Married to men from Punjab, but denied job quota

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, January 22

“Punjabis are known to be the most accepting of all people. But it seems that years after we left our paternal homes and came to settle here with our Punjab-born husbands, we are still being labelled as “outsiders” or “migrants,” says a distraught Narinder Kaur.

Kaur, who was born and brought up in Ambala, got married and settled down in Kharar. There are many women like Narinder Kaur, who have been denied right to seek government job under the reservation criteria. Their fault is that they belong to other neighbouring states, but got married in Punjab.

The state government is denying them jobs under the reserved category saying that though the candidates who migrate from one state to another cannot lose their status of SC or ST, but they will be entitled to benefits/concessions admissible to them from the state of their origin and not from the state where they have migrated.

Ruksana (42) says that this was her last chance to apply for the job of master cadre teacher. She was born and brought up in Panchkula, but got married in Mohali. “For 21 years, I have had a domicile of Mohali. Even children of migrant labourers settled here get the SC scholarships. But even after so many years, we are considered migrants. I have been selected in the merit list. But my result has been withheld on this account,” she lamented.

Similar is the case of Kulwinder Kaur, hailing from Ambala, but now married and settled in Banur. “My result has been withheld on the same grounds, though my name is in the selection list for master cadre teacher,” she rued.

Charu Parcha, who is married and settled in Jalandhar, but was born and educated in Shimla, has been placed on the eighth position in the selection list for SC (M&B) candidates, among 89 to be selected. “I was told that I could get a job only in Himachal Pradesh. But I surrendered my reservation benefits there and am not getting these here. It is unfair that archaic laws and rules deny benefit of reservation to women like us,” she said.

Dr Baljit Kaur, Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, said, “I have met some women. The laws do not permit them to get jobs under reservation for SC/ST. But I sympathise with the women and will take up the matter with my Cabinet colleagues.”

21 years on, still considered migrants

For 21 years, I have had a domicile of Mohali. Even children of migrant labourers settled here get the SC scholarships. But even after so many years, we are considered migrants. — Ruksana, job aspirant

Labelled as outsiders

I was told that I could get a job only in Himachal Pradesh. But I surrendered my reservation benefits there and am not getting these here. — Charu Parcha, job aspirant

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