Employed with the MEI since 2013, Tariq said his marriage with Sumaya was arranged by the two families and the school knew it as they had thrown a party soon after their engagement in March this year.
Tariq Ahmad Bhat and Sumaya Bashir were preparing to start a new life when a phone call from their school shattered their dreams.
On their wedding day, Tariq and Sumaiya, both teachers at Muslim Education Institute (MEI), Pampore, were given marching orders over the phone on the pretext that the couple was having an affair which will have an adverse impact on the students of the school. Ironically, the phone call was made hours before Tariq was set to leave to bring his bride home to Tral Township of south Kashmir on November 30.
"You cannot imagine how it impacted our marriage. My mother fainted and the celebrations turned into mourning. We were not given a chance to explain our position," said Tariq.
Employed with the MEI since 2013, Tariq said his marriage with Sumaya was arranged by the two families and the school knew it as they had thrown a party soon after their engagement in March this year.
"I worked in the boys' wing of MEI and my wife at a separate girls' wing of the school. My wife threw a party for the staff when we got engaged. We continued to perform our duties until the marriage day, when we got a call saying we have been sacked," said Tariq.
Sumaya's home was all decked up to receive the groom in traditional style when school authorities called her to say that her services were no more required. "I was told I was no longer required as they had to hear a lot of nonsense because of us", said Sumaya.
When DNA tried to reach chairman of the MEI, Bashir Masoodi, his phone remained switched off.
Director of School Education, Kashmir, Dr G N Ittoo, said marriage could not be a plea to sack anybody. "If they (the couple) come to us, we will investigate the matter through our chief education officer. If something is to be done, we will do it," he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Pulwama, G M Dar, said getting married was not a crime. "We will talk to the school administration. We will take the feedback from the school administration and then we will go for necessary correction", he said.
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