The Supreme Court has, for now, set aside an interim Haryana high court order that had stayed a state government decision to reserve 75 per cent of the jobs in the private sector – apart from governmental jobs – to locals or Haryanvis. The apex court did so based on the “flaws” in the HC order and it asked the lower court to revisit the case and pass appropriate orders. It also made clear it is willing to call in all similar cases in some other high courts too and take a comprehensive view. As the apex court noted, the ‘jobs for locals’ endeavour is prima facie, not a wrong step. But there is more to it – and more so for a state like Haryana.
Haryana is located close to the national capital and Haryanvis are having a free go in the large crop of private enterprises not just in Delhi but those that thrive around it, say, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. There are no similar quotas for jobs in these states, or in adjoining Punjab. Haryana is a state that is largely benefited by its proximity to Delhi. The national capital region reaches out to the major industrial hub of Gurugram or Gurgaon in Haryana. Haryana’s economy is powered majorly by the revenue it gets from this huge industrial hub. It was essentially a spill-over of Delhi’s amazing growth in the past four decades. The new law is targeted mainly to grab jobs in Gurugram. Notably, the government in Haryana is run by the BJP alongside a regional party. The BJP never tires of wearing nationalism on its sleeves even as its leadership is often in the forefront to display parochial, communal and sectarian mindsets. The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 must be seen in this context.
When the Supreme Court took up the matter for consideration, it was told that four states have similar laws. India is a Union of states and as per Constitution, states have been given extensive powers to make laws through their legislatures. It is incumbent on states to keep national interests in mind. The Supreme Court has powers to adjudicate on matters if a state exceeds its rights. India as an entity, united into a nation by merger of erstwhile princely states after Independence, must keep striving to forge unity within, rather than allowing states to act in isolation. A large number of states today are run by regional satraps. To which is added the sectarian mindset of the BJP leaders. This violates the idea of India.
