Zeeshan Ahad
‘A young mother trapped in a job limbo, struggles to meet her dream job. Within time she nourishes, outshines in a teaching profession’
Srinagar: Back in the Autum of 2013, Mariya Bashir, 24 years old from Rainawari, Srinagar was looking at the setting sun when the sun was gone but not its light. She was thinking about her future job, after qualifying her PG in Computers from IUST, Awantipora.
Her high hopes, eager young mind had implanted a working soul in her, nurturing her to land in a government job. But her fate surpasses with a test, when she was offered to join ITI, Srinagar as a Contractual Instructor.
For Mariya joining the ITI on contractual basis wasn’t less then walking on a naked sword. As for her she could hold-out herself for the government job she had dreamed of, but the path which leads her dream was full of uncertain delays.
With ‘heavy resentment’, Mariya braced herself for the journey, accepted the Job, hoping to get permanent within some upcoming years. Though, a decade passed out since she had joined the ITI, her hope to get permanent still hangs up in vain.
“Ten years were more than enough to let me getting a permanent designation here,” Mariya tells the reporter, while leaning back to her chair.
“For the sense of purpose, working as a contractual doesn’t offer Job security,” she continues.
“A low salary doesn’t represent my worth, but it represents all the efforts I had made since 2013,” she told the reporter with a staid look.
“My struggles can’t define me, but my strengths will,” she further continues.
At present, Mariya Bashir, 36, married and the mother of Duo’s continues to work determinedly as a contractual Instructor at ITI Srinagar, earning a salary of rupees 20,000 per month.
Though, according to Mariya, during her last 10 years of working as a Contractual Instructor, she had approached the government officials many times to let her secure the permanent position. Nonetheless, her appeals didn’t bare any positive outcome.
“Approaching the Officials is totally a vague,” she told the reporter with pale look.
“Sometimes it seems that we ‘contractual workers’ didn’t exist for them,” she further added.
“Right now, age criteria rules, after crossing the eligibility norms, I can’t even apply for any other position. Administration must sound on our cases,” she explains to the reporter.
From some recent years, contractual and outsourced employment is transforming the Job market in J&K. These jobs offer limited security and typically lasts for few months to a year, with no guarantee of regularization. According to Aspirants, this shift in employment undermines job security and career growth. And administration must address this issue so that the aspirants must have a stable career opportunity.
Moreover, as per Mariya facing numerous uncertainties like the renewal assistance and the lack of permanent position doesn’t let her to compromise with the teaching passion she holds out.
With a new dawn, between the unexpected twists and turns, 36 years old Mariya Bashir, starts paving her way towards the ITI, Srinagar. Upon her arrival, Mariya Bashir dressed in a Kashmiri attire starts folding-up her Pheran Cuffs, she wisely picks notes from her Handbag, up-holds a pen and starts the lecture.
While Mariya, digging down her lecture, a life-time memories and determination for teaching carves on her face.
“Life is full of unforeseen turns. Sometimes the path we choose didn’t lead us to our destiny, but still leads us towards transformation and learning,” she finally concluded with a sanguine smile.
On the Babedemb road, the motor vehicles are echoing with the cacophony sounds. Beneath the Winter Sun, Mariya Bashir, tired-out from her busy day, waits for her bus. Sooner a bus pulls up, Mariya hurries in. Between the hustle-bustle, her eyes spot a vacant chair, she sits on it. As the bus heads forward, Mariya rests her back patiently, breathing calmly, her heart adores to meet her Dou daughters, whom she had promised candies and chocolates, she smiles with herself and hopes for a better tomorrow.
Zeeshan Ahad is an independent journalist based in J&K’s Capital Srinagar-India. He can be reached via zeeshanahad26@gmail.com.
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