For immediate release

Entertainer Madonna’s one pair of designer shoes reportedly fetched about $16,600 for Roma children at a Romania charity auction.

Madonna donated one of her favorite specially made pair of autographed designer skyscraper gold heels Christian Dior shoes to a charity supporting education of Roma children, which was auctioned off at the fifth annual Ovidiu Rom Halloween Charity Ball held in Bucharest (Romania). One of the golden heels was reportedly marked with kisses and a heart by her while the other was autographed "Love Madonna". Oscar nominated Hollywood star Ethan Hawke (Training Day) reportedly spoke at the Ball.

A gold chain donated by Oscar winner actress Vanessa Redgrave (Mary, Queen of Scots) was auctioned off at about $8, 300. Money thus collected will be used to buy clothes and schoolbooks for Roma children, according to reports.

Welcoming Madonna for supporting Roma people, Hindus have urged her to “wholeheartedly” undertake Roma cause and do substantially more than just donating a used pair of shoes for the Roma charity.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Madonna, who was principally against Roma discrimination and who was the highest earning musician of the world making around $110 million in a 12-month period, should do more for the Roma people, who were facing apartheid conditions.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that being one of the world’s most powerful celebrities, Madonna would be very effective in focusing public opinion world over on apartheid of 15-million Roma people of Europe. Many Hollywood and other entertainment bigwigs had successfully worked against South Africa’s apartheid in the past.

Rajan Zed argued that Madonna had promoted humanitarian causes world over and Roma would be the next worthwhile cause for her to undertake. If she wanted his services in regard to Roma cause, he was willing to support her. Madonna should not stay apathetic and silent spectator when fellow Roma brothers/sisters were reportedly facing blatant injustice and discrimination in Europe, he said and added that Roma had reportedly recently faced heightened discrimination in Hungary, Romania, Italy, etc.

Alarming condition of Roma people was a social blight for Europe and the rest of the world as they reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, racist slogans on Internet, etc., Hindu statesman pointed out.

Rajan Zed further said that references to Roma people in Europe reportedly went as far back as ninth century AD. How many more centuries Roma had to reside in Europe to prove that they were “real and equal” Europeans like any other, he asked.

Madonna was reportedly booed and jeered at her Bucharest concert in August by thousands of fans when she sympathized with Roma people. Cheers reportedly gave way to jeers, when Madonna paused midway before a sell-out crowd of about 60,000 in Bucharest during her song La Isla Bonita in her about two-hour concert, part of her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour, and touched on the plight of Roma people, showing the deeply entrenched prejudice against Roma in Europe.

Golden Globe winner Madonna Louise Ciccone (Evita) is a singer-actress-dancer- songwriter-record producer-film director &producer-author-entrepreneur-fashion designer-etc., and Rolling Stone described her as “one of the greatest pop acts of all time”. She ranked as “best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century” and has reportedly sold over 200 million albums worldwide.

Roma are believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent.

ENDS