Paying a price for helping girl child: Sacked doctor

Ludhiana, Punjab: Dr Harshinder Kaur, a paediatrician-cum-writer, who was sacked from Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, for her remarks at a UN seminar in Switzerland recently, said today that she was suffering for raising her voice for the cause of the girl child in the state.

She said she was hurt at her unceremonious exit even though she had clarified to the world that Punjab did not top the list of “kudimaars” (girl child killers). “This is how a doctor, a writer and a women rights activist is treated in this country. I am completely disillusioned,” she said.

A strong votary of female child, Dr Harshinder Kaur, who was invited by the UN to speak on female foeticide in Punjab at a seminar in Switzerland recently, was sacked after she was alleged to have “over spoken” during the seminar.

Talking to The Tribune during a function organised to honour her by the Universal Human Rights Organisation here today, Dr Harshinder said she had, in fact, stated the fact that Punjab was not the number one state in killing daughters. The notoriety, however, rested with Rajasthan.

She had asked the UN to release some money for the girl child in Punjab. This had not gone down well with a senior administrative officer, who had warned her of action once she was back home. “I was told asking for grants was not my job. It was for the government to do so,” she added.

On June 9, she had received a letter from the Director, Health, stating that she had immediately been relieved of the charge. “It was really like a sentence without a trial. I was not served any notice nor was I asked to explain. I was only talking to benefit the girls in the state but the official persisted that there was 100 per cent literacy in Punjab which is not true. The fact can be checked from the figures released by union government. Moreover, I was not asking for money for myself. It was demanded for the girls of the state,” said the doctor.

Update

Sacked doc reinstated

Ludhiana, Punjab: The Health Department of the state government today reinstated the services of a paediatrician at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Dr Harshinder Kaur, who was relieved from service after she had ‘‘overspoken’’ during a UN seminar.

She was asked to join back at her place of posting at Rajindra Hospital today as she was not found guilty of charges levelled against her.

Talking to The Tribune today, she said she was handed over the letter of reinstatement today and was joining from tomorrow.

She was relieved after she had talked about the release of a grant to Punjab for the girl child. Her words during the UN seminar in Switzerland had not gone down well with a bureaucrat, who had objected that she had no right to ask for a grant from the UN.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana-based Ex-Servicemen Welfare Society has expressed shock at the behaviour meted out to the doctor, who is also a writer and a women rights activist.