Parochialism is the anti-thesis of nationalism. The state government in Haryana run jointly by the BJP and the Jannayak Janata Party(JJP) has won the governor’s nod to implement a law that will reserve 75 per cent jobs in the private sector to local candidates. Jobs up to a salary of Rs 50,000 come within the ambit of the law. This looks strange.
It is well-understood that jobs are fewer than the demand and every state has large armies of educated unemployed youth. Private enterprise is not every youth’s cup of tea and it requires patience and perseverance to get things going. The past practice was to reserve jobs in the government sector based on considerations like caste. It was done with a view to giving a share of the governmental goodies to marginalized sections.
Reservations as a rule are frowned upon as merit is not the sole criteria therein. Yet, even in both government and private sector, merit is not necessarily the only criteria to give jobs. Influence matters. An ideal scenario of all appointments being done on merit is a mirage. Still, private institutions cannot ignore merit as they are in hard competition with other entities in the field and good performance by every member of the workforce is a pre-requisite to the success of a firm.
The BJP ally in government, the JJP, had promised 75 per cent reservation for local youths, district-wise. After the last polls threw up an unclear verdict and the BJP did not get the majority, it tied up with the JJP in government and made this a part of the common minimum programme. The BJP still claims to promote nationalism.
It is no secret that the massive growth of the private sector in Haryana came about in the past three decades due to its proximity with the national capital. A major part of Haryana is informally a part of New Delhi metropolis. Haryana and Punjab have their capital in Chandigarh, a Union Territory. Job opportunities are one too many for youths from Haryana in the state, the UT as well as the national capital too.
All these strengthen the view that Haryana should not be seen as being parochial. More so a government led by the BJP. The Manoharlal Khattar government in the state is in its second term. It failed to win people’s confidence in the last polls, which brought the JJP too upfront. Parochialism cannot be a substitute to good governance. It’s only an excuse for leadership failures on other fronts.