Gypsies on the path of Dhamma (2013)






On the edge of village of the Sajókaza in the Hungarian wilderness, a school building painted in a
familiar blue is a centre of a community. The sound of a brass bell echoes through the winter snow
as students slowly gather. Inside, the classrooms are inscribed with the clarion call “Educate, Agitate,
Organize” and a portraits of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar watch over the children. Some year ago, János
Orsós is of Romani descent, a teacher, and a Buddhist came across a book by Dr Ambedkar in a
library. Inspired by these teachings he along with Derdák Tibor founded the Dr. Ambedkar School in
this village with the goal of enabling teenagers from the poorest Romani ghettos to attend
universities. In this corner of world Babasaheb’s flock slowly grows in number, his teachings touching
the lives of Romani youth who use Buddhism, humour, and their own vitality to survive in a world of
poverty and prejudice.