Dist’s para-karate star Tarun polishes shoes

Despite earning international accolades, international para-karate player Tarun Sharma polished shoes outside the mini secretariat to mark his protest on Wednesday aiming to draw attention to his plight and urge the state government to intervene.

Despite earning international accolades, international para-karate player Tarun Sharma polished shoes outside the mini secretariat to mark his protest on Wednesday aiming to draw attention to his plight and urge the state government to intervene. Accompanied by social worker Kumar Gaurav, Sharma’s protest highlighted his ongoing battle seeking a job.

Para karate player Tarun Sharma polished shoes outside Mini Secretariat to mark his protest in Ludhiana. (Manish/Hindustan Times)

Tarun said that despite his international achievement, he is forced to sell vegetables to run the family. Tarun’s quest for employment is not new. In 2021, during the Congress government’s tenure, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) showcased his achievements on their official social networking page, noting that despite winning 10 gold medals for India, Tarun was forced to sell vegetables to repay a loan due to a lack of government support. “Now, it has been over two years of the AAP government in Punjab, and Tarun’s situation remains the same. He continues to be jobless,” said Kumar Gaurav, appealing to the government to provide support.

Tarun is India’s first para-karate competitor with a visual disability. His journey has been marked by numerous challenges, yet his accomplishments are remarkable. Beginning karate at age six, Sharma overcame early-life paralysis that left him with impairments on his left side and speech difficulties.

Tarun’s perseverance and talent have earned him numerous international honours. In 2023, he won a bronze medal at the Asian Para Championship in Malaysia. In 2022, he secured a silver medal in Uzbekistan, and in 2019, he took third place at the World Championship in Ireland. Despite these significant achievements, he has struggled to find a job, despite extensive efforts with various government offices.

“I had a meeting with chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and even received a recommendation letter from the Punjab sports department, but every time I go to different departments for a job, they say no,” Tarun said, adding that he has been striving for years to secure even a peon position.

Kumar Gaurav issued an ultimatum to the government, stating that if the issue is not addressed within eight days, his team, along with Tarun, will stage a protest outside the chief minister’s residence on the ninth day.