SRINAGAR: In an unprecedented incident of its kind a son committed suicide as his father was denied his salary for more than two years causing a literal survival crisis in the south Kashmir family. Before committing suicide, the young man recorded a brief video detailing the reasons for his “sacrifice”.
The incident has taken place in Avail village of Kulgam on Friday, May 28, 2021. The young man who committed suicide in an apple orchard is reported was identified as Shoaib Bashir, 23, who was pursuing his masters in arts through IGNOU. His attempt at suicide was immediately detected when he was found unconscious in an orchard. He was driven to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, he somehow could not be revived. He died Saturday afternoon.
It was the video that told the story. “I sacrifice my life for all the teachers who have not been paid for the last two years and I can’t tell you how much trouble I’ve had to this day,” the young man is heard saying on the video, now viral on social media. “This is why I was forced to take this step today. “I am giving my life to solve the problem of all the employees including his father who are still not getting their salaries for the last two years.” He asserted that he has no reason other than that. He is advising his family to be patient as they have been so far.
His father, Bashir Ahmad Mir told reports that he had to deposit some fee and had sought money from his mother. “She had nothing and this left him dejected,” Mir has said. “I was not around, so was not his brother. I could have sold some land to pay for his fees and prevent the tragedy.”
It was only after his death that now the story is getting out. His father identified as Bashir Ahmad Mir has been a teacher and posted at the primary school of his home village. In March 2019, Mohammad Ashraf Rather, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kulgam, told reports that the Education Department did verification and Mir got an adverse report and his salary was immediately stopped.
Mir joined the education department as a Rehbar-e-Taleem teacher in 2005. After five years, he confirmed as a regular teacher. However, in the verification process2019, the police sent an adverse report.
While Mir told reporters that he is amongst 70 teachers in the belt whose salary is withheld for more than two years, Sheikh Intikhab Aalam, the District President of Teachers Forum put the number at 25. Atta Mohammad, Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) DH Pora, said his zone has four such teachers whose salary is withheld on basis of the adverse police verification report.
Police in the meanwhile have registered a formal case. At Manzgam police station in Noorabad belt FIR 41/2021 under sections 309 IPC has been registered and investigations started.
His relatives said and the education department confirmed that he was arrested after his return from Pakistan in the 1990s and came out of jail in 2005.
