabara Greenacre, unde mai multi tigani sarmani erau tinuti in conditii de sclavie, unii chiar de 15 ani ( Norwich Experience, ITN).

Un francez (GUY-LAURENT WINTERSTEIN) a facut deja un film cu acest nume: Romanistan. Il putem gasi pe vimeo, teaser cu Alain Delon si in 4 parti pe youtube: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Read Romanistan II - Economist conspiracy next.

Sources / More info: dk-romanistan, apcat-missed, ec-roma, re-sclavi, bbc-greenacre, bbc-9-nu, dm-1in10