Representatives of the Roma community have demanded in the act held this Thursday in the Parliament on the occasion of the International Day of the Roma People, progress in its recognition in the Statute of Autonomy, including that the Romani language is also considered the language of Catalonia.
"Romany should be a more proper language in Catalonia", defended the event, presided over by the first vice-president acting as president of the Parliament, Alba Vergés, the representative of the gypsy youth, Félix Jiménez.
The young activist has pointed out that it has been more than a decade since the recognition of Roma in the Statute of autonomy of Catalonia and that for this reason "it is not too much to ask" that they go a step further in the development of this point to give "more own competences" to the gypsy people.
"We want to be protagonists of our own destiny, not just advisers," added Jiménez, who has advocated for measures such as "quotas" and "zipper lists" that also include Roma in institutions such as Parliament itself.
The co-author of the first Romani-Catalan dictionary, Perseo Cizmich, also spoke at the event, reflecting that the language has a "past and present" but a future that will only exist "if important steps are taken".
"It is necessary to recognize the Romani language as soon as possible", added the linguist, who recalled that in 2001 Parliament approved a resolution recognizing the values of the Romani people and the importance of their language.
Also Verónica Santiago, a gypsy woman who decided to return to study with access to university for people over 25 years of age, has pointed out the importance of education without barriers for gypsies and has claimed: "I dare to dream of a gypsy woman president of the Parliament".
The first vice-president acting as president of Parliament, Alba Vergés, highlighted in her speech that the Catalan Chamber "is everyone's home", including the gypsy people, the protagonist of their own parliamentary intergroup to promote their culture, as well as to fight against discrimination.
"And I want to go further. It is not just about raising awareness, it is about normalizing. The Romani people are a nomadic people, but in Catalonia they have roots for more than 600 years," he emphasized.
Verges has pointed out that if "some mistake has been made" it is to assume that discrimination was something "overcome" when antigypsyism and the lack of equal opportunities still have "work" ahead of them.
The act has concluded in the Catalan chamber with the interpretation of Gelem, gelem, by Antonio Campos, the Bocaillo.
The International Day of the Gypsy People is commemorated on April 8 in memory of the First World Gypsy Congress held in London on that day in 1971, a meeting in which the Gypsy flag and anthem were instituted.
The flag is green and blue, symbolizing the sky and the countryside, with a red cartwheel in the center, symbolizing the road from India and freedom.
In Barcelona, one of the best-known celebrations that take place in the context of this day is the Besòs River Ceremony, an act in which women throw flower petals into the rivers and men light candles in memory of their ancestors.
