J&K teacher couple sacked over 'romantic relationship' being reinstated

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday said that the teacher couple sacked by a private school in southern Pulwama district on their wedding day over being involved in 'romantic relationship' is being reinstated.

J&K’s education minister, Syed Altaf Bukhari, said that the couple would be reinstated soon “as they have not committed any wrong.” He said that the Director Education took the matter up with the school management. “By now the issue must have been resolved if there is no other complaint against the couple except for what was reported in the newspapers,” Bukhari said.

Earlier during the day J&K State Human Rights Commission (JKSHRC) had while taking cognizance of a media report about the teacher couple’s sacking by a private school in southern Pulwama district over being involved in 'romantic relationship' asked its principal to appear before it on Monday.

Tariq Ahmed Bhat and Sumaya Bashir had tied the nuptial knot on November 30 but were shocked to learn that they have lost their jobs on the day of their wedding itself. The management of Muslim Educational Institute, a private school at Pampore in Pulwama where they worked for the past several years, had issued termination orders on the pretext that they were involved in “romantic relationship” which was not good for the students of the school.

The school chairman Bashir Masoodi had justified the couple being relieved from their services as they were in a "romantic relationship" before getting married. He was quoted in media as saying “They were having a romance and it is not good for the 2,000 students of the school and 200 staff members working there. This can adversely affect the students.”

The JKSHRC chairman Justice (retired) Bilal A Nazki, has taken a serious note of the couple’s sacking and directed the Director of the J&K School Education Department and the Principal of the Muslim Educational Institute, Pampore, to file a report on Monday Also, the Principle of the Institute has been asked to be present in person at the Commission’s Srinagar office on the said date.

Both Tariq and Sumaya are residents of Pampore. They have said that their's was an arranged marriage and, in fact, the school management and other faculty members knew about it after as they got engaged a few months back. Also, Sumaya had hosted a party for the staff members soon after the ring ceremony. “In fact, the Principal, the chairman of the Institute and all faculty members were invited to the wedding (feast) also,” said Tariq.