Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A story

This is an entirely fictional post about a made up country which is not in any way based on reality, no sirree.

Let's imagine there is a country. We'll call it Morania. This country has a number of ethnic minority groups living in it, but the vast majority of the population are Moranian. One of these ethnic minorities is particularly sizeable, making up well over 5% of the total population of Morania. We'll call this group Gamars.

One of the Moranian majority's complaints about the Gamar minority is that they never really see themselves as Moranian and cling very tightly to their sense of ethnic identity (as Gamars). This is a not unreasonable observation in many ways, and while the Gamars are more or less integrated into society they keep a certain amount of separation from the Moranian majority. One good example of this would be that Gamars have been very involved politically in Morania, but always within the context of their own ethnic Gamar party.

One way in which there really does seem to be a clear integration is in sport. Many Gamar athletes have represented Morania at their chosen sport, and this is never seen as odd (by either group). Indeed, a number of Moranian national sporting heroes are from various different ethnic groups (including the Gamars).

So, to get to our story, there was this Gamar sportsman, who was really beginning to make a name for himself, and he became an integral member of the Moranian national team for his age group. There was no conflict in his mind in being part of the Moranian team, even though he regarded himself as Gamar. So successful was he that it would be no great exaggeration to suggest that this athlete was possibly the best in the particular Moranian national side he played for. Recently there was an international tournament in which Morania participated. The National side did extremely well, and finished better than anyone expected before the tournament began. Our hero performed out of his skin and did remarkably well, in one or two games carrying the team to victory, and always being the best player in the squad. Everybody around the team was congratulating him and remarking on what a great player he had become. It was clear to everyone at the tournament (both in the Moranian squad and in the other squads) that he was one of the best players at the tournament, and certainly the best Moranian player.

However at the end of the tournament the top player on each team was given an award. For the Moranian squad this award (to everyone's surprise, even the recipient's) was given to another player - of Moranian ethnicity. Afterwards, members of the team's management and those responsible for making the award approached our hero and said (effectively) "Sorry son, that's just the way it's got to be". It was made very clear to him and others around that he had deserved the award but that the people responsible felt that the award needed to go to a Moranian player.

It would be (if this story were in any way true of course) be a very upsetting tale, which would really go to show how even in areas of better integration between Moranians and Gamars, there are still a number of problems. And also would show how this barrier between the two communities is not merely something which the Gamars have erected. Luckily however, I have just come up with this story off the top of my head.

11 comments:

Rick Spurway said...

You mean Talna Borzsom?
Rick

Anonymous said...

I really hope it is a fiction piece...!!!!!
If not, I would very much like to know the true characters..

Happy Easter!

Camy

Denes Csala said...

Very nice story! (and sad, of course) And I used to be that Moranian player, amongst others, multiple times.

You know, the funy thing is that the problem is only with this Gamar "tribe". Because I witnessed on multiple occasions trophies going to Moranian players with tyipical non-Moranian names (ending in "ucse")...

But I think (or actually hope) that the situation is getting better, at a snail's pace nonetheless...

Happy Easter!

Duncan McDougall said...

"It's the same, the 'ole world over.
It's the poor, what gets the blame,
While the rich gets all the pleasures,
Ain't it a bloomin' shame?"
-Sung with a Cockney accent by Oscar Brand, from his album "Bawdy Songs and Backroom Ballads," circa 1955.

Raluca said...

Well...sarcasm in all it's glory. If you want to be sarcastic, tell the whole truth. Sarcastically if you wish. Not hard to figure out what ''Morania'' stands for but let me enlighten the ones who can't do that: we are talking about Romania and if you haven't lived there ALL your life there is no way to understand the complications of this discrimination issue. We discriminate when it comes to them. But did you take a look at what they say and do when it comes to us? No, sirree, you did not.
I also see you live in Csíkszereda so my humble hunch is that you're surrounded by Gamars. Of course you take their side but let me ask you this - if some minority that lives in the US would continuously raise hell around here trying to take in the government and fight for making one of your US states an independent country with their own LANGUAGE and president what would you do? And if you say you'd freely give it away, then I rest my case.
If you feel so strongly about this, do your research completely my friend. And may your next post be about what the Gamars do AGAINST Morania

seinean said...

Andy, please tell about which atlete/player the story goes. As you said, whatever the relations between the Romanian majority and the Hungarian minority were , sport was a field where value was until now recognised disregarding the ethnicity.

Istvan (Stefan) Kovacs, Emeric Jenei , László Bölöni , Ecaterina (Katalin) Szabo are clear examples to support this statement (also Belodedici, Duckadam and even Hagi).

If some no-name moron from some "federation" decided to be "roman verde" we need to know that. Please.

Raluca, the "Gamars" are in no position to do anything against "Morania". It is their country too - you know. I just hope you'll not come with the "cand-am-fost-in-Secuime-si-am-cerut-o-paine-in-romaneste-nu-au vrut-sa-mi-raspunda" kind of story.

Raluzda said...

Dear Raluca, who the f..k is ".. trying to take in the government and fight for making one of your US states an independent country with their own LANGUAGE and president.."? As you learned english, maybe you should learn some gamar too, to understand something, otherways you'll be just a moran(ian)...

seinean said...

"...otherways you'll be just a moran(ian)..."

Looks like at least one of the anagrams was not a fortunate pick.

Raluzda said...

little mistake, big meaning

Andy said...

Dear Raluca

Possibly you should read fuirther in this blog and note that while I am obviously surrounded by Gamars I do not "take their side". I get shit from nationalist Moranians (like yourself) and nationalist Gamars alike, which suggests that I'm being pretty even handed. And even if you read this piece closely, which is commenting on one bad incident you'll note that I don't shy away from commenting on some Gamar things either.

I do feel strongly about this one case, but I (as I have said many many time on this blog) do not support autonmy or independence for Szekelyfold. I do occasionally feel a slight twinge of sympathy for that case when I encounter blind and deaf people like you who refuse to actually pay attention to what is being said.

To others who want more details, i can't really supply them, as I fear that it might rebound badly on this particular player (who is very young and just wants to play and get better). But suffice to say that the case is as I told it.

Anonymous said...

Getting a job and trying to improve one's skills and grow one's wealth usually is the best cure for nationalist frustrations. Hungarian politicians in Romania are shamelessly exploiting nationalist tendencies in the Hungarian population for their own profit. All of the fluff they're putting forward as the "real problems" will do nothing to improve Harghita's and Covasna's status as some of the poorest counties in Romania.

Same for your post: while it's exposing a condemnable behaviour it's totally irrelevant when one considers the bigger/more important issues and as can be seen from the comments for this post serves to keep busy some heated people that would otherwise not have much to do (likely) with their lives.