CHANDIGARH: Senior Congress leader and Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party government to turn their repeated claims of “reverse migration” into a concrete employment opportunity for Punjab’s youth.Reacting to the situation involving post-graduate students in Canada protesting after the cancellation of their study visas, Khaira appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to invite these students to return to Punjab and offer them employment opportunities in the state.
Khaira argued that if the Punjab government genuinely believes that a process of “reverse migration” is taking place, the return of highly educated Punjabi youth from Canada should be welcomed as an opportunity rather than treated merely as a political talking point.
“Invite all the post-graduate students protesting the cancellation of study visas in Canada to return to Punjab,” Khaira said, challenging the Mann government to provide jobs to these young people if it claims that employment opportunities have improved in Punjab.
The Congress leader’s remarks put the spotlight on one of Punjab’s most persistent challenges—the migration of educated young people abroad in search of better education, employment and economic security. For years, thousands of Punjabi students have chosen Canada and other Western countries because they believe their career prospects are stronger outside the state.
Khaira’s challenge also raises a fundamental question for the Punjab government: If young Punjabis are supposedly returning because of improved opportunities at home, where are the jobs waiting for them?
The issue is particularly significant because many students who travelled abroad invested substantial amounts of money in their education and future. Changes in Canadian immigration and study-permit policies have created uncertainty for sections of the international student community, leaving some young people facing difficult choices about their future.
Khaira has therefore sought to turn the debate from political claims into measurable action. Instead of merely celebrating “reverse migration,” he has asked the Punjab government to demonstrate its employment-generating capacity by offering returning students meaningful jobs and career opportunities.
His statement also touches upon a broader concern surrounding Punjab’s demographic and economic future. If the state wants to retain its educated workforce, it must create an environment where young people can find stable employment, competitive salaries, professional growth and entrepreneurial opportunities without feeling compelled to leave the country.
The challenge from Khaira now places the Mann government in a politically uncomfortable position. If “reverse migration” is indeed becoming a reality, the government has an opportunity to demonstrate it by welcoming returning students and helping them build careers in Punjab. If adequate employment opportunities are not available, Khaira argues, then claims about reverse migration risk being reduced to political rhetoric.
The debate ultimately goes beyond Congress versus AAP. It concerns the future of Punjab’s youth and whether the state can create an economy capable of retaining its brightest and most ambitious young people.
For Punjab, the real test of “reverse migration” will not be the number of young people returning home—it will be how many can find dignified, productive and sustainable employment after they return.