Stigma, social boycott awaits residents of former containment zones in Chandigarh

Residents were desperately hoping that the removal of the containment tag will mean life back to normal. But for most of them, it has only worsened.

After facing hardships living in one, the residents of erstwhile containment zones are now struggling with social stigma and ostracisation, which is costing them their jobs, marriage proposals and social relationships.

Residents say they are no longer welcome at social gatherings or at their workplace. (File Photo)

For containing the spread of coronavirus in the city, the UT administration had declared six areas as containment zones. Strict perimeter control was enforced in these areas with high incidence of positive cases.

With no new case being reported in five of the six zones for 28 days, the administration ended the containment operations in Sector 30, Sector 52, Shastri Nagar (Manimajra), Kachhi Colony in Dhanas, Sector 38 and some parts of Bapu Dham Colony.

Residents were desperately hoping that the removal of the containment tag will mean life back to normal. But for most of them, it has only worsened. A hard reality hit residents when they realised they were no longer welcome in social gatherings and even in their workplaces.

Living in Bapu Dham Colony not only cost Baljeet Singh his daughter’s marriage, but also his job. Baljeet, formerly a driver with a private company, said, “In April last year, we accepted a marriage proposal for my daughter from a family living in Dhanas. The marriage was to take place in June this year. But when parts of Bapu Dham were declared containment zones, even though my house didn’t fall in it, the Dhanas family broke all contacts with us. We were told by one of their relatives that they didn’t want to marry in a family living in Bapu Dham Colony.”

The company where he was working as a driver also fired him because of that tag.

An evaluation engineer, Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sector 30, also lost his job even though his employer maintained it was a performance-based decision. “After containment restrictions ended, I went back to my job. But the management laid me off, saying my performance was not satisfactory. In three years of working there, I was never told my work was not good.”

COME BACK IN A MONTH: EMPLOYERS

Meanwhile, some residents are not being fired at work, but being asked to come back after a month or more. “I work as a salesman in a mobile shop at Elante Mall. I thought with the mall opening I will get back to work. When I asked my employer, he refused. He asked me to call him after a month,” said another resident of Bapu Dham, requesting anonymity.

Yanki Kaliya, a local Congress leader in Bapu Dham Colony, said, “Most Bapu Dham residents either work in Industrial Area factories or in shops in sectors like 22 and 17. Their employers have not been keen to take them back at all.”

Some residents have said they have been ostracised on the social front as well. Rajinder Kaur Panag, a resident of Sector 30, said, “Children from the area are not welcome to play with children living in other sectors. Some tuition teachers are also asking them not to come. People have even stopped calling us to social functions like marriages or birthday parties.”

When contacted, UT adviser Manoj Kumar Parida said, “If we get a specific complaint, we will advise the employer [to not lay off people].” The administration has made the SDM of the area the nodal officer for addressing complaints regarding job loss. As per the administration officials, they have intervened successfully in 800 such matters.