BEHRAMPORE: ‘Subir Sir’ has been a father figure to Saijuddin Seikh ever since he was a little boy. The school teacher had opened his house to the bright student from an illiterate farmer family, coached him, fed him, gave him shelter and nurtured him as his own son. He even helped Saijuddin bag a job at an LPG distributor’s office when he was a first-year BA student.

So when Saijuddin, now 30, decided to get married, he replaced his father’s name on the invitation card with that of his Subir Sir. His teacher will also preside over his nikah on December 13. That Subir is a Hindu and he a Muslim doesn’t matter.

Subir Ghosh, an assistant teacher of geography at Lalbag Singhi High School in Behrampore and his student Saijuddin have set a rare example of religious harmony in minority-dominated Murshidabad at a time the country is fiercely debating rising intolerance. The duo though is unaffected by the raging debate. “That is politics. This is personal bond. Politics is alien to this matter of heart and affection,” says Ghosh.

“Subir Sir, has been a guardian and guide. I cannot repay his debt. I don’t care if anybody gets annoyed after seeing this unusual marriage invitation card. My parents, too, are happy as they treat Subir Sir as a family member,” Saijuddin said. His mother, Khairun Bibi, couldn’t agree more. A teacher like Subir Sir is nothing less than a parent, she said.

Saijuddin’s gesture has also impressed his bride-to-be Iftejam Khatun, a BA first-year student. “I am proud of my would-be husband and in-laws who are modern and free from religious bigotry and narrow mindedness,” she said.

Ghosh is moved by the affection and honour. “Even now, a couple of students stay at my home and eat what we have. A student is always like a son. My mother and wife wash their clothes and bed sheets. The day I differentiate between my students on the basis of religion, I will cease to be a teacher,” he said.

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