Roma living in Central Asia mainly live in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but Roma also live in Turkmenistan. The approximate number of Roma in Turkmenistan is not known. Roma in Central Asia are known as; Luli, Djuchi, Mazang and Agacha. The name changes depending on which country they live in in Central Asia, Luli and Djuchi refer to the same group of people, and Mazang Roma are found throughout Central Asia. Agacha Roma are mainly settled in the Namangan region (Uzbekistan) and in the city of Bazar Kurgan in the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan.

Roma were deprived of most of their rights in Central Asia. They were not landowners and therefore had to move. However, the Roma had temporary camps near large cities or rural areas, so they were only partially nomadic. The Roma in Turkmenistan are mostly of the Islamic religion, and they cherish that tradition. They bury their dead, fast, pray and practice circumcision. Unlike the Roma in Europe and Turkey, only a small number of Roma in Turkmenistan are engaged in making handicrafts. Some men make jewelry or work as blacksmiths, and the women make face nets that they sell to Muslim women.

Roma in Turkmenistan and Central Asia live in tents or in their own settlements. These tents have different names depending on the region and season, but the general name is chadir. Chadirs have a simple, uncomplicated design. In summer they use chadir to create shade and sleep. In winter, the chadir is a bit more complex, it has insulation and an opening for fire, pillows and blankets. Those parts are left in the summer when they travel. Some Roma live in farm buildings during the winter, and in return they give the farm owner the fertilizer they have from their cattle. Roma in Central Asia and Turkmenistan live in small groups or families, not in large Roma settlements. Traditional Roma clothing is no different from traditional clothing in Turkmenistan.

The Luli are one of the ethnic branches of the Roma in Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and, on rare occasions, Russia and Afghanistan are also home to Lula. The language spoken by Luli is an ethnolect of Tajik. They are Sunni Muslims. They came to Turkmenistan mainly from Tajikistan. Lulis move to Turkmenistan for employment, because the average salary is higher there. Usually, the salary in Turkmenistan is insufficient to cover the cost of food. Despite this, unfortunately, most Lulis enter Turkmenistan illegally. Because of this, the police conduct raids and expel Lula from Turkmenistan. Begging on the streets and fortune-telling are the primary source of income for women and children.

Another branch of Roma who came to Turkmenistan from Tajikistan are the Dzugi. They think they share a lot of similarities with Lulis. Dzhugs make money by begging on the street. Every morning the whole village comes to the central streets of the cities to beg on the streets. They even have a parable about begging: while God distributed things to people, he missed the Dzuga, and gave their goods to other people. They are now begging to get their belongings back. Men often collect and sell scrap metal. Dzugi are more widespread in the territory of Tajikistan.

Roma are not recognized as a separate minority in Turkmenistan, so it is difficult to keep track of how many Roma live there and how many different groups there are. Due to the low level of education and poor economic status in Turkmenistan, the Roma are mostly poor and have almost no access to healthcare. We hope that Roma in Central Asia will be recognized and that we will be able to learn more about Roma history in Turkmenistan.

Link: https://romi.hr/zanimljivosti/hrvatska/romi-u-turkmenistanu

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